Friday I removed the trunk lining on my TCH in order to install a backup proximity system. The lining is held on by about a dozen plastic clips that look like plastic roofing nails. Push them in and they're fine; pull them out and they're destroyed unless you're very very carful. Needless to say most of mine were destroyed. So I headed over to Sandy Springs Toyota and asked for the price on a dozen clips. The parts guy says they're $2.11 EACH list price!!! I told the parts guy that at that rate a TCH assembled from parts would cost about $800,000 to build. He laughed and said I was probably right. I needed them so I bought them. So I go home and check the price on a website called ToyotaDIY.com and find the price is $1.37 msrp. Apparantly this dealer's list price has nothing to do with msrp. Then I remembered that when I was looking to buy my TCH, this dealer wanted $3500.00 over msrp for the car in 2007. They also quoted me $650.00 for my 30,000 mile service 3 weeks ago. I should have known better.

 

A tip for removing those little clips: a piece of plastic zip-tie will fit nicely in the slot, giving enough grip to pull the center peg out far enough to pull the entire assembly loose.

I've been a communications technician for 32 years, so Zip-ties are always at hand.

 

Some clips can easily be pried out, and designed accordingly, with a lift point for screw driver. Some are diaboical: they pretty much have to be destroyed. Some have tricks as I learned the last couple of nights, wrestling with a wheel well liner:

One of the fasteners was for self-tapping screws: you could slip a slim screwdriver into the hole and depressing the springy inner clip, enough to allow it to come free.

Another was "expansion anchor" type. With one of those I could get something behind to push the inner pin back out, freeing, but the other had poor rear-access: I couldn't do the same trick. Trying other things I almost accidentaly pushed the inner pin in further than flush, from the front, and that loosened it enough for removal.

I agree, the prices are steep, but you only need a few.

Something else to consider, especially with not so visible clips: consider an alternative, if it will work. Black nylon license plate nuts and bolts can replace some fasteners, if the diameter is ok and you have access to both sides.

 

I bought a bag of 10 clips for about $2 at Canadian Tire. Just go to an auto parts store with a sample and they will probably have it as well. It wasn't exactly the same but it fit very well. I called Toyota as well and got the extremely high price.

 

I don't understand. I added a spoiler to the trunk lid of my 2009 TCH and removed the clips from the trunk lid liner, and replaced them all without any issue. I just used a small flat screwdriver and gently pulled up on the center part... this comes out, allowing the outside part to be removed. Are we talking about the same clips??

 

Just in the one wheel well I was working on there were 3 types. That's Honda, but pretty typical I would think.

 

On the 2007 TCH the clips are shaped like roofing nails; one piece with saw tooth striations on the shank. On newer TCHs these clips have been replaced by two piece affairs with a button type center that you push in to anchor the clip in place. I had the 'old' type and had to buy the 'new improved' type.

 

AH! I see. Thanks for clearing that up for me!

 

I looked at this and it's for a 07 V6 but it looks like they also use the two piece mechanism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzW_KgFFXxE

You must have been unlucky? I'll go check my car tomorrow morning.

 

Thats the type I have on my '09. Perhaps they use different clips in Kentucky built and Japanese built cars? My '09 is Kentucky built.