2005 Prius, Battery Replaced in 2009, Good deal?

the replaced battery is most likely the 12v battery, which can be purchased for about $200 and fails every 4 years or so.

 

The large expensive HV battery is suppose to go for the life of the car (which is about 180k miles) or about 10 years. Since your car is a 2009 with 145k miles, chances are you will probably exceed the 180k miles before it would need replacement

 

Oh my mistake. A 2005 model would soon need a hv traction battery. If you are in a CARB state, the warranty on that battery is good for 10 years or 150k miles. Which you are almost there!

A new battery will cost you around $2500 if you DIY with a new battery from Toyota. The labor charge for Toyota to put this in, would be anywhere from $300-$1000.

 

Just for the other side of the coin here, there is no magic number when a traction battery dies. Nobody can say that a 2005 will "soon need a HV traction battery". That's just hogwash.

Many have gone 200K, 300K, 400K and more on the original battery. Some have had it die at 80K or something below the warranty.

If it lived in a mountainous area or in a place where ambient temperatures are routinely high, it is more of a gamble. Heat and cycles kill batteries. If you live in a cooler flat-land place the battery will usually last a very very very long time. However then you have to be careful of salt on the roads and things like that.

 

There are 2 warranties for the hybrid system. Non-CARB states are 8 years, 100K miles. CARB states are 10 years, 150K miles. The powertrain 36K warranty and stuff is all long since gone. It is just the emissions system, of which the hybrid battery is part of, that is still covered.

 

how much are they asking? has it had regular maintenance according to toyota recommendations nd all recalls done? how are the tyres?

 

that seems fairly expensive, is that the best deal you have found? what package is it, and whats the kbb?

 

Caboose, read through Car Buying Guide for New and Used Vehicles | CarBuyingTips.com and be aware that a sale is a sale. The family friend will likely do unto you as done unto everyone else that has walked through the door.

Register the VIN at Toyota Owners Official Web Site: Service Coupons, Owner's Manuals, Service Scheduling And More to see the vehicle's service history. Trust, but verify.

The Prius is well built but it isn't indestructible. It's low maintenance but not no maintenance. Are the brakes original? Was coolant changed? Is the inverter coolant pump working? Look for turbulence in the inverter coolant tank.

During the test drive keep an eye on the state of charge. On the MFD if the bars in the battery fluctuate between fully charged and discharged quickly then you are most likely looking at a traction battery failure.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the Prius' traction battery. A GM car would have had a window motor replaced and a blown engine.

 

keep in mind, with gas prices down, so are hybrid sales/peices. kbb shows pkg 3 in my area for $6,500.

 

It is a shame how near sighted most people are. Good for buyers now I guess. I don't even feel sorry for the idiots buying large SUVs that are going to get another wakeup call in a year.

 

If you have the VIN, you may be able to enter it into the Toyota Owners site at New Cars, Trucks, SUVs & Hybrids | Toyota Official Site and get more detailed background about the maintenance than was in Carfax. Just more info for your purchasing decision.