Battery replacement at dealer

thanks for the warning. at least you're fortunate enough to live in sc.

 

I can pick the OEM battery for third gen, from a local dealership's parts department, for around $215. And that's Canadian dollars, and typically stuff up here is inflated price, to the tune of 20% or more.

Yeah, that price is terrible. And $135 additional to put it in is crazy too, they're very light, easy to handle.

 

Learn to bargain. You were charged more than an hour labor on a task that would take me 15 minutes.

 

Unfortunately the Prius 12V battery can't be shipped using normal ground; I found this out when I was shopping for mine awhile back. Toyota marks it containing a hazardous chemical (sulfuric acid I believe), thus the needed for Hazardous Shipping via FedEx (super expensive). Feel free to call any Toy parts to verify for yourself.

$175 is still on the higher side. But way better than the BEYOND retail they charged you. There are many other online dealers who charge less. Parts department might be willing to match or adjust their price downward b/c they realize you are savy enough not to want to pay BEYOND retail. And a discounted sale is better than no sale. I got Carson Toy to go down to $163; I think retail was in the $19x range.

Did more than one year pass from the initial inverter pump replacement under the limited service campaign? If no, then the second should have been replaced under the parts warranty of one year, unlimited miles; you would still be responsible for the labor charges though.

Hopefully you will get motivated one day to DIY.

 

In most parts of the country, that would equate to about 2 hours labor; 30 minutes to do the battery, 90 minutes for lunch and a nap.

But you have to take some responsibility. ASK what the price will be........and be prepared to walk out if it is too high.

Note: Got a new, used RV. The plastic mirrors are yellowed from sun and wind. The "authorized" service dealer quoted me $500 to paint them.
I grimaced a bit then laughed. Pathetic but they can charge whatever they want. I'm gonna "rattle can" the mirrors for about $5.

 

Amazon can ship an Optima to you via ground (no air delivery), but they don't accept returns because it's hazardous material and can't be shipped. Strange......

 

I got a Toyota OEM battery from a dealer during their Xmas sale (20% off) for about $155. Topped it off with my trickle charger overnight and installed it myself in about 30 minutes using a YouTube video for instruction. More involved than the typical 12v replacement on other cars, but still simple. Even full price at the dealer the battery is less than $200 here in Jawja.
Don't mean to brag here...just giving you a point of reference for comparison. Sorry they got you, man.

 

Just to confirm when calling my dealer

Part # 00544-21171-325 is the proper battery for a car with smart key?

 

Yup. Correct part number. Or you can simplify the call and say "12V battery for 2005 Prius w/ Smart Key."
AAA discount will get you 10% off. Maybe search the Internet for other dealer coupons that might have a retail parts discount greater than 10%?

And annoying. You would think all AGM batteries (Toyota's, Bosch's, Exide, Optima, etc) all contain the same ingredients, more or less. If an Optima can be shipped, Toyota dealers should be able to ship theirs. Unfortunately not the case and this cost me a super cheap $135, 45Amp-hr Prius battery from Auto Nation Gulf Toyota, b/c they were having a killer sale at the time I was looking.

 

Especially since the GS Yuasa AGM battery (at least in the past) was double-boxed with a layer of shredded cardboard and thick plastic bag, between the two box layers.

Next time you take a road trip to Houston, TX, stop and buy a new 12V battery while you are passing through...

 

I like to get batteries locally, deal with the issues of core charge and return of the old battery directly at a parts counter. Just the thought of superfluous shipping of large amounts of lead and acid makes me shudder.

 

For that much cash, you could've bought an Optima and installed it yourself. When I installed mine, it was real easy, just took a bit of time.

 

I called the dealer and asked how much the 12v battery would be, and the parts guys said, "$325.00". I said, "that's too much," and then he said, "hold on...let me talk to my manager."

Like he really needed to talk to his manager...pffft! He came back and dropped the price well over $125.00, which is what I was expecting to pay anyway. No core charge either; just bring in my used battery.

I changed it myself and saved on labor, which was ridiculously irrationally high, too: $150.00. I changed the battery, as a newbie, in about 45 minutes. If I were to do it again, I would be well under 20 minutes from cleaning out the hatch area to putting everything back in its place and locking up.

Although, I do understand being pressed for time and needing a job done quickly. On this particular adventure I happened to have a lot of time to spend learning as I went. That's not typically the case, but for me, it's like I'm a kid in a candy shop if I have the time to take my time working on my car.

Glad you have a new battery; that's at least one anxiety you don't have anymore.

 

Yeah, thats why I would only work on my car on my weekends because then I wouldn't have to rush the job just so I can goto work.

 

eLearnaid shipped the Optima to me without any problems or a core charge. I ended up giving the old battery to my brother.

 

Our 12 volt is borderline; I've charged it in the car (with a CTEK 3300) a few times, but decided yesterday to remove it and clean the posts, charge it in the house.

Also thought I might be able to view liquid levels, looking through the case with bright light. That didn't pan out, case is completely opaque, and there's a caution on the top (I think) to not add water (see pic).

Anyway, long story short: it is a walk-in-the-park getting this battery out. Very clean, compact, reasonable access, no complications. No way they should be charging more than 30 minutes for labour.

 

Are you familiar with this Bosch battery? I can get it for $125 right now at Pep Boys (coupon code SECRET35). Their website also says installation is free. Seems like a great deal for what appears to be a direct-fit replacement with higher Amp-hours than the OEM battery.

Bosch Premium Performance Battery Group Size 51
Part # 51-440BAGM

 

Prius batteries are usually not jnstalled for free, there's a fine print.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I have noticed that most places I visit (AutoZone, O'Reilly, Batteries Plus) won't even install the Prius batteries. That is why I am so intrigued by this offer. I even found another PC member who apparently had this same battery installed there a few months ago: