Replace or repair hybrid battery in Los Angeles

Are you out of warranty?

 

A NEW HV Battery will most likely give you the greatest longevity and trouble free issues. Your finances, condition of the current Prius, and your long term plans will dictate what you decide. And as JC best stated

in addition to price.​

A rebuilt will be cheaper than NEW, and have a longer warranty than NEW. But, NEW will most likely outlast a rebuilt for obvious reasons. Your original NEW HV Battery gave you 180,000miles.

These 'local' dealerships have the following price for the HV Battery

San Bernardino - $2071
N. Hollywood - $2123
Carson - $2628
Camelback (Phoenix, AZ) - $2175​

You would just need to make sure the online Toyota dealers will sell to you for will call pick-up. There have been issues where some dealers won't sell this item to someone who is not a mechanic or a auto repair shop employee. I'm sure online dealers would price match their competitors or lower their current online price.

 

It depends how much money you are willing to spend on a car with 180k miles. A new battery should give you great reliable service for the next 8-10 years but will likely cost around $3000+

A remanufactured battery can cost $1500+, with maybe a 3 year warranty from Dorman

Or a simple module swap will be under $500, and this may or may not last any length of time.

 

Are you capable of a self install?

 

This is a tough one. The experience with rebuilt batteries could be good one time and bad another. Having had a good personal experience does not really guarantee you'll get the same.

Whichever option you choose, make sure you get a good warranty and hopefully it'll be a shop that will be around long enough to honor the warranty when you need it.

 

Are you open to doing the work yourself? If so, for about $500 and a weekend of low key labor, you can recondition the pack yourself, identify failed modules & replace them (if needed), and get back on the road. Many of our customers have been in your exact shoes and done this themselves. All are back on the road with their current battery that they already know the history of. Of course if you are not wanting to do the work, then our solution may not be right for you.

 

Then your choices are relatively expensive, and prices below 1500 often last six months.

Sorry to say, you are the exact kind of person who gets shafted by rebuilders. Even if money is tight, try to not be penny wise and pound foolish.

 

When did you originally buy the 2005 Prius?

Before you replace, read this thread:
'05 Needs New HV Battery CARB Warranty Expired 2 Months Ago | PriusChat

Try contacting your local dealership and see if you can work something out with Toyota.

 

Highly unlikely Toyota Customer Care will do a goodwill gesture. See post #3 above.
All the goodwill gestures I have read about seem to have been just a few months (1,2,3) or a few miles (few hundred, few thousand) outside of the warranty duration.

One can always ask, and they can say no. In this case, miraculously hit Powerball getting it covered.

 

I was thinking of making a survey to keep track of cases where Toyota reduced cost 50% or so. Seems to me chances are best in California but that's just my impression.

 

The OP did not mention when the car was purchased, just that it was a 2005 model over the 150k mile limit.

If he/she did purchase the car within the last 10 years, it's definitely worth trying to get a discount like the other owner. Outstanding customer service helps word of mouth, and Toyota may choose to keep another customer satisfied.

The other owner also serviced his Prius exlusively at Toyota dealerships, which may have swayed their decision to pay for the battery replacement.

 

Assuming CARB Warranty is applicable, 10years or 150,000miles. OP reports 180,000miles; not a little over 150K, but a lot.

Warranty clock starts from the first service date: essentially the time of the very first owner. It's possible the car could be under 10years, but warranty is which ever occurs first: time or mileage.

OP can call Toyota Customer Care, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

 

In your case of looking for a reputable recommendation for a rebuilt HV battery, even Dorman (nationally recognized company) has rebuiliding issues on their batteries. They offer a 3 year warranty but there are many stories of their batteries being dead/malfunctioning when people buy them to install.

Battery rebuilding is best done on your own or not do it at all. It's too much of a hit or miss thing

 

Those are good prices (to Canadian eyes), and if they'll put it in for what, an additional $300? That's what aftermarket installers are charging, anyway.

I'd hate to ask what it'd be for a new Toyota battery up here, cross that bridge when...

 

This could be you.

Refurbished installed. Bad in two short months. Now you'll have to pay for labor to install a warranty replacement. The joys of using used cells to make a complete HV pack.
Another 12v battery question ... | PriusChat