2006 Prius - New Hybrid Battery Needed? Cost?

1. 8 yr/100K warranty on hybrid battery - 10 yr/150K warranty on hybrid battery in CARB states.
2. Definition of normal is gray at this point. However about 2% of the batteries in your age/wear area have failed such as yours has.
3. The price quoted is what Toyota normally charges for a new battery which comes with a one year warranty.
4. I would suggest doing a google search for hybrid battery replacement and consult those that appear close to your location. There are small companies starting out doing this sort of work who will actually come to your door and do the work for you in your drive way. Some offer the new battery for less than Toyota. Others will offer remanufactured batteries. Be sure you research anyone who offers used or rebuilt batteries before you actually do business with them. This market area is rather new since the technology is not real old.

You will find a lot of opinions concerning the battery repair/replacement in the Prius. Generally what happens is one or more "modules" will fail within the battery. That causes the voltage to be lower than normal. When that happens, the red triangle will light and codes will be set. If you must go with a used battery I would consult this guy first. He seems to be the one with the most experience with repair. Works with salvage cars and has a good reputation concerning repair of said Prius vehicles. Also specializes in repair of the MFD and similar items.

Prius hybrids sales and service Scottsburg Indiana

If you know how to work with electricity and are comfortable with working on high voltage DC equipment, you can rebuild the battery yourself. There is a wealth of information here on Prius Chat concerning that aspect.

I am sure other's will chime in also. Take your time on this if you can. If you are in a rush and can afford it, then go with Toyota. You will get a new battery and probably get the best life out of the car imo. At least you should expect that the job would be done correctly since the work would be done by Toyota who employs Prius certified technicians.

Best of luck to you!
Ron (dorunron)

 

1. Exactly what warning lights and warning messages appear? Please take sharp photos and post.
2. It is not obvious to me that a new traction battery is required. DTC P3000 might be pointing to a faulty traction battery ECU, not the battery itself.
3. DTC P0480 is not a valid Prius DTC
4. C2318 is a low voltage error. When was the 12V battery replaced?

If the 12V battery is more than 4 years old, replace it now. If less than 4 years old, fully-charge the battery, disconnect the 12V battery negative cable for a couple of minutes to clear the DTC, then reconnect and see what happens when you make the Prius READY and take a test drive.

 

Did you get any of the common warning signs leading up to the DTCs?
Did you notice a change in fuel economy?
Did you notice a rapid fluctuations of the battery's state of charge on the display?
did you notice anything else weird? Battery depletes when parked?

 

Hi GJ, well looks like you are off-warranty, PA has only a partial CARB state status which means battery is 8yr/100K miles. Even if PA had been full CARB, your miles at 162k are over the 150k limit.

Some here use the Dorman rebuilt batteries, which used to known as Re-Involt. You can check for local dealer.
Well I almost got 8-yrs too on my 2006, wish me luck...good luck to you.

 

Hello neighbor GJ! I'm in almost the same boat, with a 190k Prius giving P3013 codes as of this weekend. It's time for some battery surgery!

Thanks to the amazing PriusChat community, I think I can do this. I have quite a bit of experience working with electricity and electronics, teaching basic electricity/onics as well. First time working on HV batteries, but this stuff looks doable. At the same time, I'd love some company for the project, plus if I buy $300-500 in battery chargers, I'd love to know I'd use them more than once.

So GJ (or anyone else nearby in the Philly area) - would you like to do this together?

 

Wow, 190K is good mileage. What year? My battery died at ~140K (2005).

 

2005. And I've really pushed it as a vehicle. Very happy with its performance. Hoping to get another 100k out of a rebalanced battery with the bad modules replaced.

 

Be sure to report back with the results. I'll be curious to hear how your rebalancing goes.

 

Hey Feivel,

I'm happy to hear you had success. I'm actually new to hybrids, I purchased a 2005 Prius about 6 months ago with 97k miles at the time. Unfortunately, this weekend my dash just lit up with the mastering warning light, check engine light, yellow brake light, and VSC light (all at once). I checked my 12V and inverter coolant pump with hopes of a less costly repair, anyway long story short, I got the codes checked at autozone and I was told the battery pack needs replacing. I am really uncomfortable doing this type of repair on my own, is there anyway you could assist me? I mainly need help with the whole not getting electrocuted to death part of the repair. I'm just outside of Philadelphia, but I will definitely come to you. I am willing to do all the heavy lifting, I just need guidance on what to do.

Thank you so much,

SGSingh

 

that made me laugh

 

SGSingh,
Give me a call and I can help point you in the right direction.

 

Try priuskings.com in NY. They will come to you and are very reasonable. I think they charge $1295 for a battery.

 

How did things work out for you? I am in the same situation (same year car!), but of course the shop had me replace the 12V and get three other repairs before saying they were hoping it was the 12V. I am out 1600 and still need to fix my battery.

 

If you have time to explore options, you can try to ask Toyota for assistance, especially if the other repairs were by Toyota I think you might get some accommodation. You want a new Toyota batt if possible.

HV Battery Goodwill Warranty Listing - Toyota Prius USA | PriusChat

 

Sadly, they were not done by Toyota. I tried getting into the nearest Toyota dealership and was told I'd be called back--twice. Never heard from them. Yay.

::facepalm::

I'm going to be getting second opinions, but everything has to go on credit cards and Toyota charges to even do diagnostics.

Actually was able to read over that forum a bit. I guess I'll try to bring it to the dealership the original owner went to. I only bought this in April and the previous owner took perfect care of it and kept all records. It is also only *just* outside the warranty as I am in a CARB state and 20k under the 150k.

I wonder if it is safe to drive 30 miles or if I should AAA it.

 

..there are some threads on limping over...not sure

 

It's a roll of the dice. You might make it, you might not. If you drive, ake streets that will not require high speed.
But you may end up calling ASAP from the roadside anyway.