In the United Kingdom (for one), if you bring your Prius in for a 39 pound "hybrid health check" you get a 10,000 mile or 1 year battery warranty extension, up to 10 years max. Hybrid Cars Health Check | Toyota UK
Lifetime? What does that mean? One of my current cars is 27 years old. What I'd like is a 15 year minimum lifetime and an inexpensive (under $2k) replacement guarantee. My 2004 is 11 1/2 years old, and quotes I've heard for battery replacement cover a crazy wide range, not that there's anything wrong with my current hybrid battery.
For example thats what Hyundai describes as lifetime, taken off of their website: The Lifetime Hybrid Battery Warranty applies to all U.S. 2012-2016 model-year Sonata Hybrids. The Lifetime Hybrid Battery Warranty ensures that if the lithium polymer battery fails, Hyundai will replace the battery and cover recycling costs for the old battery free of charge to the original owner. The Lifetime Hybrid Battery Warranty does not apply to lease, commercial vehicles or vehicles serviced outside the U.S.
Yes I think that is nice Hyundai policy. I would like to see Toyota give all states 150k miles CARB warranty. It's probably something like a $1000 advantage to be in a CARB state with a 150k mile warranty on a Prius. Mute point though since we do not have the option. Or Moot?
It's a moot point, because as far as I know, no "lifetime" warranty coverage for a hybrid battery is available or possible. Hypothetically, imagining it did exist, if it was a one time expense, it would be a no-brainer at nearly any cost below that of a new OEM HV battery or a rebuilt, assuming you were sure you were going to keep The Prius beyond the original warranty.
When 'lifetime' comes out of the mouth of a sales or corporate critter, the safe assumption is 150k miles. In the US, the hybrid battery is classified as part of the emissions system. Which means it falls under a federally mandated 8yr/100k mile warranty. In California, and most of the other CARB states, the emission warranty is 10yr/150k mile. If the car is certified to the cleanest emission bin.
In the link, it says the base UK warranty is less: 5 year or 100,000 miles. With this health check they can catch up and then exceed the North American warranty.
Well we're dealing with hypothetical non-existent fiction here. So for purposes of the OP's query, I'm assuming "lifetime" would mean lifetime...as long as I own the vehicle. I'm assuming even in fiction it wouldn't be a transferable warranty.
Hyundai's Lifetime Hybrid Battery Warranty only applies to the original owner, not subsequent owners. America's Best Warranty
