2007 with a dead traction battery, is it worth buying a new one?

I think with the problems you're facing with the car, it's probably best to get a new car and go worry free for another 10 years. Even if you put another battery in the car, other things will start failing and may leave you stranded

I can help you fix the battery for a short term solution so you can have time to do some car shopping

 

IF.....the only problem is with the HV battery itself, it often can be "patched up" so that it will get by for a few weeks to a few months fairly inexpensively.

BUT......it really is time for a new car. Or better yet, a good late model low mileage used car.

And it's too late now but during the 11 years you have owned your trusty Prius, it would have been even BETTER to save up a little along the way so you could PAY for a "new" car without monthly payments.

 

put a new battery in her, do the other repairs, and drive her until the next huge expense. then pick up a good one in need of a battery and swap it out.

 

The advice of almost everyone on forums like this is well intentioned.
But that doesn't mean that it is wise......or correct even.

There IS a point of diminishing returns and you seem to have a good sense that you have reached it.
I agree.......that you should do what you decide is best FOR YOU.

 

If it had 165k instead of 265k, I'd say go ahead and fix plus replace the battery but if you haven't done any of those repairs I'd say try to sell it. If the combo meter doesn't work, you can price the dealership but from what I have read it is somewhere in the 800-1200 fix range, but some members have bought a meter for 100 dollars on ebay and did it themselves. The whole dash has to be dismantled to get to it. If it doesn't work, I'd try that first, just be careful around those airbags and disconnecting the 12v is vital. (also on the air vents, pulling from the bottom AND top portion to avoid busing the top clips which I mistakenly did) I'd search for a hybrid shop, have it towed, and have cells replaced and balance if that isn't something you want to handle, which might be 600-800 job. I would but I value my life over getting shocked to death. Some people will risk it but I make a stupid move from time to time. I almost fell though my ceiling cleaning out my a/c evaporator coils in the attic a couple months ago.

 

As long as you have the money to buy a new car in cash, go for it. If not, it may be worth considering fixing the old car if you still like it. A new OEM battery will be $2500-3000 if you can find the right deal. You can buy a rebuilt combo meter for $150 from Texas hybrid batteries, they will ship to you. If you're somewhat handy you can do the suspension for about $500 in parts. Btw some of the labor for the rear shocks will be saved if you have them done while the battery is being replaced.
Still, even with finding good prices on these repairs, the cost of repair will exceed the general recommendation of never spending more than half of the value of the car, so you would REALLY have to like the car to keep it.

I know I'm an oddball, but I'm not a fan of borrowing money to buy a car.

 

...the other big issue GEN2 people are having is the brake actuator, for which we have extended coverage to Dec_2017...but of course that's coming upon us.

Nonetheless you can talk to Toyota USA about assistance with the battery, see what they say. You may get it down to reasonable, and the combo meter can be fixed. Also if you get a new car maybe they help fix this for you.

HV Battery Goodwill Warranty Listing - Toyota Prius USA | PriusChat

 

Here's another way of looking at it:

Your car has pretty much hit rock bottom in terms of resale price. Which means that as of now, depreciation is practically nonexistent.
If you buy a new car every 11 years, the average depreciation is roughly $2,000 per year.

With the $2,000 per year that you save by not buying a new car, you could buy a new HV battery every five years, plus spend $1,000 per year for other repairs, and still have a few hundred per year left over.

So then it is a question of how much inconvenience you are willing to put up with for the few hundred per year that you are saving.


Do you know for sure that the battery is dead? Have you seen all 14 block voltages? Sometimes smaller things like a clogged or defective battery fan, or a loose sensor connection can produce similar symptoms.

 

^^^I agree we do not really know if the HV batt is dead here...we are assuming a correct diagnosis. I would to go the biggest Toyota service place out there...one in good standing with Toyota.

 

That is an emotional response......and you NEED to be practical.

If......you sell this car (and you won't get much) and add in the price of a real new battery from Toyota, that total could get you a used small economy car that should be more reliable than your worn out Prius and you could STILL save up without a car payment.

 

Unfortunately that could be a mistake.
People post here for ALL KINDS of reasons, some of them having nothing to do with really helping others.
The good news is that there aren't many like that.......but sometimes it is hard to tell the difference.

 

Yes, just the sales tax on a new car would be quite close to the cost of a new HV battery. And when you factor in depreciation on a new car, you come out Ahead more often than not when fixing the old car. The Gen II Prius really is an amazing car, mine has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, as seems to be the experience of many others here.

Fwiw, I spent $2400 last summer to have a new HV battery put in. I'm now hoping for 9-10 more years of service from this thing!