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

260,000 miles is a good run for a Prius. You may want to consider getting a pile of cash and setting it ablaze when thinking about restoring your long lived Prius. I would suggest going with a new one and take advantage of the 0% financing. Something that you cannot put a price on. Going to the Toyota dealer with a bumper to bumper warranty instructing the maintenance guy to juice the tires. Then asking them how much you owe them after your service. Just a little humor in your time of need for an old Prius.

 

We are not talking about a car lease here. 0% financing requires a signature through Toyota and no money down. It's up to you. Considering you keep your cars for a decade or more a new car makes sense.

 

I humbly suggest, as the first step, having a Toyota shop use theirTechstream diagnostic system to run a health check, and give you a printout (or CSV file) of all DTCs (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) and the voltages of all 14 battery module blocks, and posting it here. The Toyota tech will likely give you their opinion, and probably within one or two days you will get a second and third opinion from the resident PriusChat experts.

Edit: humby lol

 

has anyone suggested a trustworthy mechanic yet?

 

well that works but OP is not in SF and Luscious Garage

 

Battery rebuilding is really not a very reliable repair anymore, even the professional companies like Dorman have battery failures several times within the warranty period. It's not like it used to be.

Also the reviews you see online are usually placed right after the repairs are done. The good ratings does not necessarily mean the repairs are long lasting. The only long lasting reliable repair is to buy new. All the rebuilding stuff is not all that reliable. Can last a week, can last a couple years. That's just the risk with rebuilding.

Many of the cores that rebuilders are getting have 300k+ miles on them from 2004. So if you get one of these as a rebuilt pack, chances are it won't last too long.

I don't think luscious garage does rebuilt repairs anymore, only new. Their reputation is at risk with the rebuilts. A bandaid repair should only cost a little money to get you some extra time, don't spend a fortune on it

 

^^^^^^^agreed. If you going to do it, it really should be with OEM new. That way you KNOW you have a good 10 years of service ahead of you!

 

You are driving essentially a free car you got your moneys worth. If you can figure how to swing it, buy another new one. Next time (in 10 years hopefully) maybe you will be able to pay cash for the next one. If you decide to fix it, consult the post above, it is really good advice.

 

U can buy a Bluetooth OBD2 reader for ten bucks on eBay and scan w ur phone. U can get a used battery from online junkyard directory for five hundred. It's up to you if you think it's worth it. I might get a used third gen Prius replacement

 

AutoNation Toyota in Irvine is excellent. I had a huge A/C problem (my A/C compressor exploded) and they saved me a ton of money by flushing the system of metal pieces in the pipes and only replacing the pieces that were broken. I've never experienced this level of service from a dealer. The people and technicians were very nice and updated me by text with how the repair was going. They also gave me a free loaner 2015 Corolla for a week. Be sure to ask for that. That is...if you plan to fix your car. Keep in mind this was Irvine, not Cerritos.

I always go to an independent shop, but no one knew how to work on my 2005 Prius. No one had the hybrid tools. And who would know better than the dealers themselves. Good luck!

 

Many of these cannot read out some of the Prius specific DTCs. If you choose one which includes Techstream software, the same software the Toyota dealership uses, then you can be sure that it can register all pertinent codes.

There are very few, if any, comparable newer cars that are much less complex and less dependent on computer diagnostics than your Prius.

Much of the hardware, software, and codes of On Board Diagnostic (OBD) systems are standardized across all makes and models.

So if you do decide to learn about OBD systems, it might also help you no matter which newer car you get in the future.


Here's some general information:
What is Techstream? | PriusChat

For more info here in PriusChat, try googling this:

Code:

mini vci toyota techstream site:priuschat.com

 

You might want to consider a Prius Prime - between the $3500 dealer incentives (looks like only in the NE region though) and the $4500 tax rebate, you would be getting a serious discount on a new car.

 

With the mileage you got out of your Prius, you have received food value, better than from most cars, I agree you should dump it, unless you want it as a hobby car, not one you will need to rely on on a daily basis.
You can buy a non hybrid replacement, but run the numbers on this one first and figure out your cost per mile, you probably have a hard time beating this with a non hybrid.
People on this forum seem to forget, cars do wear out, and become worthless, most long before 250 k, you had a good run. Good Luck with your next car.