Third replacement Dorman hybrid battery in 2.15 years - now have brake, abs, vsc (!) dashlights

When the lights are on, read the codes. The car is trying to tell you something, lets try to listen to it.

It is unlikely but not impossible that the other component has failed. Is could be something as simple as the ECU connector on the HV pack is loose/dirty/broken and that is causing all sorts of CAN bus errors which would be anything and everything. But if it is an exact code, and you clear it, and it comes right back, that's less likely to be something random.

The Dorman batteries haven't been a good option in a long while unfortunately. Even when they were considered good with the 3 year warranty there were lots of posts here on PC about lots of warranty replacements.

 

Unfortunately, you get what you pay for.

When they were doing it say a few years after 2004 (Prius Gen2 hitting the US market), those rebuilds were good. How/Why? The modules were young and had little wear on them.

Fast forward to 2018. The Frankenstein Gen 2 modules making up rebuilds are (2018-2009, 2018-2004) 9-14 years old. You know first hand that you can not depend on such modules for reliability. New OEM HV packs seem to last 8-10years (length of the original warranty when the car was new, which is not a coincidence); some people get less, some get more, but Toyota will not be having a huge amount of warranty claims, by design.

Hindsight, had you gotten a new OEM Toyota HV Battery, you would be a happy camper for the next 8-10years. Reference Post #70, for some Toyota Dealers who sell online; Prices have since dropped when I posted 11-14-2017. Red Triangle, P0a80 (2005 Gen 2, 110k miles) | Page 4 | PriusChat
$1600 seems to be the lowest people have found. No dealer will ship the HV battery; besides it would be EXPENSIVE. If you decide to go new OEM, you will have to call and verify that the dealership will sell to you or your mechanic; some people have experienced dealers NOT selling the HV Battery to them. Also, it doesn't hurt to call your local Toyota dealership to see if they will price match an online dealership's HV Battery price. One person just a few days ago got his local Toyota dealership to match an online Dealer's price (Read Post #28: Laurel caynon causes my brake to smoke. | Page 2 | PriusChat)


2k1Toaster makes a nifty cylindrical NiMh replacement kit for $1600. NewPriusBatteries
This might be a option for you if you can NOT get a local dealer to price match a cheaper online dealer, or heavily discount their asking price, or you don't want to pick-up.
You can read about the cylindrical kit here:
Prius Battery Replacement Kit (GenII/GenIII) with NEW custom cells | PriusChat
Prius Battery Replacement (GenII) Like you've never seen - NEW Cylindrical Cells | PriusChat

Brake actuator has probably failed. Its just an awful coincidence that it happened w/ the 3rd Dorman battery replacement.

What codes did he report?

Call corporate Toyota, and ask for goodwill assistance. Worse they can say is NO, which will not change your current circumstance; hopefully they will say yes or discount the repair as 2nd best.

You will likely have to pay for a diagnostic at the dealership, so Corporate Toyota can verify what the dealer found. Your mechanic's diagnosis is no good to Toyota. Goodwill assistance seems to correlate with the amount of customer PAID dealer service. I am under the impression that you do not go to the dealer, which will make your case less enticing for Toyota to help you out. If you are the 2nd/3rd/etc owner, maybe the earlier owners PAID for dealer service, which might help.

Those on-screen diagnostic menu are for Audio and Navigation ONLY.

Techstream is the official software written for Toyota and obviously approved by Toyota. This is what the Toyota and Lexus dealers use. Best used on an obsolete Windows 32bit OS laptop. Hit up friends/family in IT, as they will likely have such a laptop collecting dust somewhere. Install is possible on Mac; will require research on your end.

 

Had these same codes without warning on a 2005 with about 318,000 miles on the original hybrid battery. Turned out to be a failed right rear wheel cylinder that affected the hydraulic brake line and triggered these same warning lights. A new wheel cylinder, rear shoes and drums and the lights have been out. The car drove normally and I did not notice any difference with the brakes during the time I was driving the car prior to repair. I, too, was sure I needed a new car. The ol' Prius keeps on going!

 

Had these same codes without warning on a 2006 with about 104,300 miles on the original hybrid battery. Turned out to be an intermittent fault in the inverter.

The point is you can't really tell anything from the lights except which ECU is reporting an error code.

Read the diagnostic trouble codes and you will know with what the car is have a problem.

 

Safe is very subjective. If a situation were to arise calling for maximum braking force, Murphy may show his ugly face, preventing the brakes from working to their maximum.

Two weeks is a long time. A day or two, maybe. And only if it were a short distance.

However, if you feel no difference in the brakes, maybe you might be ok? Maybe it might be a small leak at one of the corners, which the ABS computer is detecting, due to a pressure difference that is out of specs.

You should be able to see if you have a leak at each caliper and cylinder. Do you have floor stands and a hydraulic jack? Have you noticed the brake fluid level? Is it at MAX level? It will fall a little bit as the front pads wear. But, given how long Prius brakes last, the fluid should be pretty much at MAX or slightly below, assuming no leak of course. But, something tells me your mechanic would have seen a code pointing to a caliper/cylinder leak, and confirmed the leak with a visual confirmation check, and reinforced with a lower brake fluid reservoir level.

 

Almost forgot.

When you call Corporate Toyota for Goodwill, relay how many Toyotas your family has purchased, if this is the case. Maybe you bought one two years ago. Your mom bought one four years ago. Brother just bought one. Sister/Brother in-law just bought one two years ago. Etc. Might be helpful if you have their VINs too.

Should you decide to replace the car, due to a pricey actuator, and want to get another Toyota, see if Corporate Toyota will do something for you? Tell them this when they call you back with their determination. If they decide not to provide any assistance, maybe they will give you X dollars towards your next Toyota?

Always ask, b/c worse they can say is NO. And your status has not changed. If they say YES, your status has improved slightly.

 

Some scanners they use can, and some can't. It is a crapshoot. There are good hand helds that can be loaded with specific files for specific cars, you just need to make sure they are capable. Techstream or the Toyota hand held (I think it is a Denso unit) used by the dealers is a definite will do.