1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

When to say goodbye...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by dcscm11, Aug 1, 2021.

  1. dcscm11

    dcscm11 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2021
    2
    1
    0
    Location:
    Marietta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hello,

    I have a 2010 Gen 3 Prius with 170k miles. It's been running great over the years with nothing but regular maintenance. However, two weeks ago, I started to get a Hybrid System warning indicator on the display. I took it to Toyota, and they pulled an A80 code, which indicates that the traction battery should be replaced. Toyota quoted $3900 for a new (not refurbished) traction battery with a 3 year warranty. I'm not fully convinced it would really be new, but the 3 year warranty is good. I'd like to get the forum's feedback on two questions:

    1. Is it worth replacing the traction battery on a car of this age with this mileage? As I mentioned above, the car has been running great, and we've had great success with other Toyotas that we've owned over the years. But I'd hate to invest $4k only to have another unrelated big ticket item fail within the year or two.

    2. How should the car operate with this condition? When the warning indicator first arose, the engine still ran smoothly. It seemed that the engine alone was working, so I thought it might be drivable for a few weeks. However, yesterday, the engine started to run very rough, so I turned it off immediately and had it towed to Toyota. Not sure if this is typical behavior with this mode.

    Thanks
     
    #1 dcscm11, Aug 1, 2021
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    8,489
    5,056
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Shop other dealers. Some get it as low as $2200. Wholesale price of the battery is around $1600 from Toyota. It will be new modules and the advantage is you get 8 or more years of reliability from the battery which is also a resale advantage if you private sell at some point. Others will tell you the aftermarket options.

    If the battery gets a lower charge than expected, you get little or no assist particularly at low speeds which can make the engine sluggish. At other times, the charge level is better and the low speed performance is normal. I would get it on the highway and charge it up then test low speed performance. Or do a forced charge aka dr prius, parking brake engaged, safely stand on the brake pedal in drive and rev the engine for a few minutes while watching the charge indicator rise.

    Keeping the car depends on oil consumption (one quart per 5k miles is reasonable), egr cleaning if ever, historical oil change frequency (5k miles is good, 10k is not great) and your future mileage per year.
     
    #2 rjparker, Aug 2, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2021
    dcscm11 likes this.
  3. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    3,193
    2,323
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Only for the Gen 2. The Gen 3 batteries are $5-$700 more depending on the VIN.
     
    #3 The Critic, Aug 2, 2021
    Raytheeagle and dcscm11 like this.
  4. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    3,193
    2,323
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    The short answer is no. These cars are somewhat notorious for head gasket failures at this mileage. There is a decent chance that you will experience this issue in the near future.
     
    #4 The Critic, Aug 2, 2021
    Raytheeagle and dcscm11 like this.
  5. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,855
    6,656
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    ^ That

    If you have been taking your car to the dealer for regular maintenance over the last 10 years, I think it's time to bail.
    SOON!

    Granted...a DIY'er could probably get another 10 years out of this car, but you're standing into some dangerous waters if you continue your current maintenance philosophy with this car.
    Sell it privately, and send the buyer to this forum, warning them that the car is due for some critical preventative maintenance that was almost certainly NOT done by the dealer.

    Best of luck!
     
    #5 ETC(SS), Aug 2, 2021
    dcscm11 and The Critic like this.
  6. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2009
    1,389
    951
    4
    Location:
    Foot of Pikes Peak
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Limited
    Welcome to the forum. below is a link to DIY videos. The EGR system gets clogged so cleaning is important if you want to keep the vehicle long term (video #17). If you feel that you can tackle that, then you might consider a replacement battery kit from newpriusbatteries.com for $1600.

    Like you I have a 2010 Prius but with fewer miles. I'm not in a position to tackle major DIY stuff, so I will sell it privately at some point, informing the buyer how to keep it going.

    Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos | PriusChat

    NewPriusBatteries
     
    #6 royrose, Aug 2, 2021
    dcscm11 likes this.
  7. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    11,330
    4,614
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    A hybrid battery can be fixed for as cheap as the cost of the $30 replacement module if you want to learn how to do the repair. It's relatively easy once you learn how.
     
    #7 PriusCamper, Aug 2, 2021
    dcscm11 likes this.
  8. dcscm11

    dcscm11 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2021
    2
    1
    0
    Location:
    Marietta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I'm working to determine next steps.
     
    #8 dcscm11, Aug 4, 2021
    Raytheeagle likes this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)