Lately, I've been having trouble starting my car in really cold weather; I had to have some work on it anyway, so I mentioned it while they were checking in the car. Sure enough, the Hybrid battery was dying and I'd need a new one. I've read of people here, mostly new folks we never hear from again, either paying or having a "friend" paying hundreds, even thousands of dollars for a new one. My cost: $183 plus labor and tax. Not bad for a five year old car (confession: I thought the idea that the hybrid battery ever had to be replaced under normal conditions itself was a myth, but apparently yeah, it dies). I'm going to bookmark this thread and next time somebody starts ranting about a $5,000 battery, I'm going to point them to it.
Have you exceeded the 100,000 mile warranty? If so, how did you manage to find an HV battery for $183? Was it a salvage? Tom
Might you be talking about the +12v. battery? The +12v. battery is what starts the car. The price you paid, is more in line with that battery. There is no way you could get the HV battery pack replaced for $183.00, even salvage!
OP...I know a lot of mythology get's created over the cost and replacement of HV batteries. However, outside of warranty $183.00 for replacement of an HV battery pack sounds impossible. I've never read a post except this one where the option was that inexpensive.
OP has another thread saying pounds of ice accumulate under his hood. The timing of this traction battery failure seems unlikely to be simple coincidence.
If mine fails at five years, replacement had better be free under the 8 year / 100k mile traction battery warranty. Is seems quite suspicious that your timing and price so closely match what others are seeing for the 12V battery.
OK we'll bite! What's the rest of the story. I am thinking it's got to be interesting, you have enough of hooked, time to spill your guts StevO. Quite stallin seeeee, You'll talk, yeah, youlll talk plenty! Now get to talkin' We gots to know...
If they had replaced the Fob battery, he could have gotten 5 new Prius batteries for $2.05 http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B000X107GI?tag=priuschatcom-20
The slip just says "Battery". You're probably right, it probably is just the 12-volt (the other one has nothing to do with actual starting the car).
Both batteries are required to start the car (in some sense). - The 12V battery boots the electronics (to get you to ready mode). - The traction battery starts the engine.
Pretty good life out of the battery. People complain that it needs to be replaced after just a few years.
Here's where I went wrong: I believed the customer service rep. Here's how the conversation went verbatim: Her: He did some tests, and your hybrid battery is dying; he suggests replacing it. Me: My hybrid battery? (yes, I vocally emphasized it). Her: Yes. Me: (warily) well, OK... Until I got my car back, I had a thought bubble of dollar bills with little wings flying away. When I got it back, I was so glad I dodged a bullet that I still didn't question it. I then posted while the giddiness was still in effect and the brain hadn't come back from its break yet.
It's odd that the service writer didn't give you an estimate of repairs for such a potentially expensive Hybrid battery??
