135,000 mile 2006 Prius and my core batteries ($3,500) need to be replaced, anyone recourse from Toyota for a similar situation? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
where at in the U.S. are you?... a lot of people are going to start asking you why you think it needs to be replaced... there's a lot of info out there. so.. i'll start with: why? did the dealer tell you this? if the car is throwing codes, what are the codes. are you still using the original 12v battery? if so, it's dead, get a new one... the car may not even start since it's old. more info?...
If you live in a state that had adopted CARB (California) emissions, then you may be covered to 150,000 miles. That is your only recourse. I would not recommend paying $3500+ for new batteries. You have options. If you will provide your location, we can give you a better idea of the alternatives.
Considering a new battery from Toyota is <$2000, (see link below) $1500 for installation which takes only a few hours at the most is pretty darn high. I'd be shopping if I were you if you can't get Toyota to help you out. Champion ToyotaWorld
Dealer will charge MSRP, $2588, plus 3-6 hours labor. Some also insist on a new HV battery ECU. Nowhere in America will a dealer do this for less than $3000, unless it is a goodwill gesture from them and/or Toyota Motor Corporation.
Rebuilt HV Batteries are about $1800 before shipping. Expect a core charge as well. 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery Pack. | eBay Finding a mechanic to install it will depend on where you are. Our Installers as an example, but their are more folks who can do this.
It is unlikely it even needs to be done in the first place, so perhaps you should post the symptoms. And if it does need to be replaced, buy a ReInvolt battery for $1500 and install it in an hour.
I am from the Los Angeles county area. I'll replace your HV battery for $300. I can't believe the stealership would charge that much. Email me directly.
I know. I should have a part-time mobile Prius garage or something. No offense to Prius owners, but most of us are a sucker for the stealership, especially here in SoCal where the stealerships' hourly labor rate is almost $300 (I saw my stealerships' labor rate at $289 Wth!).
My CT Toyota dealer installed a ReInVolt battery in my 2004 Prius for <$400. ReInVolt does the install for <$300 in NC. So there are East Coast solutions as well. JeffD
Big aside-Yikes- $289 shop rate? How much does the mechanic actually make? Piecework fixed amount per job or hourly I wonder? Thanks Charlie
Saturday I had to drive about 18 miles on a short trip. When I left home I thought the car seemed a bit sluggish but didn't think too much of it. About halfway there a bunch of lights on the dash come on and the top of the display in the console screen had a pretty red picture of a car and the top was blank. The lights on the dash were VSC, something orange with an exclamation point, an outline of a car, and a big red triangle with an exclamation point. The car was going 70 mph and nothing really seemed too out of the ordinary other than a little sluggish. I made it to my destination just fine and noticed the hybrid battery was completely full green and I was running the AC. On the way back the lights were still on and I noticed the sluggishness on the Interstate even though I could get up to 70 mph but it just didn't seem to have the normal power. I checked the hybrid battery on the display and it was in the purple zone down to the last bar. Not out of the ordinary on a hot day but out of the ordinary when going 70 mph plus it was fully green on the trip there. I shut off the air conditioner and got it to charge a bit and get to 3 blue bars but then it it went back to two purple bars. It was about 85F outside and the cooling fan in the back seat was running constantly. Once I got into town and off the Interstate I was actually near the dealer. It went down to 1 purple bar so I pulled in and checked it in since I wasn't sure I would make it all the way home. The service guy said often several of the lights come on when there are other issues. This car is a 2006 with 116K. Today they call and say it is hybrid battery failure which I find hard to believe. They want about $3K to replace. Are there any other options other than trading in the car?
get a battery from XVipers. They are okay if you deal with them in person. If I recall correctly, they will even do the installation for you. XVIPERS INC
You have several lower cost alternatives. The best two are: Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle PHEV (AutoBeYours) buys wrecked Prii and produces reliable salvaged Prii out of them. They are in Scottsburg IN (about 7 hours drive from you) and will fix your Prius at a low cost using a salvaged HV battery. There is a low cost motel less than a mile from his garage where I stayed when I had Steve (the owner) fix my Prius for $40 (A cable connector came loose). Remanufactured Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs (ReInVolt) produces reliable rebuilt HV Batteries (I have one in my 2004 Prius). They cost about $2000 installed, but you will need to find an installer at a drivable distance from you. JeffD
TS stayed at this one post.... maybe a troll trying to put the prius down? the response is probably not what h expected
