So last night after having the 2010 Prius out driving around doing errands and dinner we stopped home and then my son jumped in to go to the store. He got about 20 yards and it completely died. The dash lit up like a Xmas tree and it said Check Hybrid System. We pushed it back to the driveway and called Toyota care. They sent a tow truck this morning to take it to the dealer for 119 dollars. The dealer calls me to say the 12v battery is the problem and it is out of warranty since I was at 37k miles and it would be 375 dollars. I argued but then said whatever. He said he would call me back after they install it to see if that was the only thing wrong. Well he calls back a few hours later to say the inverter was bad and that Toyota would pay for that and the towing but not the 12v battery. He said that was a separate issue. I told him how could the battery go bad if the car is only 2 years old? Do you think they are right? or could the bad inverter drain the 12v and cause the problem. I think they should cover all of it. I appreciate anything you can tell me. I have been trying to research it online and found this website. I am a single mom and have no one to ask about it.
I would have them put back the old battery as it is not likely to be permanently damaged. Plus the inverter failure would have caused identified discharge on the 12v battery. Clearly they were wrong about the root cause of your problem, at least when they asked you to buy a $350 battery. As a last resort, ask them to sell you the 12v battery at wholesale with free labor, not more than say $150 total. It is good they are replacing the inverter but it has a longer warranty.
It wouldn't surprise me if the bad inverter caused the 12v battery to die. The cause of the car stopping while driving can never be the 12v battery IMHO. It is only used for "booting" the car (or when in acc mode) and when the car is up and running the HV battery is charging the 12v battery via the inverter. So, when the inverter is bad, it can overcharge the 12v ..... Or undercharge but that's not likely because you booted up the Prius right before it died.
Thanks guys! Do you think I will be able to get them to include the cost of the battery or give me back my old one. I bet they say they got rid of my old one already.
Just demand a replacement because you are sure it's the inverter's fault Not? Proof it! And they shouldn't throw away the old one unless you told them to. They should not throw away evidence.
Tell them about the bad press they are going on get on "priuschat". Ridder is right, the 12v battery was not the problem, it was an additional result of the failed inverter. They are just trying to cover their mistaken misdiagnosis (or worse) to make a buck. They do not make squat on warranty work and this is typical of how some Service Departments take advantage of women and others in my opinion. Do not take the old battery back though, I promise they will -uck it up first before you get it. I have >47K miles and a 1000 Watt JL amp hooked up to my 12V battery, and it is just fine. File with Toyota, documenting names, info given, times and dates if they do not right this, and let us know how it goes. Sorry for the rant, but I hate when Dealerships and other service centers use these practices.
i bet if you hold your ground and demand total warranty, they will eventually give in. make sure they speak to toyota about it. oh, and btw, $375. is outrageous to begin with. i got one for $200., installed. and that was replacing the original 04 battery in 2012.
No, and please don't let fear show or influence your resolve. I did check with mine and the cold call price for "them to install" a new 12V battery was $300+Tax after the 3 year/36K mile warranty was up . However your's being so close to that limit, and the fact your failed inverter (under warranty) directly effects the Hybrid battery, thus the 12V it charges, gives you a good case with Corporate. Give the Dealership one more chance and if you are not happy, file your claim with Toyota. They are more willing to make a "civil and reasonable customer" happy than "Joe Bob's" Dealership. Actually Corporate may surprise you.
Instead of the ridiculous demands that some have suggested, I would request that the dealer show you a copy of the printout from the Midtronics battery tester that indicated a failed battery.
Critic, I highly respect you based on your posts, so do not take this the wrong way. We both know what is going on here. The battery was dead because the inverter failed which killed the hybrid battery (not literally), so it could not charge the 12V. Poor battery management is responsible for shortened lifespan. Assuming the 12V is bad (which I am not), 1000 miles over warranty is reasonable grace for Toyota to dime up and handle this considering the premature failure of the Inverter. This is done all the time when circumstances dictate good faith. The Dealer will not pay for the Battery unless Corporate says they will be compensated, and they will not ask on behalf of the customer because they make more selling retail. She has to ask...File. Respects.
Great news! Since I am away on business I emailed my service advisor to say that the inverter is what caused the issue with the battery and that I had lots of back up information from Prius Chat. By the end of the day today I heard back that they are going to cover all costs! I love you all! Thank you so much!
Well done! You must never take it for granted, be critical although it sounds a bit ridiculous for some people.
Thanks for the kind words. Your rationale does make sense and I think you had a decent chance of getting the 12v battery replaced at n/c - and I am glad that you were able to.
Ms. TrvlArrngr is the beneficiary of this "site" and all those before who have contributed so much to the knowledge of such a unique vehicle.
This is what's happening to my wife's 07 Prius. We took it in Monday for the 2 part recall on hybrid water pump and steering shaft. They replaced both even though she has just under 120k miles on it. Tuesday when I was going to pull out of the garage to install the new iridium plugs, the moment I push the button to start the car started flashing and it wouldn't start. Then I pushed the button again nothing happened. Horn would beep real low. Then I got the key and pushed it in then pressed the button and it started up. Everything seem fine then. This morning wife went to start the car and it went wild flashing lights horn blowing her key in her purse and car lock the doors. I had to get the second set of keys and tried by pulling handle and it wouldn't work. Presss unlock button and that took 2 minutes before it unlocked the doors. I did the same as I did before and it finally acted right and started. Battery hasn't been replaced yet. She never had issues to jump the car. Is it the battery being 6 years old or the remote key fob's battery's?
^^^ Please run the test at Weird stuff happening? MPGs dropping? Test The Battery | PriusChat after the car has sat MANY hours or overnight. Please tell us the 3 values (not just 1). Don't go changing the battery first until you tell us the values... If you have HIDs, you can avoid unnecessary cycles on the lights by toggling between off and parking light positions. Weird stuff can start happening w/a low or bad 12 volt. Don't waste $ on having a dealer "test" the 12 volt (07 Prius Dead - Any Guesses? | PriusChat). Since you're on the original 12 volt, it's likely near or at end of life now.
Yes her mpg's have gone down where she's complaining about them. She getting between 39-43mpg. I thought winter blend and it was time for a tune up at 120k. Changed air filter and cabin air filter. Even had her brake pads checked on Monday and she is still in the green as referred by service adviser. The mpg's dropping that low within the last 2 weeks. Did print out of that post and will do check when wife gets home. Thanks for the info. Car died on my wife 3x on saturday. Couldn't do test plus I didn't have time since she had the car at Advance Auto. Ended up getting a new battery OPtima with the yellow top. Took less than 30 minutes to replace. DId have to wait an hour and a half for the battery to get to that store at a cost of $225. Grandson who works at Toyota told me onbe bu=it of advice to watch out for the tube coming out of the battery which most people break. It was simple and it took about 20 minutes to replace. All is well today. Had no issues with it other than the wife had to preset her XM channels again. Everything else was okay. Did add the change of battery to the computer.
