Thought this was worth reading. Enjoy! Replacing A Dead Prius Hybrid Battery Doesn't Have To Cost Thousands Of Dollars - Forbes
That article seems like an infomercial for that Houston supplier. The following claim is highly optimistic in my opinion: "The reconditioned battery is good for an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 additional miles"
Jessica of Houston Hybrids has been posting in another thread: Grants for Prius Related Business | PriusChat
I believe buying a reconditioned battery a few years ago was worth the risk as the battery cells were not that old. But today in 2014, many of the failed battery cells that were pulled off service (many from 2004-2006 cars) are used to recondition batteries. Many of these cells are 8 years or older and would cause problems in the very near future. Unless you can verify the age of the cells you're getting, reconditioning is really pretty risky. However I would say that "Dorman" batteries offer a 3 year national warranty and that might be more worth while for people wanting to extend their car's life by about 3 more years.....anything beyond the 3 year time frame, it's best to buy another new one from Toyota.
I had no idea that the battery job we did was for Tony Bradley, the journalist who wrote the article. After the battery rebuild he asked to have his inverter pump replaced a few days later and then mentioned what he did for a living. It never crossed our minds that he would write an article. He just emailed me the link a couple of days ago...needless to say it was a total shock. Neither myself, or my employees gave him the figures he listed, not sure where his research came from. There are a few things that are not accurate ( I am the owner, not the mechanic) (we do not make $700 profit from each job either). We are very appreciative of the testimonial to our service though. Jessica
At least he is happy with the work that was done. It seems everyone has mixed emotions on this. Reconditioned versus new is a whole different ball game, as well as the prices involved. A poor man will recondition, whereas a rich man will either replace the battery or buy a new car. I do agree that the age of replacement modules used in the reconditioning process seems to be critical. If one uses modules from a old pack with a lot of miles on it, it is logical for those modules not to hold up to the test of time. On the other hand, if the modules are fairly new with low miles from the donor pack, then they would be a good investment in the reconditioning investment. Lot of questions out there, and many variables involved. One thing is certain, the pack is only as good as it's weakest link. Once the weakest link fails, the Prius will code again and the dash will again light up. It is the nature of the beast and there is no way around it. It boils down to maintenance of the car, albeit a long term type of thing. The truth of the matter is this. A failed traction battery can be repaired. As to how long it lasts, well IMO it really boils down to luck and how well the pack was reconditioned with the highest quality parts available. I for one am glad Jessica is here in the Houston area. If I ever need a traction battery, she is on my list of folks to call first. Ron (dorunron)
