Hello Fellow Prius Owners. I have a 2005 Prius that just hit 251K miles. A couple days ago I got a few warning lights (Red Triangle, VSC, Check Engine, etc.). I was able drive the 4 miles or so home OK and have been driving my other car since. I borrowed a co-workers OBD reader tonight and got the codes out: P3022 - Looks like this is a battery block 12 weak error P0A80 - Replace Hybrid Battery Pack Looks like my Hybrid battery took a dump.. Now the million dollar question....should I fix it or get rid of it? The car has way outlived its life at this point. I expected it to go way before now. I'm leaning on getting rid of it and buying a new Prius. If the consensus is to get rid of it does anyone recommend getting a Prius Prime??? My local dealer has one...but I don't like the white seats unfortunately. Let's hear some thoughts...thanks!!!
It depends... I have been expecting my 2005 to take a dump for the past 2 years and so far, it's going with over 280,000 miles. Ask yourself: If you are the original owner have you maintained the engine and CVT to a point where it can last another few years? Are you ready for a car payment or to lay down approximately 30,000? Do you mind the increase in insurance premiums? I have a thread that's been going for a while: https://priuschat.com/posts/2446049/ Since I also have a 2008 Prius, I will drive the '05 until the battery goes South. Currently, it is not burning oil and maintaining 45 - 48 mpg. Everything on the car is functional. If the Hybrid battery gives out, I will replace the battery and drive it until it dies for good. It will be a good donor vehicle for parts if the '08 needs them.
Thanks for the reply Priusipee.... I am the original owner of this car and I have maintained it OK...there are some things I have neglected. Here are some things I know the car needs in addition to the battery: Right Side Headlight - It is original. It works intermittently. When it goes out I can turn the headlight off and on and it will work for another short while. It's also really foggy. Key fob case - I was about to buy a couple of these on eBay and switch out the guts since my buttons have worn away Brake Pads - Believe it or not my car still has original brake pads. The car gets mostly highway miles + I am easy on the brakes. It is only a matter of time before I need to replace those Engine Oil - The car does seem to be burning oil. If I were to let it run 3K-4K miles it would probably only have about 1 quart left. 12V Battery - This was replaced 5 years 2 months ago (100K miles have been driven since). I'd imagine this would need replacing again in a year or two Besides maintenance items and tires then only thing I have replaced on this car was 1 wheel bearing. It's been a great car but at this age I wouldn't be surprised if anything were to break on it.
If you have the skills and a sense of adventure, swapping an ebay battery into it to get rid of the codes, will probably pay for itself in resale value. 2004 prius battery | eBay
You have a lot of miles on it but if the rest is still fine het a new battery. For the 2200 dollars you cant buy a new car.
You have two DIY options as I see it. 1. Replace with re manufactured battery 2. Locate and replace the 1 or more bad battery modules I wouldn't have a dealer replace with a new battery because the $3000+ will exceed the value of the car as-is. You might be able to dump it for $500 as a mechanics special on Craigslist and you will likely be able to find another working 05 Prius with fewer miles with a recently replaced battery for less than $3500. Also something else major will likely go wrong soon with a 250k mile 11 year old car. It doesn't make sense to repair to me. However, if you're handy, replacing the bad modules for a couple of hundred bucks to me just sounds like fun. I don't like the remanufactured route after reading all the horror stores on PC.
headlight you clear up with some toothpaste in about 5 min. key fob i would swap out only cause it's cheap to do. used engines are cheap so if it does die, you can get a replacement. used 2005 that many miles its according to kbb it's worth $3000 at best. bad battery and you'll have to discount it maybe to $2500 will get a buyer.
