Am I crazy to consider buying a refurbished HV battery? I love my 2006 Prius and hoped to get another year or so out of her. But she's got 361k, thanks to a job that required frequent travel. Now I have a short commute, and she's been running so well for so long. I just installed new brakes (only the second time in her life!), plus some cooling system repairs, and then a new 12v battery just yesterday. So I've put about $1000 into her in the last couple of months, but when I fired her up to get her smog checked today, all the warning lights came on. I drove her yesterday and today for about 25 miles over varied conditions trying to warm up the new 12v battery. The smog guy kindly ran a diagnostic on her, and both his test plus my personal little "Fixd" device say failed hybrid battery pack (smog guy's service fault codes are P0A80, P3019, and P3020). So I've been researching a bit, mostly on this awesome forum, and I'm thinking it could be worth it to invest in a refurbished HV battery if it gets me another year out of the car. Wondering if I'm nuts, since I know with these crazy high miles a lot more could go wrong in that year. But the alternative is another used car that will cost a lot more & I won't know its history. Plus it's not like I could sell this one for much the way it is now. So any thoughts out there? And if I do decide to do this, does anyone have any recommendations for refurbished HV battery installers in or near Ventura County (in between L.A. and Santa Barbara)? Thanks!
I've been attached to long running, reliable relics, too, so I know what you're going through. There are suppliers out there that offer a 1 year warranty. So you'll be able to keep driving for another year, if you decide to go that route. Only you can say if it's worth it. Your resale value won't be very high, as you know, but another vehicle likely result in higher costs.
Yeah, for one more year I'd go refurb. Just make sure the company stands by their warranty. Note: most don't cover labor.
Thank you everyone! I wish I had the gumption to do a module swap on my own. But I was barely able to change the 12v battery myself. I'm still sore Ah middle age! I made an appointment w/ Greentec today and for $1375 I'm getting a refurbished battery installed with an 18 month warranty this Friday. I decided it's worth it for my situation. I appreciate your input & support. I love this forum! Take Care!
OMG don't do that. That is very expensive. I'm very close to you and can do it for a fraction of that cost
Oh dang didn't see your reply until now Sorry! Got the battery replaced already. But I'm at peace with my decision. Was by far the cheapest alternative I'd found that came w/ a warranty, and I was in a bit of a time crunch since I need my car. So do you have any advice about MFD system replacements? Because mine has been dead for the past month. I'm leaning toward eBay purchase & self install. I just watched a YouTube video.
