2006 Prius 140k miles: Rebuilt battery replaced 4 times in 1 year - decision to keep or trade?

Remanufactured battery packs are generally not recommended here due to their high failure rate. Properly testing & re-balancing a pack is very time intensive and when using used modules, they can fail at any time, as you have experienced.

If you are a DIY type of person, the best deal right now would be the kit of new cells from @2k1Toaster here. He works with rechargeable batteries for a living and has developed this kit as a low const alternative to the new Toyota battery. The price for the continental US is $1600 including shipping. The link is in my signature.
This kit has been tested by several users and some of the hybrid experts here too. @ericbecky is one who could advise further.

Where in the world are you located? There may be a good hybrid shop nearby if you are in the US.

 

A new installed by Toyota pack will be around 2500$, and the factory certified installer will certainly fix any conflicting problems, pity to waste two years so frustrated.

 

Seems Prius lowered the price to 1900$ for the pack and guessing 600 for labor, a search here will find the thread, the dealer involved and hopefully a deal can be reached.

 

Question 1 -- Not that I ever heard of.
Question 2 -- Probably a few.
Question 3 -- The OEM replacement battery is the same as the original and should last as long although not many Prii have been on the road longe enough for the data we'd need to prove that logical assumption.
Question 4 -- There's a current thread here about someone whose dealer would not take a Dorman remanufactured battery and it was suggested that they might take it if the cover wasn't painted orange. Jury's still out on that one, I think.
Question 5 -- As long as you're reasonably handy, have the right tools, and follow the directions available in lots of Youtube videos, you should be able to do it yourself. I replaced my wife's '07 battery last May and it was a piece of cake. But I used to be an industrial electrician and also a mechanic.
Question 6 -- That depends on your market and lots of other factors. You didn't fill in your location in your info. Lots of advice here varies depending on location.

 

They are in Southern California. Where is @sfv41901 and Hybrid Pit located? @Raytheeagle is usually quite handy helping people too.

 

buying a hybrid to save money is a fools errand. but you've been saving the world for the last 12 years.

 

At only 140 k miles and in So Cal you are in the land of options.

Some things to consider:

• If frustrated with failed packs and the car is in good shape, why not grid charge the pack?
• If you are willing to grid charge, now the fun begins
• Maybe some members in SoCal (like @JC91006 who has a Prolong set up) or @Avi's Advanced Automotive can help
• Purchase your own Prolong setup and maintain it yourself. While this is additional investment, you can ensure the battery is healthier and won’t strand you

After seeing the results of a module swap and the Prolong setup for a member up here, that’s what I’d do if I’m your position .

Keep us posted .

 

If you want a new pack, I'm sure I can get you one for $2500 installed or less (probably less). They went down $400 this year

 

The rebuilder doesn't really know what he's doing, just replacing bad module one at time. Band aid repair. Who did you go to for this repair?

 

At least his service was good, but professional skills in proper rebuilding is seriously lacking. But most in this industry are in it for the quick buck. Swap out the failed module, rinse and repeat over and over.

 

Well, if you don't factor into the purchase price the cost of a new pack....

Thus far, our Prius has saved the purchase price of it in avoided fuel that would have been used in the vehicle it replaced as my bride's daily driver. As a secondary benefit, the other vehicle's mileage also caught up with it's age, making it relatively more valuable at trade time.

But, if you must rely on often unscrupulous repair shops (be they stealerships or otherwise), you are just as likely to spend MORE in maintenance and repair on a used Prius than less.

 

I had a similar problem - the battery kept dying. The car through tons of trouble codes and you could really see the battery drain on hills and at highway speeds. It is a 2009 Prius w 225k miles. It turns out the prius design is very clever and well balanced. If for some reason the engine is low on power, it will not have enough to charge the battery and run the car. The car ran with poor power. I replaced the battery and thoroughly checked the original. The problem? Clogged catalytic converter! I loosened the connection before the cat and problem solved. I replaced the cat and saw the old one was plugged from debris and rust. Remember to recycle the old cat. I got a good chunk of money towards the new cat. I returned the new battery and have been running the original. Good luck

 

congrats and welcome, thanks for the good advice!

 

Welcome to PriusChat!!

Could you please elaborate on which battery you bought new, and who accepted it back for return (with or w/o the restocking fee).

Bet others in NY and CA would be interested in the catalytic converter you ended up using, new / used, factory or aftermarket?

Thanks for posting

 

The battery that kept draining was the hybrid battery. Checked it thoroughly for cell voltage and it was fine but drained very quickly on hills. The replacement was a rebuilt one from a major supplier that allowed returns. I paid for shipping of ~$120 vs $1500 to keep the battery. As for the cat, the are OEM available from Toyota if you like. The key is to find the cause of dead hybrid battery which I found to be poor engine power. In the process of testing,I checked engine compression and every other thing under the sun. I was impressed to see all the specs were still in factory like new range.

 

The engine uses MG1 to start the engine and to charge the traction battery through the HV ECU. The engine power may not be the problem.