I have a Prius C. How long should/does the hybrid battery last? Does the owner manual tell you whe

9 months later (and only 1,000 extra miles),

I didn't even catch this the first time. I would venture to say "here is your problem". The prius 12v battery is very small compared to the typical 12v automobile battery. Most cars use the 12v system for starting the engine, so they need a large, high capacity battery. The Prius only uses the 12v battery to power up the electronics and then uses the HV battery to start the engine. The small 12v battery will die if left unused/uncharged for a significant period, especially if the SKS system is left active. I have a 2007 Prius that is at my house, but is sitting unused. The original battery was a goner, so I replaced it with one I had on hand, which was a brand new Toyota battery (but for a Prius without SKS so it's the small version) I've noticed the battery only lasts about 3 weeks before it will deplete to the point of not letting the doors open. I now keep a trickle charger on it.

You may be able to get the battery to last longer by deactivating the SKS system. Hopefully the C model has the 'key' button under the steering wheel to turn the system off. It will extend the life of a fully charged battery since it wont be actively looking for a key signal 24/7.

 

The guy doesn't seem to drive his car much and he really has no idea about the simple mechanics/technical information on keeping a car running...(or jump starting his own car)

Other than that, my C's going on near 5 years and the 12v battery is still kicking with little to no fuss (in near zero temperatures now)...when I'm hearing people around me usually replace their bigger 12v batteries around the 3 year mark when they start having issues (and the winters do get to them)

I just think that the prius's 12v batteries being inside the passenger compartments does offer more weather protection for the battery than other cars who has their 12v in the hood. I think the absolutely worst spot I've seen mfg 12v battery placement was under everything under the hood and by the wheel where you could literally see from the top to the ground (talk about little to no weather protection for the 12v battery and even more of a hassle just to swap out the 12v battery - chrysler 200 - had to lend my jump pack to the guy to jump start his 3 year old car/battery)

And a $30-50 jump start pack nowadays should be part of a car's emergency kit (or part of everyone's travel charger kit) or maybe dealers should just start throwing them in every new car now along with a spare tire kit (or flat repair kit for those w/o spare tires)

BOT, the only reason(s) I was willing to look into and buy a (toyota) hybrid was after extensive googling and article/data reading to ensure that my money isn't going to be wasted in the long run

 

My wife’s 2014 Prius c battery failed at 169,000. The dealership quoted me $2,000 for the battery and $800 for labor. My wife drives the vehicle constantly so it’s not due to lack of use. We recently took the car in for minor bumper repairs due to a hit and run at a Home Depot parking lot. Is it possible the auto repair shop did something to cause the battery to fail?

 

$2800 out-the-door is not bad.

I'd suspect the bodyshop had nothing to do with it, at most it was a borderline case, and they tipped it over the edge, but really hard to say. Which bumper was hit, front or rear?

 

It was the front bumper that was only scraped. I don’t think that would have caused the battery to fail.

 

If they ran the radio with the car in Ignition On mode it could drain the 12 volt battery. Once it has been deeply discharged it may not recover.

 

Hey guys,

I just turned 130K miles (on my 2012 Prius C), and I'm also wondering about this question... specific to the Prius C of course. I don't think metrics from other Prius lines should be assumed as a guide.

I'm sure there are other folks out there who've managed to drive a Prius C further than me (and James, who earlier mentioned their battery failing around 170K miles). Any others with 150K miles or more? How's the battery doing?

I ask all this because I drive a great deal back/forth to work, and I really want to hold out and keep the Prius until an affordable all-electric with good range becomes available (something like the Chevy Bolt, but cheaper and with even better range). Given all of the all-electric talk by the major car delaers (sadly not Toyota) I'd expect some reasonable options to appear in 2020-2022. But naturally I'd had to spend $3000 along the way to replace the batteries... I'm hoping I can get closer to 200K miles.

Anyone that lucky so far?

Thanks!

-Dave

 

BTW, related to the above, I just found this site that sells reconditioned batteries with 5-year full warranty, and it's $1549 including installation price. That seems pretty good when you consider that after having a car for 150K+ miles, and having the battery fail and be replaced, you're likely not to own the car for much longer than an additional 5 years anyway (by which time you'd have over 200K miles on the car).

Has anyone heard of this company or used them? Thanks!

5 Year Full Warranty Prius Hybrid Battery | Green Bean Battery

 

Yes, we have heard of them. I can almost guarantee their battery will not last 5 years. They have just repaired a failed battery by using modules from other failed batteries. We have found non of the companies selling used batteries are good.
@2k1Toaster here sells a kit of NEW cellds for the Gen 2 & Gen 3 Prius for $1600 delivered. You are free to sell your old modules. The link is in my signature. I do not know if he has a harness for the Prius c.

Another option would be to find a battery pack from a junked low mileage Prius c.

 

If the DIY type and want to keep the original battery working well, Hybrid Automotive’s Prolong equipment is a great system.

I put a harness on our 2010 and share the charger and Intelligent Discharger with twoother members out here so we all benefit .

Another option to extend the battery life.