My 2007 Pruis with 179,000+ miles battery died. I can't complain it served me well. It will cost 2400 - 2500.for a new battery. Is it time to just cut my losses and just buy a new car. What about a reconditioned battery? Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
There's lots of options, especially if you're DIY that price can go as low as $30 if you're up for lots of hours of learning. Regardless, the specific region in the US you live will allow you to connect with experts on here that are near you... So once we know that we'll know who near you to put you in touch with.
I am outside of Chicago, Illinois and I am definitely not a DIY. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Unless you know for sure that the people reconditioning the battery will go the extra mile to make sure it'll last, I'd get a new battery if I was going to keep the car. Whether to keep the car depends on its condition (I think they still destroy cars with road salt up there, right? And the air conditioner & brake accumulator are expensive potential repairs.), how attached you are to the car, and how much it would be worth it to you to have the safety features available in a 15-year newer car. They are pretty spectacular.
I had HV batteries failing in two Prius in the last couple of years. I used a local reputable company that rebuild and installed the batteries for about $550 each time. They replaced one module on the first Prius, rebalanced it. I sold it after about 1 year and 12k miles without issues. For the second Prius, which I still drive, they replaced 4 modules (1 was bad and the other 3 they were losing charge faster than the rest of the pack). It has been 11 months and 9k miles so far without issues. An OEM toyota battery at $2500 might be a less risky investment but rebuilding the battery might work well for the near term. DYI rebuilding, especially the first few times, unfortunately does not last long and people are reporting frequent rebuilds. I guess inexperience, shortcuts without proper cycles of charging and recharging and use incorrectly of inappropriate equipment might be contributing factors for the whack-a-mole game.
The consensus here is that reconditioned batteries usually are not worth it because they can fail pretty quickly. If you want to keep the vehicle a few years more, a Green Bean battery has a good warranty and they come to you and install it for about $1600 and then reinstall at no extra cost if the 1st one fails. You could get stranded somewhere waiting for that fix, though. Not worth it if you hope to keep the vehicle for many years or if you need an absolutely reliable vehicle.. For people who can DIY, keeping an old Prius going can be a bargain. But that's not you (or me). What would you replace it with? Can you afford and do you prefer to buy new? If so, what would you buy. Where I live, the sales tax alone on the average new vehicle is as much or more than a new Prius battery and then depreciation the first few years is $3,000 per year or more. So, it's not crazy to risk $2500 if the vehicle is in great shape otherwise and keep it going for a few more years but again, not being DIY, you should plan on getting something else, new or newer used, in the not too distant future. So, tell us more about your situation and you will get better feedback.
Im shocked people even consider not buying a battery and keeping it. I paid more than that for my 235k mile prius and was expecting to replace the battery. It died after about a year since I dont drive it daily. I just called around and found a dealer who would sell me a new toyota battery for $1800. I watched youtube and swapped it myself in about 2 hours going slow. Its really not that bad learn to do it yourself you will save money and feel better about it. Maybe a local forums member could come over and walk you through it. if you were in cali id help. a few months payments on a new car would be 2500 these days
In your region best place to start is with EV Powers | Hybrid Battery Service - Repair - Prius - Insight - 56 Corry St, Madison, WI ---> The shop's owner Eric Becky has answered the phone every time I've called and is always willing to spend time helping me go over all the best options so there's no regrets once everything is fixed..
