Green Bean Longevity?

Welcome to PriusChat!!

Find a dealer with an OEM for 1600+ core, and change it yourself. Plenty of videos, and you will find the process rewarding.

 

if you look at their reviews you will see they are mainly fake. They have over 700 google reviews (80% from accounts that have only done one review. and are new accounts) and 22 reviews on yelp (4 star, scarry stories)
everyone here says you are better buying a new batter. Even if green bean offers a lifetime warranty who is to say they will be around in 2 years.

 

You might want to use the 'advanced search' feature, and then repost in any/all of the existing GB related threads.

Many might concur that all "used batteries" have a poor track record overall, regardless of the 'branding'.

No sure where the warranty for any given 'brand' of "used battery" currently sits, as they are continuously changing.

Quick question, how long do you expect a "used battery" that costs $1450 to last, and can you afford the vehicle down time when it fails, including being randomly stranded, late or a no show for an important engagement, and possibly a costly vehicle tow back home, etc?

If price difference isn't much of a concern (or personal time is more valuable), spend the extra 1k and have the a "new" OEM battery installed at the dealer (call around for the best installed price), then there will be no issues related to the HV battery for quite some time, and when the time comes for the battery to outlive the vehicle you will be able to easily sell it for the price difference as it would only have 40k miles on it after 10 years of use, or less miles if the vehicle fails earlier.

Four hours for a complete swap could be accurate, especially when factoring the time to pick up the "NEW battery", and then returning the old "used battery" core to the dealership. Personally it takes me about an hour to remove a HV battery with hand tools, and longer to install it. Though I can safely move the battery alone, I do it with gloves as the sheet metal edges can be quite sharp in some areas.

 

Shop hard. I just got mine done at my local dealer for $1700 + 445 = $2145. Included taxes, fees, rental car and a car wash. Nationwide, three-year Toyota warranty, adds real value.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I would give aftermarket batteries a try. New aftermarket cells from New Prius Batteries / $1600. 2 yr warranty. aka 2k1toaster. Lots of Priuschat members seem to be happy with this. I'm seeing threads that this may work better than OEM. Install yourself.

 

Didn't watch the video, but what was your personal take away from that video, and do you now find value in an overpriced used battery?

 

Be aware there are two sides to every story. Nowhere in the video did he show a photo of the serial numbers of the modules. That is the definitive documentation of the date of manufacture. I have plenty of Gen 1 modules with 2012+ date codes. The Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 3 and Gen 4 modules all have the same ratings. Just because the battery is made using Gen 1 style modules does not mean it's a bad battery. Would I build one like this? No, I wouldn't. But it could very well live a long, useful life.

And it's not just Gen 1 modules that have some leakage. I can show you modules from Gen 2 and 3 also, that have electrolyte seepage on the ends.

 

Unfortunately, the module he is showing at that point is a Gen 2. All modules have 2 tabs sticking up near the temperature sensor recess hole on the top of the module. The Gen 1s have the tabs oriented in the opposite direction compared to the tabs on the later generations. Look at the tabs sticking up from the modules that are in the battery pack, compared to the tabs on the module he's videoing. The first four digits of that module are 046I, which is June 04, 2007.

 

I am getting a GreenBean battery installed tomorrow. Similarly, our Prius is an around-town/errand car so we are comfortable with the degree of risk.

 

Hi! We are thinking about getting a GreenBean battery installed in our 2002 Prius (229,000 miles) and would love to hear about your experience with them.

 

So far, so good. They were very responsive and the installer was just fine to deal with. It's only been a few months, but the battery is operating just fine as the bars don't drop below the halfway mark. I think only once did the bars drop below the halfway mark, and that was because I was sitting in a parking lot at night on a phone call with the heater on, on a cold night for at least 20 minutes...

 

I had a green bean battery installed in March 2021 in my 2010 Gen 3 Prius III. I am very happy with the installation and lifetime warranty. They came out the day after I contacted Green Bean battery. The battery stays fully charged with few exceptions. The cost was $1649. That's so much better than the $3500 I was quoted at the Toyota dealership and a private auto shop. With a lifetime warranty -- it's worth it. And I do a lot of local and long distance driving.

 

It is good to hear both sides of the story.

BUT.....whether you have an overall good experience or a bad one is just a crap shoot; the luck of the draw.
Regardless of what company does it, a re-built battery is still full of OLD cells. Sometimes they last for years and sometimes they fail in a matter of weeks or months.

You have been lucky so far.
Others have not been so lucky.

 

I hope it doesn't fail on you during a long distance drive. Even with the warranty it could be a big hassle.

How many miles on your 2010? I'm getting nervous about mine (with 102,000 miles) mostly due to age.