12V Battery Replacement Recommendation

So did you pick up a free spare?

 

?? Not following you.

 

You got notification the battery you paid for was available, after you picked it up, so was there another one available to be picked up?

 

Unknown. I guess it just means that my dealer had at least one in stock, not sure what stocking strategy they would use on that battery.

Unlike most battery purchases, there is no core charge either. I'll just drop my old one off at Autozone, they'll recycle it for free.

 

Guys, we have 2019 Toyota Prius, bought used 7 months ago (Dec 2024) and several weeks ago, after a rain, the car failed to start. No issues before. Toyota dealer charged 860$ to replace the Auxiliary 12v battery in that car, saying the battery in this 2019 model is positioned differently than in other models. This price is 4 times higher than your $200+ for such battery as you wrote here. Why? What to do if it is a rip-off?

 

Find a new shop to service the car.

 

Holy Cripes, I think you got mega Ripped off? I don't remember totally where I got mine replaced (Costco?) but my 12V Battery had cost close to $300. (I think it was ard $280) Even at THAT, I balked b/c this is my 1st Prius and have driven other Sedans all my Life, NEVER paid more than $150 for a Battery. Just curious to hear did you file a Complaint, Report or anything?

I've had Toyota Dealers fix my Prius for most of my Repairs and Oil Changes, but the new influx/Inflation of Toyota Service Repairs is Ridiculous... so I'm starting to consider my options... I'm on here hoping I can see how other 2019 Priuses' are dealing with the Big Battery change...

 

Dealership service departments are starting to remind me of telemarketers: there's a diminishing pool of suckers with land lines, and they're inundated with crank calls.

With the dealerships (and maybe any-and-all professional shops), more-and-more car owners eschew them, resorting to DIY, and the pro's turn the screws even tighter on their remaining customers, which further alienates the naysayers, confirms their perceptions.

Sad thing is, a Toyota dealership service department might be hands-down the best place to service your car, or it could be, with decent management.

 

And some of, if not all of these DIY shade tree wrench turners are ruining their cars at times and creating more work in turn for the independent shops to fix their messes when they can't complete a job correctly. This is the primary reason NexPower had trouble over the past year with warranties, not because the Lithium batteries were junk but mainly because so many people did not follow instructions or use common sense installing them. 98% (of which who had a professional install them) are still running fine today with no issues.

 

anyone ever sit in a dealership service dept waiting area for an hour or two for sssss and gigglesssss?

The first service reps report to a paying customer about what their car needs, must be a fluke, right?

Wait for the second one....

 

I'm still salty they keep throwing my floormat in the trunk..

 

My dealership offers free fountain soda drinks and cookies. They also have an indoor basketball hoop. So sitting around for a few hours would not be so bad.

 

True, and even some formerly cost-effective independent shops have jumped the shark and started harvesting the wallets of ‘loyal’ customers.

 

It's getting very expensive to run a shop, in case you were asleep the past 4 years. These shops don't run a charity case..

 

It’s not so much the cost-effective work they do, I get it that supply and labor costs have increased, even for DIY’ers, it has become the ‘stealership-style’ unneeded services they have started to pitch.

 

Toyota dealerships in Europe are getting nuts. Annual inspection that only includes oil change and filter can be 420€ in Germany. Every other year with brake fluid flush 660€. If we shop around we may get a cheaper price but still above 240€ for just annual oil change and filter.
Toyota offer 15y/ 155k miles warranty after the 3rd year if people maintain the car in dealership with mark up price.

 

That preys on customers fears.

 

Yes, that's what Toyota dealership strategy gets most of the money in European market. Maintenance, not repairs because what to repair if people maintain them well.
Spare parts are also marked up so high. 20€ per L for engine oil, and we cannot bring our own oil either. Genuine Toyota 0w-20 cost only 44€ 5L from Amazon.
Who the heck change brake fluid in a hybrid car every 2y in the world except in Europe.