Hybrid Battery Replacement or Not

A lot depends on your own priorities, how much money you have available and how many miles are on your car. An average number of miles for an 11-year-old car would be 165,000. Would you spend $3600 to buy an 11-year-old used car with those miles? If so, then replacing the battery would be worth it for you. If not, then look into getting something else.

In considering the risks and benefits, it should also be mentioned that Toyota designed the car for a 180,000-200,000 mile service life. As a result, the risk of parts failing goes up after 200,000 miles. Now there are also Prii that have made it to 300,000 and beyond with no major problems. But it's the luck of the draw, as well as environment, use, and maintenance, that determines that.

 

If it has low miles, go get another new battery. First try asking Toyota corporate for a goodwill warranty and maybe you'll just have to pay half. You can get their corporate number by googling Toyota corporation

You really can't buy anything good for under $4000

 

Another option it to look for a refurbished one online. If you are mechanically inclined and can follow directions from a YouTube video like I did, you can install it yourself. It took me 4 hours from start to finish to put it in myself. I put mine in on December 2012 on my 2005 Prius and paid $1600 at the time with a 18 month/unlimited mile warranty. Never had to use the warranty and the battery is still running great today after over 4 years of use so far with 50k miles put on it!

#1 in Easley,SC

 

The natural life of the Prius? In the wild or domesticated? Never mind.

It would have helped if you had provided an actual number instead of "quite low mileage". That can be anywhere from 40K miles to 160K miles.

So,
If under 100K miles and no other problems, a new HV pack is a no brainer. Your car will last another 10 years.
Between 100K and 150K, you should get another 5 years easy with a new HV pack.
Between 150K and 200K, a new pack might outlast the car so a remanufactured pack might be a better option
Above 200K, a remanufactured pack from a reputable rebuilder is the way to go.

 

I just crossed the same road as you on Sunday, Febuary 12th, warning lights everywhere... Good thing I had my own CAN OBDII tool (see attached). I have 161000 miles on a 2006 Prius 5 well mantained... Researched and thinking of the GreenTec re-manufactured battery but how do I get the car to them when I'm in Lafayette (90 miles away). Probably looking at keeping car for another 2-3 years. Thinking possibly taking to dealership which is only a few miles away but they rip you off. Weighing pros and cons too!

 

This is what has got me on edge as I look to replace my 2007 Touring Prius (144,xxx miles) that was just totaled by my step-daughter. From what I had read before, perhaps I was overconfident in the hybrid battery lasting, and after reading some of these failed battery posts, I am getting a bit skittish. It is sounding a bit risky to plan to drive a Prius beyond 150,000 miles without having to replace the hybrid battery, which could be around 50% of the cost of the car. Hard to imagine having anything but a Prius now though.

 

Since nobody can give accurate predictions for your specific car, the best you can do is figure the odds. According to the 200,000+ mile thread, 15% of gen 2 Prius batteries fail in 200,000-300,000 miles. That percentage is higher than the True Delta or Consumer Reports data that suggests roughly 3% of gen 2 Prii have battery failures. But even if you go with the higher number, there's still 85% of Prii whose batteries run fine through 200,000 miles or more. So as long as you check out all the cars that interest you and make sure the one you buy is in good condition, you've still got pretty good odds that you'll be fine on the battery front.

 

Thanks so much for the reminder on that data! That is very reassuring. I appreciate the reality check. Everyone has their own opinions of course on all these matters, but that data speaks for itself. I see you have a 2009 Prius, and a 2009 Touring model is one I am going to look at this week. Any opinions about going in that direction versus spending extra money on a 2012? I greatly prefer the Gen II interior design, but then the Gen III seems to have some improvements. Now that I'm not so worried about the battery pooping out, though I understand there is always a chance, I am reconsidering a Gen II, since I had not anticipated or wanted to replace my 2007, which consistently averaged around 46 mpg.

 

Generally newer models tend to be a bit more reliable. The 2012 model is the 3rd gen refresh, where Toyota ironed out some rough spots with the 2010-2011 models (such as occasional oil consumption). The 2009 is the last of the Gen 2 models and is correspondingly the most reliable of the gen 2s. When I was looking for a car, I looked at 2009, 2011, and 2012 models. The one I chose was a combination of affordability, availability, and a good test drive and service record.

 

Yes...stay away from the 2010s at least...there are far too many of us that are experiencing oil burn issues at relatively low miles.

In fact, I am now considering a 2008-2009 for our son to drive. I am seeing quite a few going for around $5000 or so with miles in the 140,000 range or so. I agree that 2008-2009 seems like the sweet spot of price vs. reliability. However, have there been any oil burn issues on these end of cycle 2nd gen models?

 

I haven't read of any oil burn issues with any besides 2010 models. Those are good prices! The prices here are more along the lines of $6000-7000.

 

According to Car Complaints, there have been a few complaints about oil burning for 2008-2009 models. The biggest number of complaints for the late Gen 2s are problems with the high intensity (HID) headlights. So if you get a Prius without the HID headlight option, you just saved yourself from the majority of problems people had with Gen 2 Prii.

Regarding pricing, I'm comparatively close to your neck of the woods and my 2009 was advertised at $8000 with 105,000 miles when I bought it in December. I negotiated down to $7600, which is what Edmunds said it was worth.

 

I can certainly believe that, because having to replace those extremely expensive headlights was the major issue I had with my 2007 Prius. Those HID headlights are definitely not a plus. Good to know about that being the main thing with Gen II.

 

Our 2007 Gen 2 hybrid battery died in February, 2017. The dealership/stealership wanted $3050 and wouldn't say if it was for a new or rebuilt one. We bought one one-line from Falcon Hybrid. They charged us $950 + shipping + core charged (refunded after old one received). Videos on their site are FANTASTIC. I also took photos as we went since neither of us has disassembled the cargo area. After installing, all the dashboard lights went out except the 'mean red triangle'. It was getting dark so we decided to leave it until morning. Apparently, the 'self diagnostic' that runs after the car has been off for several hours 'found' the battery. The triangle was gone and all has been well for about a month. The battery weighs about 100 lbs. so it took both of us to move it. Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

congrats! please keep us posted every now and then, thanks!

 

This thread was really helpful. Thanks!

I had the red light go on today after a 90F day in California. I thought it was just overheating, but after I let it sit for a while I saw the light was still on.

Luckily the mechanic I go to was able to squeeze me in and run the codes. He said I would need a replacement and it'll cost $3,000 to $3,500

I was thinking of swallowing the loss and going with a replacement since the car is still in great condition and regularly maintained (157k), but I remembered to come to this useful forum and see what everyone else shared.

I'm going to keep reading. I'm more optimistic about getting a replacement, maybe remanufactured and installing it myself. Will be a fun project that hopefully has a good outcome!

 

@2k1Toaster has a battery installer in the Bay Area .

That'll be cheaper than the $3k you were quoted.

Just be sure to keep the Type IV out of the transmission.

 

If this thought is buoyed by discussions earlier in this thread, just remember that things have changed a bit in the last three years.

In particular, the stocks of viable modules to replace failed ones. The plethora of battery repairers you find on CL or eBay generally are peddling batteries with modules that are just as old if not older than the ones you have. In addition, each time you swap out a module from the original set, the chances increase that it will fail increases.

If you were to go this route the best option is to try and procure a Prius Gen 3 or 4 (make sure Gen 4 is NiMH) pack from a recent wreck, the newer the better, and transplant the modules into your case. Buy a new No 2 wireframe and, as long as there is no visible damage (burnt pins) in the orange plug of the ECU, reuse your ECU.

Be very wary of "rebuilders" especially if you cannot find a brick and mortar location. Mobile providers specialize in the "taillight" warranty.

@SFO, @Raytheeagle or, @JC91006 might be able to direct you to a reputable shop to provide a reliable second-hand option.

Oh, and BTW, the 2k1Toaster option is the only good NEW alternative to OEM. But it is a different design and is a DIY (or you pay an installer) to make use of this option. Very good feedback from those that have taken this route.

 

Thanks @Raytheeagle and @dolj

So far the options look like:

(1) buy new OEM battery

(2) 2k1 Toaster + DIY or pay installer

(3) swap out cores

Is that right?

My intention is to fix this to have a reliable Prius for another 1-3 years. It's worth the money to fix this than to try to sell it in this economy and find another used reliable car.