Please help me to decide repairs vs new car

Buying a used battery is only a short term bandaid, every year you have to get it fixed!

When and if you need a new traction battery, buy the Toyota factory battery, have Toyota install it for the 3 year warranty, happy motoring.

 

That's easy to say, but you're talking about sub-$1k vs. $3600 on a 12 year old car with over 200,000 miles on it.

Bethany is right to be balancing it. She could spend the big bucks on the Toyota battery, and it may go another 100k. Then again, something else expensive may crap out next week, in which case she'd be kicking herself for sinking big bucks into an older, high-mileage car. (even if it is a Toyota)

Buying a used battery is more of a crapshoot than a short-term band-aid. It could be very lightly used, well taken care of and not damaged in any way, and give 10 years of good service. OR... it could be one that looks good outwardly, but was recovered from a badly-crashed car with unknown damage. (think T-bone crash to the battery area @ 40 mph) If it is a used battery, but it is somehow warranted, that seems like a good compromise.

BUT... now that she said she's not paying for gas, so who cares if the traction battery is working or not? It is basically turned into a Matrix at that point.

Best of Lucky Bethany. I hope you will report back when you decide to trade in the old Prius on a newer one.

 

Hybrid battery is most important part of your prius. With dead battery you may have no ac, no acceleration, no charge to 12volt systems( like no abs brakes, and etc). As diagnostics guy I recommend to OP change mechanic first. I have no idea how is it possible to blow inverter assy if you follow FSM or just common sense. Before battery fails with trouble codes, usually it effects acceleration and fuel efficiency.