I took my 2005 Toyota Prius into the dealership today as 4 warning lights had appeared when I started it. The diagnosis is that the traction battery is dying and needs to be replaced; I was quoted $4800+tax for the battery installed. My car is at 111,000 miles. I bought my car in NJ as a certified used Toyota (prior owner bought car in NJ) though I currently reside in Philly. I was under the impression that the battery would be covered by CA's 150000 mile warranty as NJ follows CA's emissions standards. Toyota seems to think this is not the case from my first conversation with them. Is $4800+tax reasonable for the replacement? What should I expect to pay? Has anyone had any luck getting Toyota to cover the traction battery just out of 100000 mile warranty? Does it seem likely I'm covered by the 150000 mile warranty? Anything at all would be greatly appreciated as I haven't had the car for 2 years yet and don't want to shell out 5000 odd dollars. Thank you very much for your assistance and comments!
If the 12v battery is original, replace that first. A dying 12v battery can throw strange warnings. Even if the 12v battery is not the original, it could still be the problem. I doubt that the traction battery has gone bad.
There's some hope it's just the 12V battery. You can easily test that yourself using the procedure here: http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/73400-weird-stuff-happening-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html Or use a voltmeter at the jump point under the hood with the car OFF. If it tests bad, replace it before doing anything more drastic. I would recommend getting the replacement from a different dealer; the first one is a doofus if they didn't do a 12V battery test. If it tests good I would get a 2nd opinion from another dealer.
Since NJ had adopted CA's emission standards in 2005, that longer warranty would be applicable on a vehicle first sold and then licensed and operated in that state. It sounds like the car is no longer operated in NJ, and that is the loophole that causes Toyota to deny coverage. See my post #8 below. Because the OP's dealer is trying to make an exorbitant profit? Suggest the OP try other dealers in the area.
I am wondering if I bought my car in PA but live in NY (car registered in NY too) if my battery is warranted for 150,000 miles. However, it's late and I forgot if there is a time period involved with that as well. Isn't it ten years? I forget. Thanks and I apologize for hijacking the thread though my question is similar to the OPs.
You could buy a remanufactured battery from ReInVolt 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery Pack. : eBay Motors (item 130381610461 end time Apr-18-10 09:14:58 PDT) Assuming the car still drives to NC, they install it for $282. About $1800 total.
Looks like you have a 2004 model year car, so the answer would be no in that specific case. Here's some warranty language from a TSB relating to inverter replacement, that may be of interest. I am sure that a similar concept applies to the traction battery except that the CA warranty is 120 months / 150K miles. "This repair is covered under the Toyota Hybrid Vehicle System Component Warranty. This warranty is in effect for 96 months or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s in-service date. For California specification 2004 Prius vehicles sold, registered, and operated in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont, this repair is covered under the California Emission Warranty, which is in effect for 180 months or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s in–service date. For California specification 2005 Prius vehicles sold, registered, and operated in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, this repair is covered under the California Emission Warranty, which is in effect for 180 months or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s in–service date."
thanks for all your input! the 12V battery was just replaced last month, it was the original one so i thought a run of 4 years 110k miles was reasonable i'll have the technicians take a look at the 12V tomorrow and see if perhaps I received a faulty 12V if not I'll call around and try to get a more reasonable quote
You can check the voltage of the 12V using a voltmeter or the procedure at http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-...g-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html#post1020264.
Good idea to check it yourself. Mistakes do happen. Dealers are sometimes sloppy about properly charging a battery immediately before installation, cables or clamps might not have been tightened,...
