I have a 2010 Prius that I bought new; it has 101,750 miles on it; I bought an extended warranty a month ago that goes to 135,000 miles; warning lights came on last week so I took it to my dealer. The car still runs fine but I have been provided a detailed estimate to "fix it right" that starts with "Replace HV Battery" for $3,616 including $601 for labor, and also has "Drain and Fill Auto Transmission" for a line total of $197.43. There were 2-3 other relatively minor things called for on the estimate, but my questions refer to these first two items. a. Does $3,616 to replace the HV Battery sound reasonable? Is it fairly routine that these batteries need to be replaced right after their 100,000 mile warranty expires or was I real unlucky? b. I thought my Prius did not have a transmission, nor use transmission fluid. Any thoughts? I will really appreciate any help with this very expensive (and unexpected) problem. Thank you.
For openers it sounds like your dealer is taking you for a Missouri boat ride. Ask them WHY the light came on and the specific error code. Research the code yourself. If the main battery seems to be working OK, why replace it? The drain and fill on the transaxle is a given at 100K miles. I'd get the oil changed and keep driving to see if any more lights come on.
1) its common that after 100k miles, the HV battery will need to be replaced. Also if there's any check engine light codes, ask them for the number and search it online and see what the codes mean before you do anything. 2) As for the transmission fluid, the Prius does use a transmission with fluids, you can easily do this yourself if you're mechanically incline. As you can see from my other thread that I posted, I uploaded a video for you guys to see how easy it is to do this maintenance yourself. Good luck.
And post the code(s) here too for the resident experts to comment. If the battery is really going bad, used and rebuilt units should be available through other outlets at lower prices.
100 K miles is a little early to need a new HV battery. Transmission drain and fill sounds rather high (but it is needed). They can't "flush" it so don't pay extra for flushing. I had the transmission fluid changed in my 2008 I would have remembered if it cost $200. The Traction battery may still be under warranty depending on what state it was bought/registered in. Whats the cost after your extended warranty? Keep in mind that after the replacement the car is worth more money when you sell it, with the new battery.
You bought an extended warranty last month when the car had nearly 100k miles on it? What does the warranty exclude?
This is total BS: 1) its common that after 100k miles, the HV battery will need to be replaced. Take the car to any independent shop with some instructions found here and ask for a simple drain and fill on the ATF. That is a valid maintenance thing to do to this car. I have two bank courier friends. One with a GEN2 with 250K miles. Only had an EGR valve replaced. One with 350K on a Gen 2. Only had one HV battery module go bad. Replaced it with a used $40 module from 'Battery Buddy' and had to pay labor at an independent shop for the labor.
Anything can happen after 100k, maybe it'll hit 200k or 300k, but like I've said. After 100k, the HV battery acts up. But I would only replace HV battery if there is lights and codes start coming on.
First, where are you located? It would be helpful if you put that in your profile. 100K would be a bit premature for a battery failure. Why would you be charged for a battery if you have an "extended warranty"? Auto parts dealers will often read the code for free, although, as mentioned earlier, the dealer should be able to tell you exactly the code, and subcode, that would lead them to believe there is a battery issue.
Nutz, You are right, there is this line in the sand. Nothing bad happens before 100k,, but exactly after, all hell breaks loose. vegas, If this were you at a doctor, wouldn't you always get a second opinion? As I said, if one module goes weak there is no reason to replace the whole pack. My friend had one module replaced over 100k miles ago. That HV pack is still going strong at 250k.
The dealer will not replace a single module. Whole pack or nothing. I would be curious what happened prior to the code being set. Was the car sitting for a long time, etc. Find out what the code is and write it down for future reference. Clear the code and see what happens.
Correct, all extended warranties exclude the hybrid battery pack. Battery life varies, but 100k is a bit on the early side. Does the OP commute in mountainous terrain on a regular basis? If so, that could be a major factor. iPhone ?
