I have a 2004 Prius. Loved it and it has been reliable and problem free. That is, until yesterday. It wouldn't start. Had it towed to the local Toyota dealer and got a call that a hybrid system part needs to be replaced for a cost of $4,400. The car has less than 100,000 miles on it. Has anyone else had a similar problem? I had been planning to trade it in in a year or two and to buy a new Prius, but now I'm concerned. Just wondering if others are running into very expensive repairs as the cars age or if I just got the short straw. Thank you. Irene
Firstly if you can get the dealership to give you the DTC codes (usually alphanumbernumbernumbernumber like P1211) we can see what they are basing their recommendation with. There may be several, some may have sub codes. (It sometimes happens that the codes are all over the place, when that happens it can be because the 12 battery that power the computers during power up is too weak, how old is your 12 volt battery?) You list no hint of where you are in the universe, so we can't recommend any place to take your Prius to. (It is somewhat silly to put a 'new' $4,400 part in a 9 year old car, perhaps we can show you a used $900 part) Prius battery -cable | eBay
All the batteries will fail some day, I expect it to be a bell curve. So far we seem to be on the edge of that curve. Hybrid Battery Survey-Gen2 Prius 2004-2009 | PriusChat
Thanks for your reply. I'm in northern Delaware. I'll talk to the dealer tomorrow re the codes. Replaced 12 volt battery less than a year ago. I was a bit in shock from the price so didn't get much info today, just that a hybrid system part had failed. Am not planning on replacing part if it is a $4,400 part that needs replacing. Would be interested in learning more about the possibility of a used part. I'll get more specifics about exactly what part needs replacement. Thank you.
Not all dealerships have the same level of expertise on these cars, so beware of this "worse case scenario" kind of diagnosis. It can often turn out much better than what you have been told. The DTC's will tell the story. I agree that a used part is the way to go. Get the car running and it will be worth it.
Hi Delaware...hmm...let's hear what the needed part is...had you (and I ) lived in MD or NJ we would possibly have 10-yr warranty on some parts such as hybrid battery. But our states have 8-yr limit. We need to think about if there is a hybrid shop around there...the closest I know is outside Baltimore.
Just spoke to the man at Toyota. He said the part I need is the inverter and the dtc codes are c1259 and c1310. I'm going to see what I can find but any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Irene
C1259,C1310= HV System Regenerative Malfunction So that does make sense. If you look on Ebay, there are used Inverters. Also Steve at Autobeyours.com has plenty. He is the main source I would trust. Looks like they range in price from from $200 to $500 with $50 shipping. Your dealer would likely install a used one for you but they would not guarantee it. This one looks good () Here is a link to the inverters on autobeyours.com (04 and newer Prius Parts Cars) (you have to scroll way down to mechanical parts).
I bought the Prius and lived in New York for years, but now live in Delaware. Someone mentioned that ny had a longer warranty on the Prius battery and inverter/converter (10 years), so it would still be under warranty. Does anyone know if the warranty remains in effect if you bought the car in New York but it is now registered in another state? Haven't been able to find an answer yet. Thank you.
I'm about to buy the part on eBay and our local dealer will install. Thanks to all for your information and help.
Irene- The CARB warranty only applies if you are currently registered in CARB state (DE is not CARB). However, the implication is your car *might* have more value if you sold it to someone in a CARB state (NJ/MD). Some people say Toyota takes a hard line, requiring chain of ownership in all CARB states. But if you look at FORD hybrid warranty, it says if your car is CARB certified (yours might be due to NY, but suspect NY was not CARB back in 2004) then as long as you live in CARB state it is covered. So I was wondering if it might makes sense to sell it to CARMAX.
I'm buying a used part and will be hoping for the best. If all goes well, I won't be selling it until after it is 1o years old. Thank you.
Toyota called. Car is running and ready to go. I DIDN'T need a part. When they took the old part off to put the new (used) part on, they found that some critter had been in there eating wires. They rewired, put the old part on, and the car is working again. Anyone need a used inverter/converter?
That's great news. Its a darn good thing you didn't buy the new inverter. I would attempt to sell on ebay.
Good news. Rodent damage is a major problem, with a number of reports here on PC. Usually the damage is in the air intake. There are several threads about remedies. I use a bright night light (LED, about 2 watt) on the ground below the car, and have not had any problems with rats. The problem apparently has to do with the use of vegetable derived oils used in the plasticizers of the wire insulation, which smells edible to rodents.
