Last year (June 2015) I purchased a 2006 Prius with 59,000 miles on it and a clean CarFax report. No issues with vehicle whatsoever, drove great for a year (~6000 miles), and got roughly 40 MPG in town. Turned car on last week and got the red triangle of death along with other warning lights. I also noticed a fan turning on in the backseat every time I turned the car on, even though the air conditioning/fan was turned off. I have taken it to three separate dealers that say the Hybrid battery is failing and needs to be replaced. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the quotes they have given me are $2759, $2900, and $3300 including parts and labor. There is some variability on price depending on aftermarket battery vs Toyota brand battery, but it seems the after market batteries are cheaper and come with better warranties (3 years, unlimited miles). What's my best move here? I'm tenuous about purchasing a refurbished battery off Ebay, but also concerned that this is the beginning of an expensive downward spiral. The rest of the car is in great shape aside from a few scratches on the body (for now), and with only 64,000 miles on it I feel like there is potentially a lot of life left in the car. As a first time Prius owner I'm envious of posts I read stating 180k+ miles on original battery and concerned that maybe my car isn't going to ever make it that far without becoming a money drain. Any help/advice appreciated. Thanks.
Ask Toyota corporate for a goodwill warranty. I think they'll assist in the cost of the new battery. You can call them yourself or you can request the dealership to do it for you.
#1. You have nothing to lose in politely asking Toyota if any "goodwill" assistance would be forthcoming. However, you are past warranty and Toyota would be perfectly within their rights to say, sorry No. --There have been stories of Toyota assisting with Prius and Batteries that fail just past warranty periods. #2. If the vehicle is otherwise in good shape? I wouldn't hesitate to invest into a new battery. By my math you have less than 70,000 miles on your Prius, which with continued good maintenance could mean several..many more good years. However, if it was me? My observation within this forum is that while some independent battery refurbishers may offer "better" warranties and a lower buy in cost, there are many more posts about premature failures and then the "struggle" to get them to honor their warranties. Some people have had satisfactory experiences with rebuilt/refurbished batteries, but there are also a lot of stories of failure. I can really not remember reading any post where someone claimed to buy a "New" Toyota OEM battery and then had problems. So in my opinion, just buying new despite the increased cost, and potentially shorter warranty, is still the best way to go,
Time as well as miles factor in on battery life more than on other components, get the Toyota new Battery, should be good to go for quite a while.
The battery lasts for a minimum of 10-12 years and maybe longer if treated right. how many miles you do in those 10-12 years is up to you. some people do 300,000 and more, but i don't envy them.
Do not buy a refurbished battery. Take the car to a Toyota dealer. The HV Battery is warranted for 80,000 miles. This should be a free replacement.
