What is killing all my Hybrid Batteries?! 3 batteries have failed.

Seems like things have changed somewhat since I started to first investigate and think about owning a hybrid.

There use to be quite a lot of support for buying a re-manufactured or refurbished battery. After years and several posts, it seems like the general consensus opinion has changed.

Too much trouble with refurbished batteries. Too many questionable entities refurbishing them to unknown standards.
I'm sure their ARE reputable places doing a good job, but I've just read too many threads where people invest into a refurbished battery and then pretty quickly run into trouble or failure.

At this point, I would really hesitate to recommend to anyone that they do anything BUT buy a OEM "new" Battery.

With apologies to any entity or business doing a good job, or trying to do a good job. I'm sure they exist, but it still seems like too much of a risk to say to anyone....go with the refurbished.

In this case, it might be the 4th battery this Prius has had...BUT...
With the history being:
Original-failed due to age
Replacement: Salvaged-really unknown history
Replacement: Refurbished

Then it's not really too surprising.

 

When I bought my 05 Prius, I had hopes that some entrepreneur would manufacture a new HV battery interchangeable with the OEM one. Looks like that's never going to happen which is too bad because it's very likely that many Prius' will endure well beyond 300K miles.

 

Does anybody know anything about Chinese manufacturer that did sell those? Chinese Ni-MH Battery cell replacements-any experience with these copies? | PriusChat was the only link I could found. But if I remember correctly there were other discussion about those.

 

I would opt for #1 - be done with it and drive and be happy!

DBCassidy

 

We have a 2005 and the dealer quoted 3500.00$ for a new battery. We instead went with the 2200.00$ refurbished battery option at a private shop. Drove the car for 1 week, car died, all dash lights lit up, car will not start, 50$ tow, replaced refurbished battery under the 3 year warranty. Drove the car for 4 weeks, car died, all dash lights lit up, car will not start, 60$ tow to the Dealer because private shop said they did not know what to do. Dealer will test hybrid battery for 550.00$, to see what is wrong. Then the Dealer gets into car and says they can not test because it will void 3 year warranty from other shop. So we tow back to the private shop to replace the refurbished battery under the 3 year warranty.
Could there be something else wrong with the car that is killing the hybrid battery? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Your refurbished battery is likely to contain used modules from other battery packs, they will be of varying condition, even when the refurbished pack has been properly balanced after receiving the used modules there is no guarantee they will work for any length of time. Unless you get an entirely new battery with new modules you get what is happening to you.

 

Like hchu said, refurbished packs have used modules that may or may not last a while. If you are so inclined, you can rebuild the battery yourself for much less than either of these options. You will have to tinker with it every now and then as you eliminate the bad modules, but you are already spending a bit of time on this issue as it is.

 

The Dealer wants to charge 1000.00$ core charge because we no longer have a Toyota Hybrid battery to "turn" in to them and 3500.00$ for a new battery. We have no choice now other then to put in a 3rd refurbished battery because of our financial situation. this was my favorite cars of all time that now has truly soured my love for it. I just wish that the option for a refurbished battery did not exists. I just wanted to make sure there isn't something else that we can fix that could be going wrong with the car to help the refurbished hybrid battery last longer. Thank you for your response and yes we are getting what we are getting because of choices made. Just makes me sad.

 

The core is the same, it's a Toyota battery in there. The dealer should know this and is taking advantage of the situation.

 

We have watched several helpful YouTube videos that really do make it look doable. Unfortunately for me my extent of being handy with a car is changing the oil, replacing an air filter, wiper blades, changing a tire and assisting with replacing brake pads. These are easy things and I had someone years ago take the time with me to teach these things. This I need my husband on board for and the stress of this whole situation does not baud well for accomplishing that. Thank you for your response. Choices are usually really good to have in life I just wish our bank account at the time supported the choice for a brand new battery.

 

I had thought the same thing and really was very reluctant in taking the car to this Dealer. There is a different dealer that is 45 mins. further that we originally went to but when we were sitting on the side of the road we went to the closer dealer in the moment. I couldn't imagine that the refurbished battery would be anything but just that a "refurbished Toyota battery" We are getting the car towed from that "very honest" dealer back to the private shop.

 

Is there a way to by-pass the hybrid system and just run the gas engine? It would save me a tow to get the car from the dealer to private shop.

 

you have a 3 year warranty, take advantage of it. if they don't want to live up to it, demand your money back and go get a new toyota battery.

 

Is there a way to by-pass the hybrid system and just run the gas engine?

 

no, the battery starts the engine.

 

I was wondering if a refund was a possibility. I will ask for sure and after putting in a 3rd battery they may be a bit more cooperative. I guess it really depends if they can get reimbursed from where they are getting the refurbished batteries from. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I thought the auxiliary battery started the engine but that makes since the car will not start at all. Bummer.

 

12v just boots up the computers, closes a relay and runs a few accessories.