Today I called the Toyota Parts Center and they couldn't really give me much information. They said the shop did order a battery but for an 06 Prius. When the shop discovered the price increase, he mentioned he hadn't bought a new battery since last year which is why he made a mistake on his estimate. The parts center couldn't tell me if and when he picked up the battery last week. I also had a few minutes to get a visual of the case. It does not look at all like what rjparker posted. It's not even the same color. Thoughts? I do have an invoice from the shop that they replaced it with a new Toyota oem battery. My vin was never given to the parts center. Could they have bought gen 2 battery and swapped modules, assuming the gen 2 battery might be cheaper? But why would they not use my stock covers?
Beautiful color! But I would be more interested in what's inside. The top cover is attached with less than a dozen bolts. Maybe by removing the plastic air duct casing you could look inside. The manufacturer does not produce Gen2, Gen3 modules. Now they produce Gen4 modules. But they can be packed in an iron case from Gen2, Gen3 or Gen4. There is no difference, they can be re-installed on any hybrid.
What type of warranty did the place that replaced the battery give you? Did they do the job correctly and is the car working correctly? You said the invoice states it's a REAL Toyota battery. That's the bottom line. If it fails in X amount of time within the warranty will he replace it for no cost to you? And, are YOU happy and satisfied with the results?
If I were you I would open it up soon or pay a third party to do it for you. The only painted cases I have ever seen were "remanufactured" (used mix and match modules). Dorman, Greentec and Best Hybrid paint cases and most offer long term "warranties" (swap in another used set) which just means the buyer will have several long downtimes over the next few years. In most cases you can't dispute a credit card charge after 60 days which must be in writing. Some scammers selling other products on Priuschat try to delay buyers past that window.
I would be extremely uncomfortable with that. New Toyota batteries are not painted. MANY aftermarket rebuilders will media blast and paint the cases and put new warning stickers on them, but not serial number stickers. Some aftermarket rebuilders offer options up to and including new modules. MAYBE the guy did buy a different OEM battery (2006) and used those 28 new modules to rebuild yours, since the modules themselves are interchangeable, or he used the 'new' option from a rebuilder. The true story will be told when you provide serial numbers from the modules, but my gut doesn't feel good for you right now.
Warranty is 4 years unlimited miles. The car is working although I have yet to refill the gas tank and do an actual mpg comparison. Since day one I felt the car was a little sluggish but im not entirely sure. Nothing out of the ordinary on the dr. Prius battery monitor. The problem is I paid the price he quoted plus 300 for a new oem battery. If he did put in a rebuilt battery then I over paid by 1300 because he also provides that service to install a rebuilt battery.
Yup, that's a problem, because what is installed in your car is NOT a new OEM battery for your car. It may be a nice clean painted case with NEW OEM modules transplanted from a new OEM Gen 2 HV battery (or it may not). He has some clarifying/explaining to do. Unfortunately, if it is a transplant of new modules from a 2006, you did not get new bus bars/cables/etc that come with a new OEM battery, because the Gen 2 stuff does not work on a Gen 3. You need to post a photo of the inside of the battery, but removing the cover may void your warranty.
The author did not mention the sealing of the lid. The photo of the battery also did not show sealed nuts and bolts.