Finally happened (Check Hybrid System)

2013 Toyota Prius c Three w/ just under 182k miles on it. Got the dreaded "Check Hybrid System" on my way home from work yesterday, along with triangle, check engine and other lights. Luckily was able to drive home without issue.

Checked the error code with ScanGauge II this afternoon and saw the P0A80 code (replace hybrid battery).

So what is the best course of action? I know I can either replace failed modules (least expensive), replace the entire pack with a rebuilt one, or (most expensive) purchase a new pack from Toyota and have it replaced. Seems like the least expensive option would also last the least amount of time, as if some modules have failed, it seems likely others will too in the future.

I recently put in a decent amount of money into the car (replaced transmission fluid, engine and inverter coolant, engine water pump, spark plugs, etc.) Given how expensive the used car market is these days, not sure if it makes sense to even consider finding a replacement car altogether. Seems like either way I'd need to fix the traction battery even if I'd want to sell the car. In the immediate short term, I might be able to borrow a car from family members just to get to/from work as needed.

 

As far as I know (and have records for): yes, it is original. I bought it from a re-seller who got it from a Toyota dealer trade-in. Original (single) owner had ~140k miles on it. Given the warranty is 150k miles / 10 years, I guess it's overdue. I did keep the battery fan clean, etc. to try to get the most life out of it. Original owner's miles were also mostly highway which maybe helped as well.

Makes sense. I know I definitely wasn't planning a car purchase this year, given I recently bought a very distressed home I'm still in the process of fixing up. But the extra miles and uphill/downhill of getting to said home from where I currently reside, might have been part of what pushed the Prius c past the edge. Otherwise, the ICE still seems in good shape, and with the recent water pump and coolant change was hoping to avoid any premature head-gasket failures (EGR Cleaning was also on my to-do list).

I've had my eye on the 2022 Prius L Eco for a while, or maybe Hyundai Ioniq Blue. They are still quite pricey and especially the Ioniq's long term reliability is still unproven. Probably best to wait a few years (and save up more cash) before moving forward with either of those...

 

So I called around a few local shops (not dealers) for estimates. I got verbal estimates ranging from $1.4k to $1.6k for a "refurbished (used)" battery pack (with warranties ranging from 6-24 months, 10k-24k miles), and $2.9k to $3.2k for a brand-new (OEM Toyota) battery pack. I heard the new pack should have 5 year (100k miles?) warranty, but not clear to me if that is honored by Toyota or the installer (who may "disappear" by 5 years).

Doing more research on the DIY route, but need to understand the procedure to identify which cells are "bad" and how to rebalance/recondition them.