Hey guys, Just wondering about this battery - I've seen a bunch of threads about it failing. Is there anything special I'm supposed to do w/ this battery? Is it common for them to fail? Should I expect to have to have it replaced at some point? Since its a battery, and not the hybrid drive battery, I'm assuming its not a warranty situation right?
Life expectancy for any typical lead-acid car battery is in the area of 3-5 years. Your results may vary. Here is a link with some details: http://www.auto-facts.org/dead-car-battery.html
Don't overly worry about the 12v battery. As the guy above has said, they'll last 3 - 5 years which is in line with a normal car. However, if you ever run them completely flat they do seem more prone to damage and will cause weird happenings when faulty. One other thing, if you're ever going to jump start the Prius be VERY careful about how you go about it. Refer to the owners manual about where to connect the leads etc or you could fry the computers which is an expensive mistake.
It is not that the batteries are especially bad, it is that as owners we have no experience detecting dead batteries, except when they run a starter motor, and in the Prius the 12 volt battery doesn't. We need new skills at detecting dead batteries, and we are slowly getting them.
