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Any 2001 with original hv battery?

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by Aaron Vitolins, May 27, 2016.

  1. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    Any 16 year old Prius battery's still working? It's hard to believe the prius went on sale in late 2000. Amazing little cars! So the question is, any 2001 models still on the road with the original traction battery?

    I always get a smile on my face when I see one of the 1st generation Prii zipping down the road :)
     
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  2. DRACO

    DRACO Member

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    I would like to know too, but I doubt it as I recall the anticipated life of the HV battery was 8 years???
     
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    My 2001 had the original battery, AFAIK, at 238,500 miles at the time of the accident a month ago. I had never had any battery codes or trouble, or opened or tested the battery for any reason. I had noticed the car doing rebalance cycles on it at least a couple times a year.

    Since the accident it's been driven another 1,100 miles to Colorado without any battery problems filtering back to me. If it gets parted out there, I doubt anybody would want the battery, and I'm sure an amp-hour test would show its capacity to be diminished. But it has definitely been getting the car around just fine.

    When questions like this come up, it's always good to remember the actual data from Consumer Reports a couple years back ... they were seeing battery replacement only reach 4 percent at 11 years out, and 5 percent at 12. Before that report, they had never seen enough to give statistically sound rates at all.

    -Chap
     
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  4. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    Wow that's great Chap! Sounds like a great little ride!

    My sister has one the first 2005 models built in 2004, it shows hardly any battery loss when I'm driving it. It has 210,000 and 12 years old now. Honestly I keep waiting for it to fail... but who knows! My sister drives it VERY hard, for years!

    My old 2005 had pretty major battery capacity loss at 241xxx miles. It was a year newer than my sisters build date. I finally replaced it with a 2008 pack. I guess some prii really hold up :)
     
  5. James_S

    James_S Junior Member

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    Our 2001 was still going with the original battery until it was rear ended and totaled last month. Hard to believe the battery was still good, I remember when the Prius came out I was very skeptical and figured batteries would be dropping like flies. Toyota really did their homework when they designed the battery management.
     
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  6. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    Sorry for your loss. But wow that's amazing! Gotta love Toyota! How many miles on it?
     
  7. Brian in Tucson

    Brian in Tucson Active Member

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    My 03 seems to be just fine at 147K. In Tucson, where the air is generally hot and dry. The guy that owned it before me (and generally didn't like it much) had the battery out and on a work bench. He cleaned all the buss bar contacts (he said there was corrosion) earlier this year & put it back together. Doin' just fine!
     
  8. Sandy Meyers

    Sandy Meyers Member

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    Yup, I'm still going! 93,000 miles. I'll tell you though that I don't drive my care regularly these days. Since about 2009 I've been putting about 3000 miles annually on my car. This has created auxillary batter issues for me.

    Knock on wood, I have absolutely no issues with my car. I had to replace one OEM front wheel bearing a few months ago, and that's it. Other than tires, brakes, normal routine maintenance, nothing major. I love my Prius and would buy another in a heart beat.

    I'm having an issue now that I caused, with a jumpstart reversing the polarity with cables, but that will be fixed and resolved.

    Hope to see you on the road and Happy motoring!
     
  9. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    Wow Sandy! That's amazing. That's battery is 17 years old by now. True testament to Toyota! It's especially awesome because it has low miles. Here on priuschat we've had people posting on here of battery failures due to more age than miles. I think driving these hybrid cars are the best thing for them.

    Very happy to hear your story, and thank you for sharing!
     
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  10. Sandy Meyers

    Sandy Meyers Member

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    Yes, my lack of driving is becoming a concern to me. I just learned recently that not driving is actually not a good thing for the battery. The hybrid battery needs to be recharged regularly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the Prius Gods will continue to shine favorably upon me.

    I'm still averaging 45-50 mpg, depending upon driving conditions. I tend to have a lead foot sometimes so on the I-10 freeway I can really open her up on desert trips when I'm feeling it! I remember a few times at 100mph just for kicks, and she was still getting incredible mpg. My other car is a real ground pounder with a 460 motor (inherited race car from dad), so I understand real speed and time on a 1/4 mile track. It's always fun to feel the Prius really get up and go with all that torque even though it's a fuel economy gem!
     
  11. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    This post made me smile! I'm the same way, I like to driver conservatively 90% of the time, but occasionally I like to let her rip! I've been 104 mph in my Prius v wagon. I believe that occasionally pushing it is good for it ;)
     
  12. RobH

    RobH Senior Member

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    Friend of mine is still using his 2002 daily at about 120,000 miles. The battery works fine, but the steering gear is making ominous noises at full left lock. He keeps telling me that he's in line for my 2006 whenever I upgrade.
     
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