I live in Connecticut; have a 2005 Prius with 187,000 miles. The 12 volt battery has never given me a problem but its 7 years old so I believe I am on barrowed time and winter is approaching. I know it's a vented battery and the dealer cost was around $250. To me this is very expensive for a small 12 volt battery. 1) Does anyone sell a vented aftermarket battery? 2) Has anyone bought a dealer battery over the internet at a much better price? All advice is appreciated.
1) Optima - many posts about that. 2) I believe that you will find that the dealers which accept Internet orders will not ship the battery because it is considered a hazardous substance.
Optima DS46B24R Optima battery direct fit replacement for Prius 2004 + Toyota Prius Starting Battery - Exide Edge 51JIS Flat Plate AGM are some good choices
Advance Auto was shipping the Optima...their packaging was absolutely terrible though. The box I got mine in was punched full of holes from the terminals.
There is a CT dealer that often runs a 12v battery sale - $180 installed. They are not my favorite dealer, but this is a good deal on the OE battery at Colonial Toyota in Milford CT. Check their web site to see if the sale price is currently available. I had them install an OE 12v battery in my Son-in-Law's Prius and it was fine. I installed the drop-in replacement Optima Yellow Top in my 2004 Prius for a bit less, but the installation was not included. JeffD
I recommend you not think of the $250 you would be spending but rater how much your Prius saves you. While it is twice that a conventional battery would cost, spending that every seven years isn't so bad.
