Battery failure

Here's what I did: My P0A080 fault code and battery rebuild | PriusChat

 

ya, it's worth it to do more than change a few cells, if you want to keep it running awhile.

 

seems like you bought a car with a failed battery. Did you get it for a good price?

 

Yep.

If you're in a tight financial situation, then spending the elbow grease and $30 at a time to replace modules may be the way to go. Just know that every replacement and balance will take a day of down time and is a temporary fix. But I've seen people drive a car with a blown headgasket for a year before it just wouldn't go anymore. And by "seen", I mean I did it in my old Subaru, just carried about 10 2L pop bottles full of water in the trunk and drove with the windows full down and heater fully on, even in the summer. It can be done, but it isn't pleasant and is definitely going to do more damage in the long run.

A new battery is the best option.

 

Probably a hybrid battery problem but......how did you "check" the 12 V battery exactly ??

 

Straightforward does not equal accurate.

The more you say, the more I think you got suckered and have a big lemon.
It may have multiple problems, that might cost you ANOTHER $3300 to get anywhere close to reliable.

BUT......you really need a better test on the 12 V battery, starting with using your meter to check the resting voltage.
A weak 12 V can make it LOOK like a lot of other things are bad......when they really are not.
Loose or corroded connections on the main battery cables can give similar false readings.

 

That's another sign the pack is going out.

The only solution for that is a new pack. Playing wack-a-mole with the original pack modules is cheap but no guarantee for reliability.

 

Outside chance it could be brake actuator issue which is covered to Dec_2017.
Take it to good/big Toyota dealer for checks.
If hybrid battery is bad, consider a call to Toyota USA to ask for goodwill warranty assistance on batt replacement.
NJ is CARB state so assuming car is orig sold in NJ you are not too far from warranty period.

 

That sounds to me like regenerative braking. You can get almost exactly the same sound by accelerating gradually enough that the engine doesn't start. Brake actuator is more of a buzzing kind of sound from the passenger side of the engine bay.

 

...not sure about the symptoms
Brake Actuator Assem - Warranty Enhancement | PriusChat

The thing is you want to try to find a helpful dealer service, which is usually the bigger ones with some clout with Toyota

PS- I used to hang out in Cherry Hill all the time (South Jesrey alum)

 

Unfortunately the HV battery is a sore spot for hybrids. They don't last for the life of the car despite what many think the life of a car should be. Properly maintained and with a little luck most late model cars should last for 15 years and 200K miles if driven regularly on the highway. But considering you didn't really pay too much for it, you might get another 100K miles out of it with a new HV pack from a Toyota dealership assuming there aren't any other serious issues with it. You can always swap out modules also but you've thrown reliability out the window then.

The seller got away with a fast one but it's buyer beware and that will never change.