Battery Warranty Question

Yes, dealers have access to Toyota’s TIS computer system, which they routinely use to verify warranty coverage. The Toyota Warranty Policy and Procedures Manual (available by subscription to techinfo.toyota.com) states, “It is dealer’s responsibility to perform a VIN inquiry in TIS to confirm whether the vehicle is considered ‘salvage’ prior to completing any warranty repairs.”

You should find out from your insurance company exactly what they reported and to whom. There may be a procedure to correct mistakes, but it probably requires the insurance company’s cooperation. Doing this promptly may be important to protect the car’s future trade-in or resale value.

See the Warranty & Maintenance Guide (PDF) for details on what is and isn’t covered under Toyota’s original warranties. The exclusion for ”Salvage or Total Loss-Vehicles” is on page 15, but it “does not apply to the emission control warranties,” including any coverage for the hybrid battery. Under “What Is Not Covered,” pages 14 and 18, there is an exclusion for “floods,” but I wouldn’t worry too much about this, if the insurance company found that there wasn’t flood damage and has said so in writing.

This may be the bigger problem for you. If you or someone else discharged the hybrid battery while trying unsuccessfully to start the engine, the need for the battery to be recharged or replaced isn’t a defect in materials or workmanship that would be covered under the car’s emission control warranty or, if the battery is a recently-installed replacement, the battery’s service part warranty.

You don’t have to go to a dealer, if you just need the hybrid battery to be recharged from an external source. There are many PriusChat threads about so-called “grid chargers,” which—with proper respect for the serious dangers of high voltage and battery electrolyte—can be an adequate substitute for the charging equipment that a dealer would use. That equipment is described in Toyota’s bulletin T-SB-0119-15 Rev1, “High Voltage (HV) Battery Rescue Charge (HEV Workstation/GRX-5100)” (PDF), May 1, 2020.

 

Somethings not adding up here....the title doesn't get a Flood or Salvage or any branded title unless the insurance co takes possession of the vehicle and pays out the "book value" to the owner or lienholder. They brand the title at that time and then it can be sold back to the owner if he wants it, or send to auction to be sold as salvage.
So this poster either has been paid for the vehicle and now wants to claim warranty (branded titles void warranties) or he thinks it's branded and it's not. I also don't get what an insurance co has to do with a mechanical engine failure. That would be the owner's problem, not something you can get insurance to pay for.
So what are the real facts here?????

 

That’s usually true for official title brands, but there might also be a record of a flood-related claim that would eventually appear in a CARFAX or similar report, even if nothing was paid for the loss.

Perhaps @AlbuquerquePriusOwner thought the problem was caused by flooding and made a claim, which was then denied (or withdrawn) after the insurer determined that the problem was a mechanical one.

That’s true of most new-car warranties, but as I explained above, it doesn’t apply to the emissions warranties, which are regulated by EPA and CARB. The Toyota Warranty Policy and Procedures Manual also says, “A vehicle with a branded/salvage title is eligible for the Service Part Warranty coverage,” which might cover a hybrid battery that was recently purchased as a replacement from a Toyota dealer.

Damage that was caused by collision, fire, flooding, etc., isn’t covered under any warranty, of course, but the fact that a vehicle has a branded title does not, on its own, void all warranty coverage. It also doesn’t affect eligibility for safety recalls and service campaigns, at least for Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

 

+1

@AlbuquerquePriusOwner In order for us to help with your situation you have to tell us the history of your car, what happened to it recently, and what you're trying to accomplish?

 

I just learned that NM a CARB state. The problem I see it is as @Elektroingenieur pointed out, the traction battery drained may not be covered by the warranty. And even if the battery can be successfully recharged, that is not going to solve the problem of the engine which is not longer covered by the warranty regardless of the cause of the damage to it.

 

I guess we may never find out what's actually going on here.

 

well done!

 

Just curious. How many miles on the engine? And you had to replace the engine at a dealer? How much did it cost? The engine is not covered by the warranty anymore, may be you might have been better off with the traction battery defect...