1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Dealer quote for HV battery with installation

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Jason Packel, Nov 28, 2021.

  1. Jason Packel

    Jason Packel Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2021
    50
    7
    0
    Location:
    Orlando, Fl
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi. A Toyota dealership here in Orlando quoted me $2,800 for a new battery and installation. This surprises me, as it seems like a really good price. I checked GreenBean and GreenTec also. GreenTec seems to be better and I can get a refurbished battery from them for $1,750 with a 4 year warranty. 4 years is a while, and that might be long enough for me. Does anyone have recommendations as to which would be better? Thanks!
     
  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2017
    5,286
    4,225
    0
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    "New" is always better than "used" (aka refurbished).

    Do you have a DIY attitude and some basic hand tools, maybe you could save 1200+ and install a NEW battery yourself?
     
    kenoarto likes this.
  3. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2020
    342
    148
    0
    Location:
    iowa
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    II
    OEM is typically the best option. think about how long your current battery lasted! 4 year warranty is not bad for the greentec though, especially if you don’t plan on keeping the car for longer. how many miles on the vehicle and how is the shape of the rest of the car? that question might help determine whether the extra 1000 dollars ish is worth it
     
    kenoarto likes this.
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    10,767
    4,370
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    It only takes 2 hours to install a new hybrid battery pack... I only charge $40 an hour to do that work. Your corrupt Toyota Stealership wants to charge you $500 an hour to do this install. Doing your own battery pack swap isn't that hard and there's plenty of youtube videos that will walk you through it. Even if you don't feel up for it, I'm sure you have a friend or family member that would be willing to help you do it.
     
    kenoarto and 2010moneypit? like this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,861
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    a good price from a dealer is around $2,200. to $2,400.

    a refurbished battery with a 4 year warranty sounds great, if they honor it. and what about downtime if it fails multiple times?
    you have to ask yourself, do i feel lucky?
     
    kenoarto likes this.
  6. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,470
    4,372
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Odds are the used battery options will fail on you several times in four years. I would pay the extra $1000 and have something that will easily last 7-10 years. The $1000 extra will be returned if you sell the car in the next three to five years.
     
    kenoarto likes this.
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    7,787
    1,348
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    I bought the Toyota $1,600 jobby and I believe with my instruction my daughter could have done it in an hour and 10 minutes The hardest part is making sure that the orange plug is out of your other battery before you go sticking your wrenches on the relay nuts and then my daughter would not be able to lift the battery out I would do that for her and then I would set the other one in and let her bolt it back up after she put on the orange plug receptacle and the two lines that come in the box and bolt on our computer and relay front end if you want to pay $500 an hour more than welcome I think it takes three wrenches that are in most everybody's toolbox sockets and wrenches 8 10 and 12 I believe it's too easy and it's kind of fun if you don't do this kind of thing at all

    SM-A715F ?
     
    kenoarto and Aegean like this.
  8. Another

    Another Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2021
    1,802
    508
    0
    Location:
    Naples, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Depending on how many miles on the car and whether it has any other known issues, the added cost of an OEM might be worthwhile as it’s likely to last longer than any rebuilt battery.

    On the other hand, to save money or if four years is the limit of your ownership timeline, I know from personal experience on a Camry that the GreenTec batteries with new cells are quality products.
     
  9. Jason Packel

    Jason Packel Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2021
    50
    7
    0
    Location:
    Orlando, Fl
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks SFO. I am not great with car repair. It doesn't look too tough, I am just guessing that I should have a mechanic do it. DIY does sound interesting, though. I thought I read that it takes like 4 hours to install, someone recently said it was less. I will check into it as it seems like it could be a fun project.

    Funny, Bisco. I think you might be right about the downtime. I trust the GreenTec and GreenBean warranties, but I am concerned about the battery failures. Maybe these companies should post on their websites the average number of times their batteries fail during their 4 year warranty. Thanks.
     
    #9 Jason Packel, Nov 30, 2021
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2021
    kenoarto and bisco like this.
  10. Colorado Boo

    Colorado Boo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2021
    307
    201
    8
    Location:
    Monument, Colorado USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    As with most answers, it depends! Do you plan on keeping the car long-term? If so, I'd go with the Toyota new battery. I agree with the caution on using a "refurbished" battery.
    If you have the option of getting a Lithium or Nickel go with the Lithium. (Just newer technology and it's charge memory is better than the Nickel but Toyota's computers do a great job with that no matter what type you have.)
     
    kenoarto likes this.
  11. Jason Packel

    Jason Packel Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2021
    50
    7
    0
    Location:
    Orlando, Fl
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks for the posts you guys, they have been helpful towards saving me some money. I have 151k on the car, and I have to get the brake actuator fixed. I am thinking that I will pay the dealership $2,800 for the new battery, and get the brake actuator fixed. If I put 5k into this, I hope to drive it until about 250k miles, which would be great because I like my Prius. I think this is what most have recommended here. Enjoy, all.
     
  12. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2020
    342
    148
    0
    Location:
    iowa
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    II
    With 5k you would not likely be able to get another prius with 150k miles right now with the prices anyways, and now you won't have to worry about those expensive failures probably ever again!
     
    kenoarto likes this.
  13. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    7,787
    1,348
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Well that's the green tech battery is new cells That's essentially what you're buying for from Toyota for the 1600 You're just getting a rack of sales and the sales and bus bars and everything are all together You have to add the receptacle for the orange plug and high side feeds on the other side of the battery You just bolt them on push them through the sensor put them where they go and it's pretty simple I didn't know the green tech was a new cell setup The green tech that I have is certainly not a new cell set up there writing on top of the cells where they were tested maybe moved around before they applied their sticker to one of the 10 mm bolts of somebody undoes the lid it ruins the sticker avoids warranty unless they do it and put a new sticker My green tech sitting out here in the yard I'll take a picture of it it does not look like new sales it looks like cells that were played with balance whatever you call all the stuff people are doing and then racked up put back in whereas the Toyota that I just bought you can tell their brand new sales brand new bars none of this is ever been used before or doesn't have any traces for me to believe that looking at it closely

    SM-A715F ?
     
  14. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    7,787
    1,348
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Alot it posted on BBB and other places . I steer clear of cottage industries that pop up for a certain cause until they're well established whatever I've heard good things about these guys and that come out and blah blah blah that's all great and fine I'm already out I'll pull it out take care of it 4 hours I wish in a gen 2 no sir you know I hate to talk like that but even an idiot you know not going to really have a problem unless like you know I'm not even going there anyway yeah pay somebody to do it keep folks like me alive

    SM-A715F ?
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,463
    38,101
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Is it still the case, that cash-and-carry battery has a one year warranty, and dealership-installed has three years? Weigh that, and that there can be no finger-pointing if there's any problems with the install? I'd be on the fence myself, not sure which way I'd prefer, just some food for thought.

    Oh, and you don't have to do the core charge transaction.
     
    #15 Mendel Leisk, Dec 1, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2021
    kenoarto likes this.
  16. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    10,767
    4,370
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    When was the last time a brand new OEM Prius battery failed after only three years? The install is really easy... If you do it wrong it won't work. Can't think of a way a bad install could keep the car going long enough for damage to be done? I guess if you forgot to bolt down the HV wire to the relay you could slowly damage the electronics? And if I had to a pay Lawyer $500 an hour, that'd make sense, but not some slacker stealership that probably doesn't pay their own mechanics over $30 an hour.
     
    #16 PriusCamper, Dec 1, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2021
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,463
    38,101
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    See that's the thing, I completely forgot about that. More like: never knew about that... :unsure:
     
  18. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    10,767
    4,370
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    If that's the kind of mistake you'd want to pay $1K to avoid rather than spend $80 on someone like myself to do it, then go ahead. But seems when it comes to finding ways to save money in life... This might be an opportunity worth looking into further?
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  19. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    7,787
    1,348
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Then it would just be loose and making intermittent contact probably we need to tighten bolts up when we loosen them I would imagine good practice no matter who you're paying or what you're doing if you're doing it you should still tighten bolts when you loosen them if you're a forgetful person you can have your video camera running and then review when it's time to reinstall the reassemble with all the technology you have in your pocket these days there's almost no excuse but there's all kinds of excuses just pick one

    SM-A715F ?
     
  20. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2019
    418
    182
    0
    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Since you bought a hybrid battery from the dealer recently can you explain exactly what come with it and what needs to be connected before you put it in the car? I understand that comes with new high voltage cables, cpu voltage and temp connectors, and a new wiring and receptacle for the orange plug. If we transfer the Battery ECU case with relays etc do we need anything else from the old battery?