2008 failing battery - worth it?

Do you a or a friend or family member like to work on cars and electronics? PriusChat can help you keep the battery going for a low price if you have someone to do the work on the battery and other problems that come up. But if you don't have that and plan on an established auto shop or Toyota Stealership doing the work it will be a money loser and not worth it. But if you enjoy taking things apart or someone close to you does, used replacement modules only cost $35 and sometimes you only need one to repair the pack.

 

welcome!

couple things:

you don't know if the battery is the problem until you read the trouble codes

don't believe anything the dealer tells you

get a carfax and check the maintenance history at toyota.com/owners

new batteries are in short supply, rebuilt batteries are mostly iffy

how many miles on her?

 

That's a possibility. Why not check with Tampa Hybrids? New and rebuilt aren't the only options. There's also a used battery option. You can get one that's near new and been rebalanced with all original modules for less than new. If you're a DIYer, they aren't hard to replace yourself.

 

It is a 2008 how much are you talking for the car I wouldn't look at a 2007 today The rear spoilers broke but the hatch isn't damaged The battery is definitely is bad Gray interior the rear bumper cover has been replaced so it's black primer and other than that the car looks in pretty decent shape I told the guy $600 and some paperwork issues and the parts just aren't flying off the car it's sitting in his yard and I'll put a battery in it no problem.

 

A new battery will run you $2,200 and your time to replace......4 hours.
how are the CV boots? Suspension? ABS Sensor? How is the paint? INterior?all service records? I'm a heavy DIY guy and If the rest of the car was in great shape I'd offer $2K max.... Has it been in Florida its whole life? Does the MFD screen have sunburst damage? Thats $400 to fix. new suspension $600, CV axles and tranny fluid. $300. And these are just part prices...not labor.

 

You may want to check some of the many threads here about those and other rebuilt batteries before you pull the trigger on the rebuilt option.

No, you can also buy a used battery with original, matched modules there that's been balanced and will be more reliable than a cobbled up one made from various old modules. There may be other hybrids shops on your side of the bay that can do the same.

Just trying to save you some grief later on.

 

Most any of these cars you find the batteries in them are going to be 20 plus years old so it's going to be time and almost any one of these you pick up everyone I see for sale either at a dealership or in somebody's yard all they can do is stand and go well it's driving fine and I go well the battery's 20 years old driving fine or not that'd be like saying your tires have 80,000 mi on them but I still want 12 grand for the car not with those old nice person tires on it you don't but such is life that is the silliness of human beings that is why some of these cars are selling for 12 grand people pay 12 grand form and by the time they get home next week all the dash lights are on yeah the car's been perfect condition it's a cream puff but it's still 20 years old. Point blank so you're going to have all the 20 plus year old problems. Whether you like that or not whether the person you're buying from the car realizes that or not of course they don't because they're looking for $4,000 more dollars than they would have got 14 months ago That's all they see

 

Oh boy! That looks like a real fixer upper.

 

I agree with what Jerry said. It’s a project car. Great if you’re a mechanic and want something to work on; bad if you want reliable transportation.

 

Sounds like a MONEY PIT Prius=

 

Well glad you didnt jump on that first one but the second can also be a pain.

The sad part is most people who have never had a prius think their basic code reader will tell them everything.

The sadder part is the seller can always reset codes and/or disconnect the 12v.

The saddest part...you find out you have issues and codes sometime between 50-1,250 miles after you paid for the car you thought had no expensive codes.

I would advise anyone looking to purchase a prius to buy a Carista ODB adapter.

Download Dr. Prius app.

Make sure the car has not been reset recently and if it has then have the seller drive it until it can pass the smog, since they have to supply the buyer with a smog test anyway.

Once that is done double check it hasnt been reset again and check for codes.

Buyer beware...