Any thoughts as to what it costs to replace an Avalon/Camry HV battery?

Discussion in 'Toyota Hybrids and EVs' started by Isaac Zachary, Jun 10, 2026 at 12:12 AM.

  1. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    My 2013 Avalon may hit 200,000 miles within the next year. According to the Car Care Nut, these batteries seem to be dying around that mileage pretty consistently. I'm just wondering what I should be saving for if that happens, or if it would be worth it to replace it with an OEM battery.

    I'm not all that interested in third party. I want something reliable that'll do another 200,000 miles.

    It looks like it might be around $3,000 for just the OEM battery with some googling. I'm not sure if that's correct.
     
    #1 Isaac Zachary, Jun 10, 2026 at 12:12 AM
  2. Moving Right Along

    Moving Right Along Senior Member

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    #2 Moving Right Along, Jun 10, 2026 at 12:44 AM
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  3. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Typically the batteries don't just drop dead. Rather, they no longer provide as much buffer so that the engine runs more - thus reducing mileage.
     
    #3 hill, Jun 10, 2026 at 9:19 AM
  4. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    According to my intuition, it's doing just that. When going down a mountain pass the battery meter never reaches the top bar. It also seems to run out much more quickly. And fuel mileage isn't what it used to be when I first got the car. I used to get 41 or 42 mpg average. Now I'm doing more around 36 mpg.
     
    #4 Isaac Zachary, Jun 10, 2026 at 9:24 AM
  5. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Ever opened up the battery to take a look at the module connections? Corrosion on the bus bars have lead to dying battery symptoms in other Toyota hybrids, and ends up being a much cheaper repair.
     
    #5 Trollbait, Jun 10, 2026 at 10:09 AM
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  6. Hayslayer

    Hayslayer Active Member

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    Camry/Avalon HV batteries are notorious for getting ragged out and the modules are usually equally degraded. Camrys and Avalons are tough on the battery.
    Are you a DIYer? If so, there are very good options available for "relatively new" and "new" modules. If not, the dealership or third party offering new modules is your best path.
     
    #6 Hayslayer, Jun 10, 2026 at 3:32 PM
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  7. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Those are the symptoms of a dying traction battery pack. My old civic HB pack also recharged and discharged more rapidly than normal, before it started throwing traction battery codes. I'd bet if you start driving it like you stole it, it would start throwing traction battery codes.
     
    #7 BiomedO1, Jun 10, 2026 at 3:39 PM
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  8. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    #8 hill, Jun 10, 2026 at 3:59 PM
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  9. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    I haven't opened up this one. I'll take a look. Maybe swapping the end modules to the middle might give it more life. Last time I took apart a Prius HV battery the middle modules were the ones that were dying.

    Yes, I would rebuild the battery if it makes financial sense. I do have a Prius that needs to be towed. Maybe I can take the working modules and start whack-a-mole on the Avalon when a module fails. I have a 6-cell NiMH charger and a battery capacity tester that can test the capacity of 6-cell NiMH modules.
     
    #9 Isaac Zachary, Jun 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
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