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12v battery sudden failure at 33 months

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by jhg, Nov 4, 2008.

  1. jhg

    jhg Junior Member

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    2012 Prius
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    Three
    The 12v battery on my 06 Prius died very suddenly. I was able to easily jump start it from another car. I called around to various battery and auto parts stores and could not find a compatible battery, and ended up having to pay the dealer $200 for the battery ($170) plus installation and fees.

    This is unconscionable profiteering IMHO.

    Anyone know the best channel for filing a complaint and registering my displeasure?
     
    #1 jhg, Nov 4, 2008
  2. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    you should of searched here more. using the mazda miata battery + japanese post adapter would of worked too. its really popular here. gets a lot of good reviews
     
    #2 rigormortis, Nov 4, 2008
  3. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    jhg,

    Welcome to PriusChat.

    Typically, the recommended 12V battery replacement interval is 4 years.
    But hard service and extreme temps tend to reduce that number.

    For the record, how many miles are on your car?
    Do you live in a very hot or cold climate?
    Other than the final incident, did you ever have to recharge the battery
    before?
     
    #3 Rokeby, Nov 4, 2008
  4. jhg

    jhg Junior Member

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    Thanks Rokeby,

    I have 46K miles, none of it high-stress. I live in Austin, TX so summer runs from early May thru the middle of October, and the last two winters have been non-existent (4-5 days below freezing each year).

    The battery failed completely without warning. It started fine in the morning, and was completely dead after a stop at an errand at 3:30 PM. Pressing START resulted in nothing but a very dim Check Engine light that faded out quickly. After hooking up the jumper cables it started immediately, and I was able to drive it to the dealer normally. There was a smell of H2S around the battery, but no evidence of any leaking fluids.
     
    #4 jhg, Nov 4, 2008
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    The Prius battery sold by the dealer is manufactured in Japan (not China) and therefore is quite costly. As you discovered, it is not easy to find a cost-effective substitute unless you are willing to install new battery terminals.

    Since you are driving >15K miles per year, lack of use does not seem to be a problem. My guess is that your battery's failure after two years was a fluke.
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Nov 4, 2008
  6. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    #6 rigormortis, Nov 5, 2008
  7. ibcs

    ibcs New Member

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    Mine died at 33 months and 47,000 miles. Had the dealer replace for $223 out the door. The only failure I've had to date.

    ---Kent
     
    #7 ibcs, Nov 5, 2008
  8. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    If you feel up to doing a little work yourself, a much better though no cheaper Optima battery installation is described here:
    Prius Optima Aux
    That page includes a link to a seller of the Optima and a custom installation kit.
     
    #8 richard schumacher, Nov 5, 2008
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