2006 model with 111,000 miles on it needs new hybrid battery

A new HV Battery at my dealer in CT is $3400. They installed a ReInVolt about two years ago for $2000.
JeffD

 

Hey kid these guys re built batteries cost half about $1,850 . Give em a call on Monday they can explain. This is the web site with the phone number.

Remanufactured Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs

 

Let us know what you decide.

 

In California a CARB state that would have been covered under warranty 10 years or 150,000 miles

 

I feel your pain. Mine blew up at 96k BUT that was just under the bar for warranty replacement. No out of pocket cost. Dealer threw a fit about it. "You had to have run it out of gas, you had to, this never happens, etc."

Toyota lies about the robustness concerning the hybrid battery. These suckers blow up left and right. Usually right around the 100k mark. The dealer swore up and down that they have never heard of the hy batt blowing up except in an accident (they always use that line). They had to import a technician from out of state to replace it since "this never happens and no one here can do it." All the while glaring at me with naked suspicion.

Toyota dealers are lying mothers. Period.

 

Rich,

The HV batteries do NOT "blow up". They do fail at some time after many discharge-recharge cycles either due to overheating or imbalances and the major result is that the computers light up the display like a Christmas tree. It can usually be determined which failure mechanism is at fault:

• Overheating normally shows up as several failed modules in the battery. This happens in hot climates or in hilly geography where the Prius uses the battery heavily to aid the engine going up hills.
• Imbalance normally will result in only one module (of the 28 in a Gen2) with a failed cell of the 6 in that module.

Overheating is preventable as the battery is cooled by blowing interior cabin air through the battery. If it is hot use the AC to keep the cabin air cool and make sure that the air vent is not blocked or clogged.

Imbalance will occur, but as your dealer stated (they should not have assumed that it was due to something that you did - but it may have been), the odds are that it will be after the warranty is up. Most Prius batteries will go more than 150,000 miles without problems and some have gone 400,000 miles. A Prius owner should expect that the HV battery is a wear out item that will cost about 2 cents per mile when it needs maintenance. An owner can reduce this cost by installing a re-manufactured or salvaged HV battery when the time comes.

Prii do not have a sophisticated Battery Maintenance System (BMS). The battery ECU just monitors module pair voltages to check on battery balance and overall health. A well designed EV has the capability to continuously balance battery modules in series every time the battery is recharged. Toyota decided to manage Prius battery life by limiting the depth of discharge of the HV battery to 40% SOC. This is effective and is a significant cost savings for Toyota (and us as the customer), but does leave the Prius vulnerable to imbalance failure as the HV battery ages.

JeffD

 

However $4,200 expense for a 6 or 7 year old econo car is a hardship. It may be the time the car is paid off or close to paid off. Personaly I would have found a Prius Mechanic or plead with the dealer to throw in a re involt or a salvage. It it meant to rent a car for a week while the work gets completed I would have done it.

Wonder if he is turned off on the Hybrid technology now after that experience.

 

I wonder how old the 12v batteries were in those 2 cars and what the dtc were.

 

Vermont is a CARB state. If your car has been continuously registered in Vermont since it was new, I would rely on your 2006 Warranty guide.

This document specifically lists a 2006 Prius as covered and says PZEVs started being covered in 2003.
http://www.anr.state.vt.us/air/mobilesources/docs/Extended%20Warranty%20Fact%20Sheet%2020130213.pdf

 

KNeaner hello you need to print this link out on the CARB warranty and go back to the dealer and get your money back. This is warranty item