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2013 Prius Plug-In Replacement Battery Cost

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by Andrea215, Feb 1, 2021.

  1. Andrea215

    Andrea215 Junior Member

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    Hi everybody!

    I am looking at buying a 2013 Prius Plug-In with 50k miles from a private party, as I previously owned the same year & model and absolutely loved it!

    I live in Hawaii and wanted to check what the cost of a replacement battery would be here, just in case I end up need a new one in the next couple of years since the car is already 8 years old, and was told by the only Toyota dealership on island that it would cost $17,000!! I know that prices are higher here in Hawaii, but this is over $10,000 more than it would be to replace the battery for a 2013 Prius that is not a Plug-In model.

    Does anybody have experience buying a replacement battery for this car and, if so, how much did you end up paying?

    Mahalo,

    Andrea
     
  2. QuantumFireball

    QuantumFireball Active Member

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    They're generally not failing, so you may find it hard to find someone who has paid for a new replacement traction battery. Some have been replaced with used batteries.
     
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  3. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I've only ever seen one report here of a PiP traction battery failing. And there was a second hand account of one failing.

    In the infinitesimal chance that your battery fails in the next couple years you'd probably need to either find one in a salvage year or just replace the car. But keep in mind, if you were in a CARB state, that battery would still have two years left on its warranty. And most last WAY beyond that.

    One caution though. I don't know if you have lived long on an island, but if you've been there a while, you know about what the salty air does. I'd open up the battery case and check for corroded wires and connectors. That's the most likely failure point when you're on an island. Rust is any car's worst enemy in that environment.
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i would either resign myself to driving it until the battery fails, then dumping it, or not going with a plug in.
    personally, i don't think it will fail, odds are very low.
     
  5. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    I echo what the others are saying. It will most likely just keep slowly losing capacity, but I doubt it will fail anytime soon. Lithium is a stable chemistry
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  7. Desertdeals69

    Desertdeals69 Junior Member

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    When I bought my 2014 plug in last year I thought I should have a back up battery because if you need one it seems like you have to pay a lot more for it. I got a 2015 with 67K miles for $625 delivered to my door. It has all 4 sections. Before that I got one section for $220.
     
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  8. Andrea215

    Andrea215 Junior Member

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    Thanks so much for the replies. And for those of you who had a back up battery shipped to you, was it difficult to find one? Wondering what shipping would be like to Hawaii.
     
  9. QuantumFireball

    QuantumFireball Active Member

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    It seems like a waste to bother getting a spare traction battery - Li-ion batteries have a shelf life so it will degrade regardless if it's used or not, and if it's not maintained in some way it will degrade even faster (e.g. if voltage gets too low).
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah same thought here. It's good to know there are options, but don't dive in and get a spare; just educate yourself as to how/where they can be obtained, and recheck periodically, that sources aren't drying up or whatever.
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how can all this be cheaper or easier than buying a corolla or some such
     
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