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2005 Prius Just Bought With Battery Issue :-(

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Zachary Sensenig, Jul 8, 2013.

  1. Zachary Sensenig

    Zachary Sensenig Junior Member

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    Model:
    III
    Hello everyone,

    I just purchased a 2005 Prius with 90k miles on it. I bought the car after inspecting it and driving it thoroughly. After I got in the car after the purchase the triangle of death came on after starting it up. I brought the car home and ran the code and it says "replace hybrid battery."

    The dealer said that is may have been because they washed the car and motor which may cause that light to come on. The light just went off. There is no hybrid component warranty on the car. I can purchase a hybrid warranty on it for $2,200 which lasts 12 months.

    Why would the light go off? Should I go to the dealer and flip out on them for selling me a car with a bad hybrid battery or should I take his word for it and drive it till the light comes on again?
     
  2. jenelle

    jenelle New Member

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    I might be wrong but I thought the Toyota original warrantee covered the battery for 8 years /100,000 miles? I use the car wash all the time & have never had that light come on. I would be pro-active if you just bought the car & find out what your rights are - are you able to back out within a certain time period in your state? BTW I have been told refurbished batteries can be found for $1600 but not sure.
     
  3. Zachary Sensenig

    Zachary Sensenig Junior Member

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    Yeah I looked and it's conveniently 8 years and 3 months old so the warranty just expired. Good point on the backing out part, I will research that. $1,600 vs. $3,500 Toyota quoted isn't bad
     
  4. Noel van

    Noel van Junior Member

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    I would take it back in a flash!
    The dealer should have known better than to wash the engine and not dry it off completely.
    Get them to reassure you in writing that there is no problem with the battery, although I am not sure you have a leg to stand on if they refuse, given the fact that there is " no hybrid component warranty on the car"
    Nevertheless it's worth a try.
    Good luck.
     
  5. jenelle

    jenelle New Member

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    Bummer on the 3 mos. I just bought a 2008 with 101k & looking for service contract companies for a warranty, even though they won't cover battery. I may just stick the money in the bank to self insure. Best wishes to you on this.
     
  6. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    Not knowing the Terms of the Sale, State you purchased in and type of Dealership, makes giving exact advice difficult. However if it was me, I would be making a lot of noise in front of a lot of people after having them pay to tow the vehicle back to the Dealership. But that's me.
     
    Maz94protege likes this.
  7. Zachary Sensenig

    Zachary Sensenig Junior Member

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    Model:
    III
    Yeah, you would think that they want to maintain their reputation by fixing it for me. They are going to have a social media nightmare if they don't fix it for me today.

    I seriously bet they reset the computer on the car after they saw that code and put it for sale hoping it doesn't come back on during a test drive.

    Thanks, hopefully they have a spine and take of this.
     
  8. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    Its unclear to me if the battery is now functioning normally? A bad battery wouldn't suddenly just fix itself, so if its working you should be OK. The dealer's explanation might not hold water, but you should be able to look the car up online to see what kind of issues its had before. Previous problems with the battery system should show up.
     
  9. SteveLee

    SteveLee Active Member

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    They should tell you exactly what codes they find but they may not get all the codes that could turn up with a Toyota computer.
     
  10. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    "The dealer said that is may have been because they washed the car and motor which may cause that light to come on. The light just went off."

    What they are saying is....Trust me, it will be ok.

    It threw a code. My advise stands.
     
  11. Maz94protege

    Maz94protege New Member

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    Any updates? I'd raise hell too, make them give me a diagnostic report and claim you'll call BBB. Needless to say they will most likely fix it then get you back on the road.
     
  12. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Yet another example of why the location field should be mandatory. The warranty depends on where the OP lives, and none of us know that, with the possible exception of the OP.
     
  13. Zachary Sensenig

    Zachary Sensenig Junior Member

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    III
    Drove the car all night but couldn't get the check engine light to come back on. It's been 600 miles since the light has been on so we are just going to drive it as in.

    Gas mileage is 50.9 on the highway. My girlfriend made the comment that the car may have been sitting a while and the battery needed recharging and the code was coming up due to that. Makes sense to me so we are going to just go on with our lives and keep our fingers crossed.

    Thanks for your help everyone.
     
  14. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    Best wishes.