2006 Prius dead Traction Battery at 120,000 miles

The traction battery of our 2006 Prius has been officially declared as dead by the Toyota dealer.

As this is a California car, they are replacing it with a new (not remanufactured) unit under the warranty. The warranty happens to be 150,000 miles.

In terms of leading indicators:

• Over the past couple of months, we definitely noticed a drop in gas mileage; from a nominal 42-44 MPG down to consistently 37-39.
• 4 days ago, the Triangle ! , Check Engine, (!) lights and VSC lights came on. Engine was revving higher than normal. Tried turning car off and restarting; but nothing really changed (slight variation as to which warning lights came on). Car stayed that way through the next day also.
• Two days ago, all warning light still on - was hoping for a "fluke" that would go away. But it did not - within a half hour, car went to slow creep mode (drove at less than 20 mph). Crept all the way home. (this was a Sunday, so just parked it.)
• Monday morning: Called dealer, asked if I should drive or tow it there - they said tow. Later that afternoon they called and said there was a bad cell and battery needed to be replaced. Car will be ready this afternoon.

The car is well maintained, and I can't provide a reason for why the traction battery died this soon.

Given the warranty that Toyota provides, I am still planning on buying a plug-in Prius this spring.

 

No steep long hills (~1 or 2 blocks is all). Mostly freeway driving. Car is parked in garage and our operating temperatures are very moderate. I can't answer you regarding the codes.

 

You are right that my tone would be different. Actually, I would just not buy the plug in prius in a few months. I fully expect any car to last 12-15 years and 200,000 miles+. I would not hold a Hybrid to a lesser standard. However, given the solid warranty provided, I feel secure in buying the next car.

 

The 12V battery was replaced about 8 months ago with a Toyota battery. The battery would no longer hold a charge overnight -forcing me to replace it. The old battery had accidentally fully discharged a couple of times during its ~4 year life (doors ajar, etc...)

I asked the service rep if the new traction battery is a re-manufactured or brand new unit. The answer I received was that they use both; depending on what they have in stock. She looked mine up and it was a new one with "improved revision". Don't ask me what the revision / enhancement was - but that's what was stated.

I don't have any way to confirm whether the unit in my car is NEW or Re-Manufactured - Any experts out there know of an easy and quick way to tell? (codes or part # stamped on some visible portion of the pack)?

For myself, I am glad it is new. I think the cells age... and I would obviously want the new pack to last at least 5-10 more years (next one will not be free!).

By the way, I also asked about the replacement cost (if it was not warranty) and was told $3500-$4500....

 

Trying to make feel better.... heh?

Those batteries are like a fine wine... do better with age! I actually don't know how old they are... so, we will just enjoy the new battery pack!

 

Sorry for the looooong delay. Here is what we know based on the receipt:

"Checked and found HV Battery codes. Found P0A80 Replace Battery. P3012 Battery Pack #2 Low Voltage. Inspected live data and verified battery voltage below 1 volt compared to highest. Removed and replaced battery pack assembly. Interchanged ECU with SMRS. Ran vehicle and checked battery voltages. Road tested and verified proper operation."

In addition, the part number for the replacement battery is shown as: "G9510-47031 A0 Battery Assembly, HV SUP"