Advice on Purchase: 2013 V, 100k, Replaced Battery

First there are two different batteries, a 12v $200 battery and a hybrid high voltage 201v $2500 battery. In reality, most Prius HV batteries last well over 150,000 miles, some 250,000 or more. The 12v batteries are a more common failure at 100,000 miles.

In California, the hybrid battery pack is warranted for 10 years or 150,000 miles. Somebody selling a clean Prius in an auction that just needs a warranty battery would seem to be nuts but I know Toyota dealers may not want a 100k used car on their lot. I suspect it was just a 12v battery changed.

So the first thing is to find out is which battery was changed since the 12v battery is nothing to get excited about. If it is the High Voltage (HV) battery, then you want to know if it was a new Toyota OEM battery or a "refurbished" Toyota OEM battery.

Refurbished is not that great because most of the individual cells in the battery are likely to be original and the other cells came out of another failed battery. There are a few aftermarket options with Dorman being a well known option at $1800 that is technically refurbished but has new cells, however 98% of changed hybrid batteries will be Toyota new or refurbished. Obviously, with a Toyota warranty to 150,000 miles, a hybrid battery swap should have been genuine Toyota.

If they can prove to you it was a new Toyota OEM HV battery, that is good. Again, be sure they did not just change the 12v battery and then price the car like it has a new Toyota OEM battery. Have them show you the paperwork and warranty which would come with a new Toyota HV battery. By the way, you should be able to take the car's VIN number to Toyota and they could verify if a warranty replacement was done.

 

welcome!
how much? private dealership that buys and sells auction cars doesn't excite me.

what are your needs? budget? the next 100,000 miles could get expensive