Dealer wants $6000 to replace hybrid battery...

Jeff,

I replaced the brake actuator/pump because there was a leak in the accumulator, so the pump was running almost constantly to keep the brakes pressure up. It would run for a very long time after I shut off the car, and a couple times when I first got in the car and started backing up I had no brakes...

The pads had at most 1/3 their life left, according to the guys who put my tires on in December, and the Dealer said it was less than that when I was having the pump replaced. I was getting vibrations through the pedal when I pressed on the brakes, so I figured the rotors were a little warped. For the cost of pads, and turning the rotors, I figured why not start fresh, no need to get the last bit out of them, and I am very glad I got the new pads, the brakes are noticeably better and no more vibe in the brake pedal. I can't say why at 110,000 these things were worn out. The rear brakes are original and fine.

Patrick, yeah, lots of people don't like the Saab ignition on the floor My old 900 had that, quirky, fun, but not a good idea because dust can get in the keyhole, then I went with 9000 cars with ignition on the steering column like normal cars, they were good cars, and yes, cheap to own. I became leary of the GM Saabs, 94 and up, they weren't the same, better in some regards, but more complicated to work on in some ways, and expensive to fix, and eventually they got rid of the hatchbacks, so I jumped ship. You made a wise choice.

thanks for the link to the struts!

the 3g idea definitely has merit, it's a great idea, it's just whether I have what it takes to follow through on that process, and if I want to keep the car for many more years, I'm still thinking that out... I'm leaning more and more towards the easy $1500 installed Green Tec battery with 18 month warranty. For that price, if it died while I was in MA or Florida in the next 18 months, I'd get it replaced under warranty, through nearby centers, or in 19 months, if it died, at less than $100 per month for the battery, I wouldn't feel too bad. I've probably been saving $100 per month in gas the last 6 months vs a regular car, so it's a small risk. Not the best solution, but one I can live with.

Bisco, Goodwill was refused by Toyota once, as you said. I will try one more time to see if there is some miracle, but I am not expecting anything. If I get something from them, I'll post a new thread on miracles.

 

UPDATE: Picked up the car. They said it looks like 2 cells are bad. The actual estimate is $5310 to replace the hybrid battery and battery computer assembly, so he rounded up to $6K when he was on the phone the other day.

Service manager was nice guy, said, interesting, that Toyota plans to start replacing individual cells in batteries in the future, but they haven't released the tech/equipment/etc. yet and he doesn't know when it's coming. Said when I brought the car in the code for the brake actuator was on, but they cleared the code and it never returned, so at this point I don't know if the hybrid failure triggered the brake code.

I drove the care home about 25 miles. It had been sitting for several days and was on one bar when I started it. I could not get it up past 2 bars, even with lots and lots of downhill coasting, until I switched off the AC and then it jumped up to full green bars in very little time.

The hybrid battery cooling fan came on as soon as I turned on the car and stayed on the entire trip. At 77F, it seemed cooler to drive with the windows open than run the AC, so I did that and let the battery charge.

I called 1-800-GO-TOYOTA and spoke to a nice customer service guy who wants to help me out with some assistance, but isn't sure what he will be able to do, said to give him 1-2 business days. We will see if he does better than going through the dealer for assistance.

I'll keep y'all posted.

 

Yes, I did not replace the battery, I drove it home. I am trying to get some goodwill assistance from Toyota, and if they won't provide it, I'll go for something rebuilt I think. Though a new battery would be preferable, assuming it is new, and Toyota isn't selling rebuilt batteries.

It occurs to me that at $5310, they probably are not giving me the core charge credit, so that would bring it down slightly under $4000, which is high, but since it includes a new computer assembly, perhaps the numbers add up.

Most dealers, it seems, credit you for the old battery, so you are out the door around $3000, sometimes less, sometimes a little more.