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Is it worth it to get a new battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Matthew Burger, Jun 6, 2017.

  1. Matthew Burger

    Matthew Burger New Member

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    Location:
    Bowie, MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    III
    My 2005 Prius needs a new battery. The car is 12 years old with 138k miles. If I get a new one, I will have it done at the dealer. My questions are:

    (1) Is it likely that I will be able to get another 138k miles on the car?
    (2) Is there anything else major that is likely to break.

    I'd really like to keep this car, but if this is the start of regular $5000 repairs, I'm going to have to think about a new/different car.

    Thanks for any help.
     
    #1 Matthew Burger, Jun 6, 2017
  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    A big plus for buying a new Toyota battery besides the 10 year lifespan is the increase in value the car will have upon resale or if the car dies from another expensive failure (inverter or transaxle for example) one can sell the battery to another individual or recycler for decent money making the true cost much, much lower.

    I had a coworker with an 06 do exactly that. His car was a real POS by the end (300k miles, no a/c, no brakes) yet he still got $2200 from a recycler for it because of the "new" 2+ year old Toyota replacement battery.

    FWIW
     
    #2 fotomoto, Jun 6, 2017
    Raytheeagle and Matthew Burger like this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    'likely', being the unknown quantity. the odds are in your favor, but it's always a gamble. a/c, engine, tranny, even brake actuator are all big ticket items.
     
    #3 bisco, Jun 6, 2017
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  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

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    If your car is in good condition, you could replace it. If you decide to sell it or trade it in, there's the added nicety of having a "recently replaced battery done by Toyota technicians" that could help sell the car.

    Otherwise, it's an unknown quantity like any other older vehicle. You just don't know what can/will go wrong. Toyotas in general are reliable so that at least gives you peace of mind that the likelihood of catastrophic failure is extremely low. It also depends on how much you like your car - how much you're willing to spend to keep it running.

    e.g. our 2005's interior wasn't in the best of conditions so we decided to trade it in for a 2016 when the battery went kaput last year. However, my 2010's interior is in fantastic condition even though it's coming up on 8 years. So in my case, I wouldn't hesitate to replace the battery should it fail outside of warranty because the car looks good and it's like getting a semi-new car (the engine is still worn but at least you get the benefit of increased MPG again with a new battery).
     
    #4 Tideland Prius, Jun 6, 2017
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