POA80 Advice

Don't know how much is anything we caused or can cure:


The hatch door was left opened overnight and the next morning the car was dead. Hubby charged it 10 min, then drove it a couple of miles and parked it. Next day when we went to take it out, we got this display. Called the dealer who said it would need to be put on the code reader ($65 and a couple hours next week.) I learned that I HAD a code reader on it already (Dash app) and learned that the code was POA80 - the hybrid battery. I re- called the dealer and asked about the warranty (expired in March) and she was emphatic that i should bring it for analysis b/c it may not be the hybrid battery. We took the car out again for a 2 mile trip and only 2 lights (the 'Master Service' light and 'Check Engine' light were on this time... I am still hoping it's a temporary ailment that time & driving will heal.
Any chance of that? What would you all suggest?

 

I'm not sure. I've only had the car a year and a half. We have discharged it a few times by leaving the lights on. We had concerns several times about the battery when we first started driving the car but the batteries always checked out OK. I just found this on the owners website service record: Looks as though it was replaced in 2011, doesn't it?

 

My, edthefox5, you have stabbed me in the heart! Yes, yes, and more yeses! I never lock up my car with the Fob except maybe at the mall! In fact, I leave the key in the console 90% of the time like we did with other vehicles. I think early on, we even neglected to turn off the power overnight in the driveway! Not too smart, huh? The ONE 'No' is that hubby just checked the oil and it is full. Had the oil (synthetic) changed just before the 3K Texas trip at Thanksgiving.
So, if it is also the HV battery, you don't think we'll get assistance fromToyota? Would using the Yellowtop Optima Battery void any possible warranty on the 75 K mile vehicle?

 

Thanks everyone! We'll see what happens tomorrow...

Feb 2011 so like 5 years!

 

Hummm... That's what we assumed must have been the reason our first trip away from home ended up being stranded by a dead battery at the PO, but on second thought, it was no doubt that running 'headlights' while you park thing! (Just now put that together!) Someone mentioned always using the lock on the FOB and that will work well for me.

Thanks for the disclaimer! OF course! That's a given!

 

So the diagnosis was, as expected, a dead hybrid battery, with a fix at $3500 plus tax ... with a ONE YEAR guarantee! The Hybrid Shop replaces it for $1900 and offers a 2 year guarantee. The Toyota Service Gal said Toyota only offers the 'Goodwill' discount to "owners with cars less than 5 years old." [Does that make sense?] She also said mine was the only hybrid battery they've had to replace except a Highlander, so did I want to waste my money on my old car or did I want a newer used one or a new one? The whole experience really soured me on the brand and the dealership. So I brought it home to think about. I could afford any of the options but I'm stubborn and feel as though I have been shafted by Toyota. I called the Toyota Customer Service Center to see if the service manager's answer was the final answer. She said she'd be back to me within two days. I am trying to assess the options. I really liked the style and features of that car.

 

I'm in 'Limp Mode' so going to Ashland or VABch is pretty much out of the question. This company from DC claims to do driveway service within a 300 mile radius. Anyone know anything about them? Prius Hybrid Battery

 

Thanks, Bisco! The problem is I like the features of the Gen II model not the newer ones. I do fear that something I have done or not done is responsible for the early failure of the hybrid battery or something the car is doing or not doing. I tend to be very loyal once I fall in love with a car. I had a Subaru GL-10 for 10 years and more Subarus for the next 20 years when I switched to Toyota. I thought this one might be a contender so having it fail just as I was getting accustomed to it is a real disappointment. I'm wondering if there is any market for a body with no battery???

 

I thought the website looked a bit vague... I am hoping to get some relief from Toyota on their battery replacement. Thanks! I'll post the last chapter when it unfolds!

 

Thanks for the information. This is the first time I have seen any of this! Some applies, some not. Actually, until a few days ago I NEVER heard any sound from the battery fan. (Well, there is a strange little single chirp that comes from somewhere back there once in a while when it 'idles' at a stop light.) The last two days (between the Display of Horror and Limp Mode) it sounds like it has emphyzema! We just got back from a trip to Texas and it is possible that we may have restricted the airflow somewhat. We had a lot of cargo. It's not something I was cautious about but at least 90% of the time there is nothing at all in the backseat.
The car does sit in the hot sun a good bit, but idle has not been ME! I bought the car last March with only 37K miles so I've put 38K+ in 21 months! At least 80% of those in (lovely) FLAT Tidewater Virginia. It has occasionally seen the mtns and hills of NC and Vermont. The gentleman who owned it before me was nearly blind and only drove it for short trips around VABch which is also flat but sunny.
I drive gently to get great mileage. My son installed an OBD2 transmitter last spring and I consistently get 99% on my everyday driving. Of course, the occasional highway trip in a city gets a few chides from the Dash app but that's rare. My overall score is 89%.

Is there any possibility that there is anything mechanical (or rather, electrical?) in the car itself that could be the root of the battery failure? I would think anything like that would show up when they did the analysis. A mechanic friend ran a tester and said there were 3 codes and that they were all 'related to the problem' but he said the Toyota dealer would need to explain their significance. Now that I think about it, they never said anything other than that the battery needed to be replaced. I don't want to put a battery into the car if it's going to consume another battery!