Joined: Oct 31, 2005 Messages: 1 Likes Received: 0
My wife and I are considering the purchase of a new Prius. Does anyone how long the batteries last or what they',re replacement costs are? How does the car behave when the batteries are nearing replacement?
tochatihu Senior MemberJoined: Apr 10, 2004 Messages: 4,126 Likes Received: 626 Location: Kunming Yunnan China Your Vehicle Year: 2001 Prius
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Welcome to PriusChat, Morris. Prius HV battery replacements have been rare in the 2001-2003 model, and perhaps none at all in the newer model yet. I believe the US warranty is 100,000 miles in most states and 150k in Calif. and a few other states.
Just yesterday I heard Dave Hermance (one of Toyota',s chief engineers) say that a replacement battery for the classic model costs $2500 and that the new model is less (it',s smaller). I had previously heard numbers closer to $4K. He also mentioned Toyota',s lab testing of batteries to 150k miles with no measurable degradation.
The Odometer Champ is probably Andrew Grant',s Prius taxi fleet in Vancouver BC. No battery replacements there yet.
Sad to say, a steady supply of used HV batteries comes from wrecked vehicles. These typically sell for $400-$1000. This is the alternative to buying new.
Hypothetically, a battery failure by slow degradation would probably present itself as reduced power, performance, or fuel economy. There might be warning lights on the display, that would lead the technician to test the HV battery.
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