Pondering of shopping for a Toyota Prius? A Prius not solely saves you appreciable gasoline cash, however it additionally delivers on the subject of model, consolation, and efficiency. Higher but, it’s at all times good to know you’re doing all of your half to save lots of the setting. What’s to not love?
However there’s one burning query that’s stopping you from shopping for one.
How lengthy will a hybrid battery final?
Extra to the purpose, does it include a Prius battery guarantee that gives sufficient protection to make the acquisition value it in the long term?
When you’re finished studying this text, you’ll know what to anticipate from a Prius battery when it comes to its lifespan, guarantee protection, and what your finest choices are in case your hybrid battery fails after the guarantee interval.
In different phrases, you get all of the solutions you might want to maximize your Toyota Prius possession expertise and to navigate higher your funds in the event you grow to be a Prius proprietor.
Prepared? Let’s get the ball rolling.
How lengthy will a Prius battery final?
Many potential Prius homeowners ask this query on a regular basis.
If we had been to provide you a default reply it’d be, “so long as a typical automotive would final.”
Need a extra particular reply? The final consensus amongst Prius homeowners is {that a} Prius battery would final round 8 to 10 years and between 120,000 to 160,000 miles.
Not unhealthy, proper?
However like all issues in life, it relies upon.
On the finish of the day, a hybrid battery’s longevity relies on many components, such because the proprietor’s driving habits, the automotive’s age, utilization price, driving circumstances, and extra.
In the event you’re, say, a full-time Uber driver who drives over 1,000 miles per week, then chances are high you’re going to chop your Prius battery’s life expectancy in half.
However, protecting your Prius battery well-maintained and sustaining good driving habits can even go a great distance into extending your Prius battery’s lifespan.
No matter which spectrum you fall as a Prius proprietor, one factor’s for sure: you need to lengthen the shelf-life of your Prius hybrid battery for so long as doable.
With that stated, as a shopper, you deserve some type of assure from the automotive producer (Toyota) that the hybrid battery that comes along with your Prius will work as meant, and that they may present the required repairs and replacements ought to the hybrid battery fail earlier than its time.
Which brings us to…
Toyota Prius Battery Guarantee: Protection
Shopping for a Toyota Prius, or any automotive for that matter, is a giant funding. And to guard that funding, you might want to guarantee that what you’re shopping for comes with a beneficiant guarantee protection.
Fortunately, Toyota delivers on that finish.
For Toyota Prius fashions launched earlier than 2020, you get a guaranty battery protection of 10 years or 150,000 miles in states which have adopted California emission legal guidelines, and eight years or 100,000 miles in states that observe federal requirements.
Additionally, Toyota has lately provided an prolonged guarantee. Beginning with 2020-year-models, Toyota has elevated the protection for all hybrid autos from 8 years or 100,000 miles, to 10 years from the date of first use, or 150,000 miles whichever comes first.
In case your hybrid battery dies on you earlier than the guarantee expires, all you might want to do is take your car to a Toyota dealership they usually’ll provide you with a battery substitute and even set up it for you without cost! Can’t get any extra simple than that.
For extra details about your Toyota Prius’s battery guarantee protection, please discuss with your Guarantee and Upkeep Information or give your Toyota dealership a name.
Your Prius Battery guarantee has expired—what now?
As soon as your guarantee has expired, all repairs can be your monetary accountability.
Yep, scary thought. However what you are able to do is decelerate the degradation of your hybrid battery by good driving habits and common upkeep. Taking off slowly, stopping slowly, protecting the battery energy degree to below 80% however no decrease than 35%—all these preventive measures can go a great distance into prolonging the lifespan of your Prius battery. Extra importantly, you might want to be at all times looking out for indicators of battery failure and deal with them rapidly.
Listed below are telltale indicators of a failing hybrid battery to look out for:
- Unusual engine noises. When the battery is underperforming, the ICE (inner combustion engine) tends to select up the slack, which causes the weird noises.
- Decreased MPG. If there’s a sudden drop in MPG, that might imply your hybrid battery isn’t charging to full capability.
- Fluctuations in state of cost. Giant swings in your state of cost might point out points along with your battery.
- Dramatic drops in battery bars. A sudden drop in battery bars could possibly be an indication that your battery is dropping its capability.
In case your hybrid battery is experiencing any of the above signs, it’s time that you’ve it checked.
Restore or exchange, that’s the query
When you have your Prius battery checked, it’s time so that you can determine whether or not to have it repaired or changed.
Hybrid battery repairs
Just a few broken cells account for many early hybrid battery failures. Keep in mind, a hybrid battery includes many cells. When only some cells are broken, it doesn’t make monetary sense to switch your entire hybrid battery cell. So why not simply exchange those which were broken? Nonetheless, It gained’t do to solely exchange the broken cells, you additionally must steadiness the battery pack to make sure the battery’s longevity.
If the broken cells are greater than a handful, changing all of them isn’t the most effective plan of action, both. You may as effectively exchange your entire battery cell proper? Nonetheless, in the event you don’t have the funds to purchase a brand new hybrid battery, the subsequent finest (or cheaper) choice is to do a hybrid battery reconditioning/rejuvenation, which is finished by charging and balancing the battery’s cells. In a means, it’s like respiration new life into your hybrid battery.
However thoughts you, a reconditioned battery isn’t the identical as a brand new battery. It’s extremely unlikely {that a} reconditioned battery will final so long as a brand new battery. Consider battery reconditioning as a means so that you can lengthen the lifespan of your battery (it may give you an estimated 60,000 extra miles). The most important draw of battery reconditioning is that it permits you to lengthen the shelf-life of your Prius battery by paying solely a fraction of the worth of a brand new hybrid battery.
Hybrid battery substitute: prices and issues
Generally, the higher choice is to simply exchange the hybrid battery altogether, particularly in case your Prius battery is over 10 years outdated. As a result of on the finish of the day, a brand new hybrid battery will at all times be higher than a repaired one.
That does beg the query:
How a lot wouldn’t it price you to purchase a brand new hybrid battery?
To reply that, it’s important to ask the next questions:
- What’s the make and mannequin of your hybrid automotive?
- The place are you shopping for it from?
What’s the make and mannequin of your Prius automotive?
When shopping for a Prius battery from a Toyota dealership, anticipate to spend between $3k and $4—labor or set up prices not included.
To provide you an concept, right here’s an inventory of varied hybrid Toyota fashions since 2001 (these are dealership costs):
2001-2003 Toyota Prius (1st era) – $3,649
2004-2009 Toyota Prius (2nd era) – $3,939
2010-2011 Toyota Prius (third era) – $4,080
2012-2015 Toyota Prius Liftback – $3,939
2012-2016 Toyota Prius V – $3,939
2012-2016 Toyota Prius C – $3,807
As you possibly can see, dealership costs aren’t precisely low-cost. Toyota dealerships are infamous for charging excessive costs. Which isn’t shocking contemplating huge firms like Toyota have tight margins and excessive overhead prices.
Nonetheless, you continue to need to give your Toyota vendor a name to see what choices they’ve on supply. In addition to, shopping for from a Toyota dealership feels extra “official,” which may give you some peace of thoughts. In the event you don’t thoughts the fee, shopping for a substitute hybrid battery from a Toyota dealership isn’t a foul name.
Shopping for from a personal vendor
If spending not less than $3k for a substitute hybrid battery is out of the query, fret not! You should purchase one for half the worth from a personal vendor or a hybrid specialty store. In fact, you don’t simply go for the most cost effective battery out there. You need to rating one from a vendor you possibly can belief, and who has a good monitor report for promoting dependable hybrid battery models. And for apparent causes, it’s at all times a good suggestion to search out an unbiased store that has a extremely skilled and skilled hybrid mechanic.
Extra importantly, you need to guarantee that the vendor you’re shopping for from provides a beneficiant Prius battery guarantee. Why? As a result of a Prius battery guarantee is a seal of belief between you and the vendor. It’s proof that they stand behind their product, that the hybrid battery they’re promoting you has been manufactured with the utmost care and with the very best requirements in thoughts.
Ultimate Phrase
Toyota Prius autos are identified for his or her reliability, security, and efficiency, and shopping for one is without doubt one of the nice investments you can also make as a automotive proprietor.
A Prius battery guarantee serves as an excellent basis for maximizing that funding. In spite of everything, you need to ensure you’re lined ought to your hybrid automotive have points and defects throughout the preliminary possession interval. And in case your hybrid battery goes out of guarantee and begins to fail? It’s good to know there are various out there choices on the market which are extra financially prudent and sustainable than what you’ll get from Toyota dealerships.
Want a refurbished or a brand new Prius hybrid battery? Be certain that to take a look at our choices. Purchase considered one of our new hybrid batteries and revel in our unique 4-year guarantee!
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