The Prius battery is no exception to the rule that hybrid and electric car batteries are more expensive than gas-powered automobile batteries. A new Toyota Prius battery can run you anywhere from $2,200 to $4,100.
Remember that even a used Prius battery costs roughly $1,500 when calculating the cost. You’ll be looking at a substantially bigger bill once labor costs and additional charges from your mechanic are taken into account. To maintain the lowest pricing possible:
- Comparative-shop for batteries. It’s unlikely that the first battery you come across will be the lowest choice.
- Obtain price quotes from mechanics. Prius frequently need specialist work, but every mechanic will charge labor in their own way. A different store might have a better offer for you.
- Think about switching to a different model. A new Prius can run for years without any problems, but you will need to pay the difference in price between it and your old one.
Although replacing the battery in your Prius is expensive, Jerry can help you save money on your auto insurance. The Jerry app, a certified broker, assists customers in saving an average of roughly $900 annually on auto insurance. Jerry can assist you in finding and comparing inexpensive quotes from more than 50 leading companies, including Progressive and Travelers, for free when you provide your information.
In This Article...
How long do the batteries in a Toyota Prius last?
You’ve been enjoying driving your Toyota Prius and not having to worry about petrol prices all the time. But you soon come to the realization that you don’t really understand how to manage a hybrid automobile battery.
It’s impressive for any vehicle that Priuses have been known to run for up to 250,000 miles without experiencing any battery problems! But being ready is preferable to having a breakdown on the highway.
If it is useless, how do you replace it? How do you keep it up? Here, we address the most important queries you may have about the Toyota Prius battery.
In order to achieve excellent fuel economy and lower emissions, hybrid vehicles like the Prius combine an internal combustion engine and a battery-electric propulsion system. A Prius thus draws the majority of its power from the battery, allowing the internal electric motor to drive the vehicle.
When moving at 15 mph or less, just the electric motor is used. But if you’re traveling quickly (like on a highway), you’ll be using a gasoline engine.
What is the Hybrid Car Battery Lifespan for a Toyota Prius?
Many individuals are misinformed about how lengthy the life of a hybrid battery is. If you drive your hybrid vehicle for extended periods of time, you might need to replace the battery about every five years on average. However, if you don’t, the battery would most likely only last 100,000150,000 miles, or eightten years, instead.
This is a useful tip: Toyota will provide you with a brand-new battery at no cost if your battery does die before you reach those miles.
How Do You Repair Hybrid Car Batteries?
When a Prius battery’s cells die, it indicates that one or more of them can no longer maintain the appropriate level of power.
Without factoring in labor fees, the cost of a brand-new battery from a mechanic will range from $2,200 to $4,100. A used battery will cost you up to $1,500, while a refurbished one will set you back $1,500 if you decide to fix it yourself.
The HEV battery pack cooling system needs to be inspected and cleaned once a year if you want to keep your Prius battery functioning properly so it lasts longer.
Know About the Toyota Prius Battery Before You Get in Trouble
You are now fully informed about how Prius batteries operate, their typical lifespans, and the procedures involved in replacing them. Make care to keep it well-maintained so you can use it for many years to come.
Can you change the battery in a Prius by yourself?
You might be tempted to try replacing your Toyota Prius’ battery on your own when the time comes in a world full of how-to manuals and continual encouragement to take on DIY projects around the house. However, you shouldn’t play around with it because a lot can go wrong. Instead, it is preferable to let experts handle the Toyota Prius hybrid battery replacement on your behalf. This will make you much happy and safer.
There are numerous reasons why replacing the battery in your Toyota Prius hybrid yourself is a terrible idea. It’s quite perilous, to start. Given the high voltage involved, you run the risk of endangering yourself if you don’t have the necessary skills and experience to do such a replacement operation. Additionally, attempting to complete the replacement without the right diagnostic tools can result in issues. And if something goes very wrong, it can result in damage to your Prius, which would be very expensive for you. Even if you paid a professional to execute the work, the potential expenses of harm would be much higher than what you would spend.
Worse Fuel Economy
The exceptional fuel economy of the Prius is, for the majority of people, one of the key draws to owning one in the first place.
A Prius can travel far more miles on a typical tank of gas because it combines a gasoline engine and an electric motor.
Therefore, if you discover that your Prius’s once-fantastic fuel efficiency starts to decline, that could be a warning that the batteries are gradually losing capacity.
Well, it’s fairly simple, really. You see, the Prius’ batteries would have no trouble continuously supplying the electric motor with energy if they were in good condition and maintained their charge as they should.
Simply said, having healthy batteries in your Prius means you’ll be able to travel farther before engaging the gas engine.
But what if the Prius’ batteries weren’t performing as well as they used to?
The car would thus end up using the gas engine more frequently. It will consequently use up more of the fuel in its tank more quickly than usual.
Therefore, if your Prius starts using more gas than usual, that is typically a very telling sign of battery failure.
State of Charge Problems
Another expression you’ll frequently hear is “state of charge.” Simply put, that is a reference to the battery-life indicator on your Prius.
The Prius’s internal center console is normally where you can locate the state of charge indicator.
The indicator on your Prius should read 100 percent when the batteries are fully charged.
The batteries’ state of charge will decrease as you drive and their energy level decreases to reflect this.
Suppose the batteries in your Prius are deteriorating over time. If that’s the situation, you might see issues with their charge.
These unpredictable fluctuations in the status of charge are a blatant sign that your Prius hybrid’s batteries are failing, as they wouldn’t occur in a vehicle with healthy batteries.
Battery Can’t Hold A Charge
Your Prius’ batteries not holding a charge is just another telltale sign that they aren’t functioning as well as they once did.
In plainer language, that indicates that they continue to lose energy even after being completely charged.
Imagine, for instance, that you drove to work in your Prius first thing in the morning.
The battery of the car should often still be completely charged. But you see that the battery is only at 75% or even lower.
A battery’s condition deteriorates when it can no longer maintain a full charge.
The battery will continue to lose more and more of its capacity to hold a full charge if you keep using it.
The only option left to you eventually is to completely replace the car’s battery.
The Combustion Engine Runs Often
The Prius is a hybrid car, thus it will mostly use its electric motor and only convert to its gas engine when it is essential.
The frequency with which the combustion engine starts up and takes over should be known to you if you’ve been driving your Prius for a sufficient amount of time.
Let’s say you observe that the gas engine is used more frequently than it once was. That is an obvious sign of a dead battery.
To put it simply, the car is unable to extract enough power from those batteries to run the electric motor.
Because of this, it is forced to convert to using the combustion engine, which is fuelled by the gas tank.
This will occur more frequently as the batteries continue to degrade, as you might anticipate.
Therefore, it is advised to change the Prius’ batteries when you find this is happening more frequently.
Unusual Engine Noises
As you can see from a few of the previous statements, the Prius’s excessive reliance on its internal combustion engine is a blatant sign of battery failure.
Your combustion engine will endure more wear and tear the longer that continues.
Additionally, it may cause unintended consequences or symptoms, such issues with the combustion engine.
Let’s say you let this to go on for a while. As a result, the gas engine can begin to experience issues of its own and might even start to make odd noises.
Keep in mind that as your Prius’ batteries wear out and it becomes more and more dependent on its combustion engine, it effectively becomes the same as any other conventional car on the road.
Accordingly, the chance of engine issues increases, just as it does for non-hybrid vehicles.
How much does it cost to have a Prius battery reconditioned?
A Prius battery is expensive, but that may not be a problem until the battery life is gone and a replacement is required.
Depending on the automobile model, replacing your Prius battery will cost money. The battery for a Toyota Prius from 2001 will be less expensive than one from 2016.
A new Prius battery pack will typically cost between $2,400 and $2,700, not including labor. When parts and labor are taken into account, you should anticipate price ranges of $5,000 or higher.
Your Prius battery may only require reconditioning before you decide it needs to be replaced.
Reconditioning your Prius battery is more likely to remedy the issue if the only issue is that it cannot maintain a charge.
Your Prius battery can be repaired to get it back to how it was before. Costs for reconditioning range from $1,300 to $1,900.
Does it make sense to swap out a hybrid battery?
They might also inquire as to whether an investment in a hybrid battery is worthwhile. Hybrid batteries, on the other hand, won’t just save you money over time by lowering your trips to the petrol station; their longer lifespan also means you’ll spend less money on maintenance.
What is the price of a 2012 Prius battery?
How much will a new Toyota battery cost? Prices for a replacement automobile battery varies from roughly $45 to $250 depending on power, size, and quality.
Can a Prius be jump-started?
Jump starting a gas-powered car is quite similar to jump starting a Prius or another Toyota hybrid. Jumper wires, a helping vehicle, and a solid metallic point are all that are required. Grab those supplies and consult the Frontier Toyota manual for instructions on how to jump start a Toyota Prius.
Can a Prius be operated even with a dead hybrid battery?
In the event that the hybrid battery fails due to a P0A80, your Prius will still run, albeit more often. Since we lack the necessary amount of battery energy, the car will still run, but with less power. The automobile won’t start easily and won’t stop smoothly either.
Prius is a parallel hybrid, which means that even if one part breaks down, the car can still run until the problem can be fixed properly.
Yes, the Toyota Prius can continue drive even if the hybrid battery fails, to give you the quick answer. However, you will experience a worse drive and poorer fuel economy. Visit your dealer or a qualified company that can assist you in getting it back into working order if you run into this problem.
I sincerely hope that this is helpful to anyone who has experienced a bad hybrid battery. For extra assistance, feel free to contact us through the Toyota Prius Owners Club Facebook group.
What occurs if the battery in a Prius dies?
When a hybrid vehicle’s battery begins to fail, the vehicle’s fuel efficiency may suffer or its ability to hold a charge may be compromised. The automobile won’t start when the battery is entirely dead.
How much does a new hybrid battery cost?
Costs of Replacing Hybrid Batteries and Other Factors Hybrid battery repair costs can range from $2,000 to $8,000, but keep in mind that by the time a driver’s battery needs to be replaced, the majority of them have already sold their car.
How much does a battery for a 2010 Toyota Prius cost?
For your 2010 Toyota Prius, we presently offer 1 Battery products with prices ranging from as little as $219.99 up to $219.99.
How frequently should a Prius battery be replaced?
How long do hybrid batteries actually last as you relax in your hybrid while listening to the buzz of your engine?
A hybrid battery has a different lifespan than a car battery, which you may already be aware of. Read on to find out how long your hybrid battery should last and what you can do to prolong it.
How Long Do Hybrid Batteries Last?
You will save tens of thousands of dollars annually on fuel thanks to a hybrid battery. Others rush to fill up at the petrol stations. You use the garage outlet to charge your car and go to the gas stations half as often as your neighbor.
However, you will eventually need to pay money to either fix or replace the pricey hybrid battery that has been so helpful to you for thousands of miles.
The majority of hybrid vehicle producers claim that a battery will last 80,000 to 100,000 kilometers. However, hybrid owners have reported that some batteries live up to 150,000 miles and even up to 200,000 miles with the proper maintenance and fundamental vehicle repairs.
An owner typically keeps a hybrid vehicle for 5 to 15 years when the battery mileage is high.
What Affects Your Hybrid Battery Life?
How frequently you drive your automobile directly affects the battery’s longevity. For instance, if you drive for Uber or Lyft, you probably log several hundred miles in your car each week. The same holds true if you work as a salesperson or are a road warrior who uses their automobile as their office.
Compare a salesperson who logs 100 miles per day in his automobile to a person who commutes 20 miles per day. A long commuter won’t put as much strain on a hybrid battery as a road warrior. The battery will age more quickly if it does more cycles in a shorter period of time.
Your battery will appear to last considerably longer if you merely cycle it a few times per day while you commute.
Age Matters
In as little as five years from the time you first bought the battery new, you could need to replace your hybrid battery. The length of time, though, mostly relies on how you utilize your car.
In as little as five years, the battery in a car that is used often on lengthy trips will need to be replaced. However, if you use your car exclusively and don’t frequently take it on lengthy drives, your battery may endure for 10 or 11 years.
Milage Matters
It’s only a number, age. Battery life depends on both age and the number of miles you put on it.
In principle, a battery in a 2005 Prius with 150,000 miles will be better than one in a 2011 Prius with the same amount of miles. The 2011 automobile has completed more cycles in a shorter amount of time. This indicates that the 2011 Prius has experienced faster, more intensive cycling.
Because the 2011 Prius was driven more vigorously than the 2005 Prius, its battery has suffered more damage.
Is Your Battery Balanced?
Several factors can cause hybrid batteries to malfunction. They frequently fail because the equilibrium of particular cells with other cells is off.
For instance, a standard Toyota Prius from the 20-series has 28 separate cells that have about 6500 mAh. Over time, the battery’s capacity will decrease to as little as 1500 mAh.
However, the disintegration may not always occur equally. Some batteries can go as low as 1500 mAh, while others can still reach 5000 mAh.
The hybrid battery will wear out more quickly if you have unbalanced cells than if you have a battery with balanced cells.
Do You Service Your Hybrid?
In hybrid automobiles, an electric battery and a gasoline engine are two separate power systems that cooperate with one another. Your engine will consume more fuel than necessary if it is not operating efficiently. You’ll get better fuel economy.
If your engine isn’t working properly, your hybrid battery will have to put in more effort. As a result, if you don’t give your engine routine maintenance, your hybrid battery will wear out sooner.
Ironically, you could be tempted to forgo routine maintenance on a car like a Prius because its mechanical condition is normally rather good. After all, the engine will sound nice and appear to not require routine maintenance from a mechanic.
But as a result, your Prius battery can degrade more quickly. Your battery will last longer if you place your automobile on a regular maintenance schedule.
You should have your automobile serviced every 5,000 miles if you use it for business purposes, such as driving for Uber, or if you frequently travel great distances for work. Have your car serviced every 6,200 miles if you only use it for short commutes.
According to Toyota, a hybrid battery will last for roughly 8 years. The battery’s lifespan will most likely depend on how you treat your car.
You could be deterred from sending your automobile to the mechanic on a regular basis by the cost of routine maintenance. Consider the price of a new battery, though. This should motivate you to frequently invest a few dollars on maintenance in order to extend the lifespan of your hybrid battery.
Consider getting your battery refurbished and rebalanced from the start if you’re going to buy a secondhand hybrid. Giving a hybrid battery a proactive reconditioning and rebalancing will ensure the longest life possible.
Recharge Responsibly
Your hybrid battery’s lifespan is also impacted by how quickly you recharge it. A hybrid battery will degrade more quickly the more you recharge it. On the other hand, your battery depletes more quickly the more you drive.
The manufacturer’s recommended charging time should be followed. Never charge less or more than what the automaker suggests.
Think of your car’s battery as being similar to your phone’s. When you originally bought it, it operated perfectly, keeping a charge for more than a day. By mid-afternoon, you must plug it in because the battery is running out of power.
The battery on your car is no different. It will lose charge over time and require extra charging. Charge it only as much as necessary, though, to make the most of what you already have.
Weather Matters
A hybrid battery’s longevity is significantly impacted by extreme cold and heat.
Owners have found that hybrid engines perform less effectively in cold temperatures than they do in settings that are more comfortable. If you reside in a chilly area, you are aware of the necessity of starting your car to warm it up before leaving on a trip. Car owners often let their vehicles run for 15 to 20 minutes before pulling them out of the driveway in really cold conditions.
In bitterly cold temperatures, it takes a while for hybrid engines to warm up. However, an early start will merely warm up the gas engine. On very chilly mornings, hybrid owners claim that it takes them longer to warm up their vehicles than the average motorist.
Even then, the engine often operates below its optimal fuel efficiency once the automobile is ready to move.
Hybrids generally struggle in the snow and ice. Snow calls for a vehicle that is heavier and has more rolling resistance than a typical hybrid tire.
Because of this, a hybrid needs to work more to go through snow, and its owner will need to fill the tank more frequently.
Additionally, to keep the roads dry and clear in a snowy environment, road workers utilize snow-clearing chemicals. These substances will accumulate on the car’s exterior and may clog the grill. Due to the engine’s reduced ability to breathe, the hybrid once more experiences low fuel efficiency.
Your battery won’t freeze even if you live in a very cold climate. Your battery might not last as long as it would if you lived somewhere with a constant temperature, though. Hybrids also dislike conditions that are too hot.
At 110 degrees, a hybrid battery can start to lose its effectiveness. Ensure the ventilation of your hybrid battery. Some hybrid vehicles include batteries underneath the passenger seat; as a result, the ventilation system in the vehicle keeps the battery aired.
As a result, you must always ensure that your car has a clean air filter.