I have 133 K on my 2005 Prius, and am beginning to wonder when, if ever, I should replace it. I’ve heard a new hybrid battery will cost $3400 to $4000, and I’ve heard estimates of these batteries lasting for 8 years, 10 years, 130 K, 150 K, 200 K… What are some rules of thumb for whether I should consider continuing to drive this car and replacing the battery when it dies; or replacing it with a newer car?
If I had to replace the car, I would probably replace it with a smaller, cheaper, non-hybrid car since my budget is tight right now.
At least once a month I ride a 30 mile round trip with a friend who has a 2005 Prius with 130,000 miles and it runs as well as the day he bought it. If your Prius is not giving you problems, keep driving it. a new battery is a lot less than trading for a new cheap non-hybrid.
Above all, quit worrying about something that hasn’t happened.
Call your dealer and ask if there’s any wait if you need a new hybrid battery. When the battery fails, you may only have a few days to get it to the shop. The value of your car is already being discounted for the inevitable new battery.
I see remanufactured hybrid battery packs for under $1500. There is no way you can get a decent replacement car for that price. The car is about 10 years old, and I doubt that you have to get 10 years out of the next battery. But if you could get 5 years or more, then it could be a good deal. If the rest of the car is in good shape, hold onto it. You might not need another hybrid battery for a few years.
its paid for. drive it until its unsafe, undependable, worn out or until you just can t stand the car anymore. I doubt you will get much in re-sale anyway. i don t know about trade value tho.
The car runs well, but I would never say it runs as well as the day I bought it. The mileage has fallen off. Short trips in town tend to be the lowest in terms of miles per gallon. When the car was new, I was getting at least 45 mpg in town during the spring; now I’m getting mid-30’s.
For what it’s worth, I have a 2006 Prius with-- wait for it-- 215k on the odometer, and it’s going strong, with no battery issues whatsoever. (There. I did it. I just jinxed myself, right?)
2005 Prius here with 155,000 and no real problems over the life of the vehicle. Inverter cooler went but Toyota made good on it. I’m going to try to ride it as far as it will go.
172,000 on my 2008 Prius. no sign of hybrid battPack problems( fingers crossed, knock on NiMh! ) still waiting for TOYOTA global to release 1500w inverter option to USA owners. I would gladly pay for this very, very handy emergency power option as Hurricane season approaches here on East Coast. one tank of gasoline gives 2 days of emergency AC power!!
I’ve found NiMh batteries to be suprisingly resilient,after camera duty used to put them in solar lights(much better then the little NiCads) and a good strong recharge usually puts a lot of zap back in em( a prius sure is on my list of possibles)-Kevin
I am thinking from previous posts the batteries have a ten year warranty, then are about 3 grand to replace. Is it worth it to consider battery replacement as part of cost of ownership, wish my bean counter were here to tell me.
133k? 9 year old Prius? Tight budget? Assuming there are no other problems, I’d keep it. Prius’s are known to be reliable and good for a lot of miles. Worst case, if the battery conks out, you’re out $4,000. Where you going to find another car as reliable and inexpensive to operate as a Prius for $4,000?