Like many articles on Cheapest cost for a hybrid battery, this one started with a reader question. Scott Stone wrote:
I’m interested in buying a new Toyota Prius hybrid. I hope you can answer a couple of questions that will help me.
(1) Are the rechargable batteries guaranteed for 8 years or longer? If they fail at 7 years and 11 months, do you get them replaced free of charge, or are they prorated?
(2) What happens to the resale value of a Prius if you want to keep it for six or seven years, knowing the cost of replacing batteries is anywhere from $500.00 – $3,000?
They’re both good questions.
To answer the first one, “The battery pack in any hybrid Toyota is warranted either for 10 years or 150,000 miles (in states with California emissions laws) or 8 years or 100,000 miles in all other states.”
And, “There’s no pro-rating at all. The battery will be replaced at no cost if necessary during the warranty period.” What a sweet deal!
As for the effect on used Prius prices, there doesn’t appear to be a discount for older Prius based on concerns about the life of the rechargeable battery pack.
Indeed, Toyota says the battery pack is one of the least-frequently replaced items across all Prius models. And some proportion of the packs it has to replace haven’t failed, but were damaged in collisions or other accidents.
The cost of the pack varies with the year of the Prius. Replacement batteries for the 2001-2003 Prius cost $2,299, and those for the more common 2004-2009 model currently run $2,588. Call us for some pricing as low as $500 for a hybrid battery rebuild right at your home. Really! We come to you!