Re-manufactured hybrid battery in a first generation Toyota Prius, view looking into trunk with rear seat removed (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive in Austin, TX)
It’s what every hybrid vehicle owner fears: having to replace the expensive hybrid battery buried somewhere in the back of the car. Our 2002 first-generation Toyota Prius has 130,000 miles and all symptoms indicated it was time.
We spent a lot of time researching the differences between Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries and read up on Toyota options, memos, recommendations, and pricing. Pricing diversity across Toyota dealers is concerning. For a Gen 1 Prius, $4,000-$6,000 will buy a new curiously somewhat obsolete hybrid battery that, like the expired battery, is prone to leaking cells and corrosion (those issues were addressed with the Gen 2 battery but Toyota has not passed all those improvements to the Gen 1 version). Some dealers require replacement of more than essential hybrid battery components while others try to convince us the hybrid battery is not the problem and lobby for more analysis. We spent $200+ on various Toyota dealers’ interpretations of inconclusive data held within our Prius on-board computer.
After talking with several Toyota dealers and probing online, we select Re-Involt Technologies in North Carolina. They have a unique innovative method of re-manufacturing Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries, but more importantly they’ve updated the Gen 1 battery with some Gen 2 enhancements, plus common sense elements of their own design. We couldn’t find a repair facility in Houston so with help from Re-Involt we shipped the battery and moved the car to Raul’s Automotive in Austin, TX. Javier with Raul’s and Tracy with Re-Involt kept us informed at every step along the way, from battery exchange and shipping to installation and road test results. Javier even emailed photos taken during the Re-Involt battery installation.
The results speak for themselves: we saved money, had the pleasure of dealing with motivated independent businesses, kept a battery out of the landfill, and early reports indicate the self-diagnosed performance issues have been resolved.
Raul's Automotive mechanics lift the 130+ pound hybrid battery into place (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive)
5 Comments
Good stuff! More details please, how did you know it was time? How long was the total down time? Did they do an exchange on your old battery pack or did they refurbish your existing one? Do you mind sharing the total cost?
We knew it was time because periodically the upper notification area of the Prius dashboard lit up almost all the icons including the “triangle of death.” The following symptoms helped us narrow it to a battery issue: 1) car became lethargic on hot days in stop & go traffic, 2) car would run normally after a rest, 3) energy monitor showed battery charging all the time, 4) significant reduction in MPG, and 5) Toyota dealer diagnostics indicated hybrid battery had issues.
Lowest cost is to ship old battery to Re-Involt and they will ship back a re-manufactured battery. For a core fee they’ll ship re-manufactured battery first. Current list price on the Gen 1 re-manufactured battery at Re-Involt is $1400+. Two-day shipping from North Carolina to Austin was $90 each way. Installation takes about four hours – we paid about $500. Lowest quote we got from a Toyota dealer was $4,500+.
Note that Re-Involt will soon offer a Lithium replacement battery for 2001-2010 Prius models. And they have plug-in conversions, but sadly not for the Gen 1 Prius.
It’s also worth noting the Prius is widely misunderstood. Most repair facilities are afraid or wary of the vehicle. Take care in selecting an independent shop to work on a Prius.
Those are some crazy symptoms! That sounds like a great solution and value.
Hope it lasts another 7+ years for you!
Super explanation. I am not there yet on my 2002 Prius, 53,000 miles and 4 months left on the warranty, but I am looking to the future. As most of us, I hate going to the dealership for anything other than warranty work so this is a viable alternative. Also, for info, I am sold on the Prius and also have a 2010 model.
Our 2002 Prius was throwing triangle of death errors within the first year of ownership so it is possible we got a bad hybrid battery. We too are sold on the car, but i’m not a fan of the Gen 2 hatchback styling with large blind spots and a squirrelly view out the rear (which must be why it needs a backup camera).