The Motorcells™ Guide to Toyota Prius Battery Problems

Real-world, practical experience with Toyota Prius HV battery issues is paramount when dealing with an aging Prius. Here is some wisdom after renewing thousands of Prius batteries for customers.

Firstly, do any of the following symbols look familiar? Is your mechanic telling you that they are reading a P0A80 code from your Prius?

Dashboard indicator lights for Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicle when the HV battery is not working properly.

1) Prius Dashboard Lights & Reduced Performance

Your check engine, VSC, triangle of death, and exclamation mark just came on. Your gas mileage has plummeted. Your Prius has over 100,000 miles and you’re afraid that the problem is your High Voltage (HV) Prius Battery. The big one.

A sense of panic comes over you – because this is the problem you’ve been dreading. Is your Prius’s time up?

First, take a deep breath. Your Prius may very well have a lot more time and miles left before going to the junk yard.

Second, remember that most Prius vehicles drive for 200,000+ miles without any major problems. These are amazing cars.

Now, practically speaking, where do you go from here?

2) Professional Diagnosis

First, it’s very important to accurately diagnose the issue. The Toyota Service Shop is a great place to start – but not the only place. Well-qualified and well-reviewed, reputable hybrid battery repair shops are another option. (ie. You can always give us a call). The key to diagnosis is to make sure that the mechanic has a powerful vehicle scanner that can pick up all of the correct codes. Most repair shop scanners do not pick up the appropriate codes – they only pick up very general-purpose codes (like a P0A80 code) – and diagnosis from these codes can be highly problematic and lead you to spend thousands of dollars without solving the true underlying problems with your vehicle. This is where experience and specialization are key.

Frankly, your local Toyota dealership is the best bet for Prius diagnosis if you’re not in or near the state of Indiana or Chicago where we can properly diagnose the vehicle for you. When requesting a diagnostic from Toyota, you need to request UPFRONT a detailed print-out of the diagnostic codes when they are finished. This should be included in the diagnostic fee at no additional cost. Make sure they hand you the print-out before paying for the diagnostic. You have to fight for your own interests as a consumer. If you are interested in a no-cost diagnosis, you can request a complimentary ODB II code reading from your favorite auto parts store – Autozone or O’Reilly’s, for example – then give us a call and tell us the codes. We can diagnose many issues right over the phone and are happy to talk you through your options.

3) Prius HV Hybrid Battery Repair or Replacement

After a proper diagnosis removes the possibility of a separate underlying issue (like an electrical fault, inverter water pump, or transmission issue), we can now – with confidence – replace your Prius HV battery with a Motorcells™ renewed high voltage (HV) battery. We perform a 10-step renewal process on all of our batteries, which culminates with actual drive time in a test vehicle. We are so confident in our process, that we offer an excellent Warranty on Prius and Camry hybrid batteries.

The critical aspect for consumers is a proper, honest diagnosis of your Prius. We have heard about far too many people paying for a new Prius battery from the dealership, only to discover that the problem was not, in fact, the HV battery. Please, please, please – when in doubt – give us a call and we’ll give you a second opinion at no cost to you whatsoever.

WARNING: Toyota Service usually gets it right, but we have seen them misdiagnose underlying issues as HV battery issues.  You should call us to get a second opinion – we can give you some insight over the phone after a diagnosis from Toyota.

CONTACT US NOW OR SEE BELOW FOR YOUR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OPTIONS:

Renewed Prius Battery+ Mobile Installation & Warranty


Renewed Prius Battery
+ Mobile Installation & Warranty

$995.00*

12-MONTH WARRANTY

*PRICE MAY VARY SLIGHTLY BASED ON YOUR LOCATION

*A core charge APPLIES FOR non-oem BATTERIES

CALL FOR A QUICK QUOTE

Renewed Hybrid Battery+ Mobile Installation & Warranty


Renewed Camry Battery
+ Mobile Installation & Warranty

$1295.00*

12-MONTH WARRANTY

*PRICE MAY VARY SLIGHTLY BASED ON YOUR LOCATION

*A core charge APPLIES FOR non-oem BATTERIES

CALL FOR A QUICK QUOTE

Call to speak with a hybrid battery technician

(On Mobile, Click to Call)

Quote

Contact Us

Our Service Area

We can typically offer same-day or next-day mobile service in Indianapolis, and offer service throughout Greater Indiana.

Chad did very professional job and very kind person. He did the diagnosis before and after the replacement and also came for test drive after the fix. Great price and quick replacement .great customer service. He is very genuine, honest and friendly. Will define Ltd recommend to friends.
Krishna
00:39 29 May 20
Fast, friendly. Tech was very friendly and knowledgeable. Local and warrenty is great. Would recommend. Competitive Pricing is better than others for hybrid battery.
Becky Flick
22:23 01 Jun 21
They make you feel wise choice.
Steven Briggs
23:05 07 Jul 21
Philip Rowe
17:23 16 Oct 20
I am so impressed with their knowledge & customer service! They drove to my house to grab my hybrid battery and brought it back and installed it! Went out of their way to give me informed answers regarding my car and even drove around with me to make sure everything is working! Hands down recommend Motorcells!
Crystal Burger
23:06 19 Oct 21
They came to the car and got the battery and came back and installed a new hybrid battery! Great prices and great people!
Mallory Toon
13:38 21 May 21
Chad and Tim were on point with service, contact info. Have already recommended the service to others. Great experience.
Greg Loeser
10:11 23 Feb 22
They came to the car and got the battery and came back and installed a new hybrid battery! Great prices and great people!
Mallory Toon
13:38 21 May 21
Motorcells responded quickly to my call. I was very pleased with the price and how quickly my battery was replaced. Highly recommend.
Mendy McClain
10:49 19 May 20
I am so impressed with their knowledge & customer service! They drove to my house to grab my hybrid battery and brought it back and installed it! Went out of their way to give me informed answers regarding my car and even drove around with me to make sure everything is working! Hands down recommend Motorcells!
Crystal Burger
23:06 19 Oct 21
Chad provided quick efficient service and is a great guy all around. I felt like I was having my best friend over for a huge favor! Excellent pricing, I saved over 4000 dollars! Vs Toyota’s ridiculous quote!
Sigmund Brewer
00:43 14 Mar 21
Was able to get my hybrid battery replaced for 1/4th of the dealer estimate and battery is working great. They also went above and beyond solving a safety problem with my back seat that was discovered in the course of replacing the battery.
Shannon O'Dell
14:02 10 Oct 20
Chad and his services are trustworthy and transparent. He takes the time to list out options, prices, and important, detailed information of the whole battery process. He educates you and makes certain that you understand everything and answers all questions before proceeding. Even most important, he takes the additional time out of his busy schedule to build a relationship and connect. I appreciate the fast but quality worth work... not to mention the grand or two he saved my bank account from 🙂
DCMA beyond
14:01 19 Mar 18
Chad is AWESOME! I highly recommend him and Motorcell for all your hybrid and battery needs. OUTSTANDING service!
Brandon Cooper
21:20 15 Feb 22
Motorcells responded quickly to my call. I was very pleased with the price and how quickly my battery was replaced. Highly recommend.
Mendy McClain
10:49 19 May 20
The battery light came on in my 2011 Honda CR-Z so I picked up the phone and gave them a call. Chad was very kind in helping me find a path to get my car fixed . He has referred me to get my diagnostics and has offered to continue helping me figure out what the best thing to do for my car in my budget once we have the diagnostic readings.
Angela Wentz
00:54 21 Mar 20
The battery light came on in my 2011 Honda CR-Z so I picked up the phone and gave them a call. Chad was very kind in helping me find a path to get my car fixed . He has referred me to get my diagnostics and has offered to continue helping me figure out what the best thing to do for my car in my budget once we have the diagnostic readings.
Angela Wentz
00:54 21 Mar 20
The dashboard of my wife's 2007 (with 185K miles) lit up with all of the classic signs of "hybrid battery failure." I got a sticker shock when I asked the Toyota dealer the price for a new battery. Then I called and spoke to Chad who was great. He explained the process that he uses to replace any bad cells then recondition the battery. He provided mobile service, picking up the battery the day after I called, returning to his shop, and returning to my home the following day to reinstall my refurbished battery. He also did a road test.Now my wife's Prius is happy again. Also the Engine Display page frequently shows a green, fully charged hybrid battery. I am still on the first tank of gas following the battery repair, but I am also seeing significant improvement in the MPG.Thanks, Chad!
Don Gutt
21:50 05 Aug 20
I'm very please with the service that was provided. Chad was very knowledgeable about the Hybrid Battery Service. He explained the process and answered all my questions. Highly skilled and very professional, I would recommend this company.
leon collins
04:34 05 Dec 17
My wife and I made two trips to visit with Chad and Tim before the purchase of our vehicle. Both gentlemen were genuine, honest and a pleasure to get to know. There were no high pressure sales tactics, or incessant sales phone calls, which unfortunately we had to deal with some other dealers. It's been about a month since the purchase of my car and I love it.
Michael RoBards
20:23 24 Jun 19

Other Common Prius Maintenance Issues

In Indianapolis, we can handle most Toyota Prius repairs for you – typically at least 30% less than the dealership.

Inverter Water Pump

Gas Gauge Issues (’04-’06 Prius)

Don’t let your Prius run out of gas.  ’04-’06 Priuses can say you have 2-3 bars of gas left, when in fact your on empty.  Not having enough gas causes your HV battery to do all of the work – this runs down the battery and causes HV battery failure.  One simple fix to try is filling the Prius gas tank, jumping the vehicle, and see if it resolves your “battery” problem.

Prius Brakes & Struts

Prius Screen / Monitor Replacement

Cosmetic Damage

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