The replacement NiMh battery on our 2007 Prius (189K on ODO) is failing. The original OEM battery lasted 140K, until 2022.
The 2022 replacement was a reconditioned/rebuilt NiMh one that lasted only 4 years. (It had a 3-year warranty.). That's not acceptable, IMHO, for our 2022 investment of $3200 (battery plus labor).

We now live in San Leandro, CA 94578 (SF East Bay).

Our local repair shop (Engine Works in Alameda, CA) sold us the Prius in 2013. (They had bought it new in 2006 to learn how to work on them and babied it.)

We bought it from them in 2013 and they installed the short-lived replacement in 2022. It came from a Bay Area source they have used before because
it is close by and does not involve shipping heavy batteries.

The OEM new Toyota ones (NiMh) seem far too expensive for what they deliver.

I'm seeing replacement batteries offered online with Sodium ion cells that supposedly do better in the heat than the original NiMh ones. HybridGeek and Green Bean are the first two vendors I have discovered so far, and I am open to other suppliers.

We're looking for recommendations on what kind of hybrid battery to buy to replace the failing one. We have a "local" HybridGeek outlet nearby that will come to our home and replace our battery with a Sodium ion one with a 3-5-year warranty for about $2000 -- and they offer 6-24 month financing options. The newer battery technology appeals to me after years of following battery improvements in hybrids/EVs, power tools, and home battery backups for solar systems, although Sodium-ion technology is new to me.

We would like to keep the Prius for several more years and are retired, so buying another vehicle is not in the cards.

Any and all thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Jon

 

"only four years" on a recondition is good. Recondition <> new. You got ripped off by an unscrupulous supplier. The list price on the Toyota battery in that time frame was $1,950 + 3 hours labor if you take a couple coffee breaks and take a nice long dump.

When you buy reconditioned, you are not buying a product. You are buying a warranty. You got your three years.

Best value in terms of miles per dollar has been and always will be new Toyota NiMH. Period..

List price at Toyota is $2,049. G9510-47033.