Hybrid battery life on a used Prius… any advice?

I’m looking at buying a used Prius and wondering how long the hybrid batteries typically last. I’ve heard estimates ranging from 160-240k km or 8-15 years, but that feels like a pretty broad range. How accurate is that? What’s been your experience with older Prius models? If you’ve had to replace the battery, how much did it cost? (I’m in Canada.)

In my experience, cars that do more highway driving tend to use the gas engine more, which can make the battery last longer since there are fewer charge cycles.

Taran said:
In my experience, cars that do more highway driving tend to use the gas engine more, which can make the battery last longer since there are fewer charge cycles.

I drove mostly in the city, and my battery gave out at 220k.

I’m also wondering about the cost of replacement. The cars in my budget seem to be at the point where a new battery might be needed soon. Do the fuel savings really make up for the cost if I end up spending thousands on a new battery?

@Kasey
You have to do the math on that one. The more you drive, the faster you can offset the cost with fuel savings. That said, these cars are very reliable aside from the battery.

You can estimate your fuel costs using tools at fueleconomy.gov to see if it’s worth it. My Gen 2 battery failed at around 145k miles, and I replaced it with an OEM battery for about $2k, but I did the install myself.

I use Priuses as taxis. One of mine still has the original battery at 400k km, but another needed a new one at 260k. Same with the engines—some fail around 250k, and others are still going at nearly 500k.

@Chancey
Using the car regularly actually helps the battery last longer because it keeps everything balanced. I once rebuilt a battery from a 2008 Prius with 823,000 km on it—only had to replace 2 out of 28 modules! Just make sure you regularly check and clean the battery cooling fan.

That range sounds about right. I bought my current Prius used, and the seller had replaced the battery with a refurbished one at 200k km. Now, 2.5 years later, it’s failing again at 260k.

It’s a wide range, but it’s fairly accurate. Some people have to replace the battery as early as 120k miles, while others get 300k miles on the original. Mine went just before 200k, and I think most people do the replacement somewhere between 150k and 200k miles. To be on the safe side, use an OBD2 scanner with the Dr. Prius app.

@Tenzin
My battery started failing at under 50k, with 3 dead cells, according to Dr. Prius. But it’s 11 years old, and it’s been parked outside in Wisconsin all its life—not easy on the battery.

Wayne said:
@Tenzin
My battery started failing at under 50k, with 3 dead cells, according to Dr. Prius. But it’s 11 years old, and it’s been parked outside in Wisconsin all its life—not easy on the battery.

Batteries like to be used, not left sitting, and cold weather doesn’t help either.

@Tenzin
I used to play the MPG game and did a lot of pulse and glide driving, which meant I was draining the battery more often than usual. It was fun getting 70 MPG on my short commute, but I think it wore the battery down faster.

12-14 years is pretty common from what I’ve seen. I’ve also heard of people hitting 300k miles in just a few years and then needing to replace the battery.

I’ve got a 2008 Prius as my daily driver, and the battery is still going strong. I live in a milder climate, which might help.

I bought a 2012 this year with 70k km, and Dr. Prius rates the battery at 76%. The previous owner didn’t do much highway driving, mostly local.

I had a 2012 that I traded in at 215k km. Still getting about 60 MPG, mostly city driving, and the battery was testing fine. I only traded it because of a different issue. Now I drive a 2020 Prius.

My Prius is 12 years old with 225k km, still on the original battery, and no signs of trouble yet.