Reliability, maintenance

The Prius seat is higher from the ground than most cars, inlcuding the

1993 Camry, any Mustang and 1995 Cadellac seville. It does sound like a truck is more appropriate in bent_peg's case.

If you look around you'll find that people have reported driving them for

200,000 miles. If you look into the technology, you'll find they are not constructed or treated like cell phone batteries.

No, I don't think it would suprise you at all. What will suprise you is that it will still be running strong many years after you bought it. Of course, there's less suprise if one reads any of the threads or articles that explain the difference between lead acid cells and the ones used by the Prius.

OK, You are a skeptic and a troll.

The only fact in that paragraph is the phrase "I doubt if". The rest is supposition.

Funny, my wrecked RX7 was bought and rebuilt. My wife's 10 year old chevy had it's tranny replaced twice. I don't see why a 10 year old Prius would not have a rebuilt or used battery pack installed for a thousand bucks.

Yup, You are a skeptic and a troll.

Yep, I am a skeptic.

....and you are a shill.

B~

Thanks to all who replied.

one...and

what disposal fee? Toyota will pay you a $200 bounty for the hybrid battery, to make sure that it is recycled properly.

The hybrid battery packs in the Prius have labels on them for whom to contact to recycle them. See the HV Battery Pack Recycling section in the Prius Emergency Response Guides. You can also read the proper way to handle an accident there, too. If you're concerned, print out a copy and give it to your AAA driver and your local fire/rescue department. (I know that both Toyota and Honda give training sessions to first responders if asked.) page 11 (of the printed version):

19 (of the printed version): To quote Toyota's press release: 040623 How long does the Prius battery last and what is the replacement cost?

The Prius battery (and the battery-power management system) has been designed to maximize battery life. In part this is done by keeping the battery at an optimum charge level - never fully draining it and never fully recharging it. As a result, the Prius battery leads a pretty easy life. We have lab data showing the equivalent of 180,000 miles with no deterioration and expect it to last the life of the vehicle. We also expect battery technology to continue to improve: the second-generation model battery is 15% smaller, 25% lighter, and has

35% more specific power than the first. This is true of price as well. Between the 2003 and 2004 models, service battery costs came down 36% and we expect them to continue to drop so that by the time replacements may be needed it won't be a much of an issue. Since the car went on sale in 2000, Toyota has not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

Is there a recycling plan in place for nickel-metal hydride batteries?

Toyota has a comprehensive battery recycling program in place and has been recycling nickel-metal hydride batteries since the RAV4 Electric Vehicle was introduced in 1998. Every part of the battery, from the precious metals to the plastic, plates, steel case and the wiring, is recycled. To ensure that batteries come back to Toyota, each battery has a phone number on it to call for recycling information and dealers are paid a $200 "bounty" for each battery.

More links for info on accident training can be found here:

merely a

Your laptop batteries don't have the built-in battery management that the Prius battery has. The Prius battery is never fully charged or discharged, which prolongs its life. Your laptop battery probably also doesn't have built-in heating or cooling to keep it at room temperature, also prolonging its life (Prius blows cabin air over the batteries for temperature control). The battery pack on a Prius is modular, so it is possible to just replace a bad cell/module, and not the entire pack, if necessary. But, with used battery pack prices under $1000, might as well do a complete changeout...

Note that 96 months = 8 years, and 120 months = 10 years.

Taken from: (US) "2001 Toyota Prius Owner's Warranty Information" booklet, Printed in U.S.A 6/00, PN: 00404-02001-PRIUS

page 5, "Introduction," "Warranty Coverages at a Glance" Under "New Vehicle Limited Warranty," Hybrid Vehicle System is listed as 96 months/100,000 miles.

page 6, "Your Warranties in Detail," "General Warranty Provisions" "Repairs Made at No Charge: Repairs and adjustments covered by these warranties are made at no charge for parts and labor."

page 8, "Your Warranties in Detail," "New Vehicle Limited Warranty" "Hybrid Vehicle System Warranty: This warranty covers repairs needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship of the components listed here and supplied by Toyota, subject to the exceptions indicated under "What is not Covered" on pages 10-11:

• Battery control module

• Hybrid control module

• Hybrid vehicle battery pack

• Inverter with converter Coverage is for 96 months or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first."

pages 10-11, "Your Warranties in Detail," "New Vehicle Limited Warranty" "WHAT IS NOT COVERED This warranty does not cover damage or failures resulting directly or indirectly from any of the following:

• Fire, accidents or theft

• Abuse or negligence

• Misuse- for example, racing or overloading

• Improper repairs

• Alteration or tampering, including installation of non-Genuine Toyota Accessories

• Lack of or improper maintenance, including use of fluids other than those specified in the Owner's Manual

• Installation of non-Genuine Toyota Parts

• Airborne chemicals, tree sap, road debris (including stone chips), rail dust, salt, hail, floods, wind storms, lightning and other environmental conditions

• Water contamination This warranty also does not cover the following: TIRES: Tires are covered by a separate warranty provide by the tire manufacturer. See page 25. NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR: Noise, vibration, cosmetic condtions and other deterioration caused by normal wear and tear. MAINTENANCE EXPENSE: Normal maintenance services such as engine tune-ups; replacement of fluids and filters; lubrication; cleaning and polishing; replacement of spark plugs and fuses; and replacement of worn wiper blades, brake pads/linings and clutch linings. VEHICLES WITH ALTERED ODOMETER: Failure of a vehicle on which the odometer has been altered so that the actual vehicle mileage cannot be readily determined. SALVAGE OR TOTAL-LOSS VEHICLES: Any vehicle that has ever been issued a "salvage" title or similar title under any state's law; or has ever been declared a "total loss" or equivalent by a financial institution or insurer, such as by payment for a claim in lieu of repairs because the cost of repairs exceeded the cash value of the vehicle. This exclusion does not apply to the emission control warranties. INCIDENTAL DAMAGES: Incidental or consequential damages associated with a vehicle failure. Such damages include but are not limited to inconvenience; the cost of transportation, telephone calls and lodging; the loss of personal or commercial property; and the loss of pay or revenue."

Taken from: (US) "2004 Toyota Prius Owner's Warranty Information" booklet, Printed in U.S.A 7/03, PN: 00505-T2004-PRIUS

page 6, "Introduction," "Warranty Coverages at a Glance" Under "New Vehicle Limited Warranty," Hybrid Vehicle System is listed as 96 months/100,000 miles. Under "Emission Control Warranty," "California(*)," the Hybrid Battery Pack is listed as 120 months/150,000 miles. (*) Also applies to Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont vehicles equipped with a California Certified Emission Control System. Vehicles covered by this warranty are also covered by the Federal Emission Control Warranty.

page 7, "Your Warranties in Detail," "General Warranty Provisions" "Repairs Made at No Charge: Repairs and adjustments covered by these warranties are made at no charge for parts and labor."

page 9, "Your Warranties in Detail," "New Vehicle Limited Warranty" "Hybrid Vehicle System Warranty: This warranty covers repairs needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship of the components listed here and supplied by Toyota, subject to the exceptions indicated under "What is not Covered" on pages 11-12:

• Battery control module

• Hybrid control module

• Hybrid vehicle battery pack

• Inverter with converter Coverage is for 96 months or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first."

pages 11-12, "Your Warranties in Detail," "New Vehicle Limited Warranty" "WHAT IS NOT COVERED This warranty does not cover damage or failures resulting directly or indirectly from any of the following:

• Fire, accidents or theft

• Abuse or negligence

• Misuse- for example, racing or overloading

• Improper repairs

• Alteration or tampering, including installation of non-Genuine Toyota Accessories

• Lack of or improper maintenance, including use of fluids other than those specified in the Owner's Manual

• Installation of non-Genuine Toyota Parts

• Airborne chemicals, tree sap, road debris (including stone chips), rail dust, salt, hail, floods, wind storms, lightning and other environmental conditions

• Water contamination This warranty also does not cover the following: TIRES: Tires are covered by a separate warranty provide by the tire manufacturer. See page 25. NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR: Noise, vibration, cosmetic condtions and other deterioration caused by normal wear and tear. MAINTENANCE EXPENSE: Normal maintenance services such as:

• Engine tune-ups

• Replacement of fluids and filters

• Lubrication

• Cleaning and polishing

• Replacement of spark plugs and fuses

• Replacement of worn wiper blades, brake pads/linings and clutch linings VEHICLES WITH ALTERED ODOMETER: Failure of a vehicle on which the odometer has been altered so that the actual vehicle mileage cannot be readily determined. SALVAGE OR TOTAL-LOSS VEHICLES: Any vehicle that has ever been issued a "salvage" title or similar title under any state's law; or has ever been declared a "total loss" or equivalent by a financial institution or insurer, such as by payment for a claim in lieu of repairs because the cost of repairs exceeded the cash value of the vehicle. This exclusion does not apply to the emission control warranties. INCIDENTAL DAMAGES: Incidental or consequential damages associated with a vehicle failure. Such damages include but are not limited to inconvenience; the cost of transportation, telephone calls and lodging; the loss of personal or commercial property; and the loss of pay or revenue."

page 20, "Your Warranties in Detail," "California Emission Control Warranty" "YOUR WARRANTY RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS .... CARB [California Air Resources Board] regulations require that Toyota must warrant the emission control system on your vehicle for the time periods indicated on this page, provided there has been no abuse, neglect or improper maintenance of your vehicle. .... Where a warrantable condidtion exists, Toyota will repair your vehicle at no cost to you, including diagnosis, parts and labor. MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY COVERAGE ....

• Warranty coverage for the hybrid battery pack is 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first."

page 21, "Your Warranties in Detail," "California Emission Control Warranty" "WHAT IS NOT COVERED These warranty obligations do not apply to failures or noncompliance caused by:

• The use of replacement parts not certified in accordance with aftermarket parts certification regulations.

• The use of replacement parts not equivalent in quality or design to original equipment parts. Provisions under the "What is Not Covered" section of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty also apply to this warranty."

The original Japanese-only 1998-2000 model year Prius used the old cylindrical "D" sized cells. Beginning with the 2001 model year minor redesign (first model year sold in the US), Toyota switched to the prismatic design (smaller in size/weight and more energy storage than the cylindrical design). For the 2004 model year redesign, Toyota switched to the more energy-dense version of the prismatic cells (again, smaller in physical size but hold more energy).

You can read more about the batteries here: Cylindrical module:

module: I could be wrong here, but I think some one of the Honda hybrids may have used the cylindrical design (I know they use the PanasonicEV batteries, though). Ford is going with Sanyo for their hybrid batteries.