Prius battery dying?

[chrisinva]

2016 Prius, approx 24,500 miles. Apparently I left the car ' on ' Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm & it wouldn't start at 8 am Thursday morn. Had the car jumped but the roadside assistance responder was not a knowledgeable person, so was not able to get answers. Then I drove the car 10-15 min about 2 miles in Fenney, returned home . Parked it in our garage & after about 1/2 hour tried to start it & couldn't. When I try to start it, the battery light comes on & off too quickly for me to see how many bars. We're again getting the car jumped on Fri morn, & then driving to Philips Toyota, Leesburg, (in separate cars) for a scheduled 25,000 mile check up. Will battery need replacement or will sustained, highway driving (Fenney to Leesburg ) rejuvenate it? How long does a 2016 Prius battery last ? What are indicators it is dying? Thanks!

[Dana1963]

We have a 2013 Prius with the same battery. There are 2 battery locations in the Prius a 12 volt in the right rear quarter panel this gets everything going. The drive battery is behind the rear seat and under storage. Currently we have 110,000 miles on vehicle. Our first Prius had 275,000 when we traded it in and replaced 12 v battery once.I too left the lights on and drained the battery it will take more than 10-15 min to restore 12v battery good luck. The drive batteries I believe are warranted for 100,000 miles I hope.2016 Prius, approx 24,500 miles. Apparently I left the car ' on ' Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm & it wouldn't start at 8 am Thursday morn. Had the car jumped but the roadside assistance responder was not a knowledgeable person, so was not able to get answers. Then I drove the car 10-15 min about 2 miles in Fenney, returned home . Parked it in our garage & after about 1/2 hour tried to start it & couldn't. When I try to start it, the battery light comes on & off too quickly for me to see how many bars. We're again getting the car jumped on Fri morn, & then driving to Philips Toyota, Leesburg, (in separate cars) for a scheduled 25,000 mile check up. Will battery need replacement or will sustained, highway driving (Fenney to Leesburg ) rejuvenate it? How long does a 2016 Prius battery last ? What are indicators it is dying? Thanks!

[Toymeister]

Lithium batteries do not like being below 20% or greater than 80%. Toyota uses a BMS, battery Management System, to keep it in that range. It seems likely that it will recover from this discharge, except for the age, typically 5-7 years. There is also a degrade factor for higher temps.

I have looked on YouTube for diy replacement and it is quite involved.

If you do decide to get rid of it PM me, I could use something to do with most things closed

[Stu from NYC]

I would drive for awhile at least 1 hour, the battery charge indicator should increase as you drive it.

[jpvillager]

I had the same problem with my Highlander Hybrid. The 12v battery became weak and would not start in the mornings without a jump or recharge with a battery charger. The 12v battery fires up the computer. Car starts off the big battery but only if the computer is fired up.. The 12v is an odd size smaller smaller battery. Best bet is to use a battery charger to fully charge the 12v as best you can and take it to the Toyota dealer. My replacement was reasonably priced. If you have not replaced the 12v since new it is due for replacement anyway. The Florida heat kills 12v batteries prematurely.

[Stu from NYC]

I had the same problem with my Highlander Hybrid. The 12v battery became weak and would not start in the mornings without a jump or recharge with a battery charger. The 12v battery fires up the computer. Car starts off the big battery but only if the computer is fired up.. The 12v is an odd size smaller smaller battery. Best bet is to use a battery charger to fully charge the 12v as best you can and take it to the Toyota dealer. My replacement was reasonably priced. If you have not replaced the 12v since new it is due for replacement anyway. The Florida heat kills 12v batteries prematurely.

The prius only has 24000 miles on it, would think it could get more life with a full charge

[chriskean82]

Left the lights on in my 2015 Prius V. Bought a 12v charger charged over night but didn’t work. Bought a new 12v AGM battery for $160 on Amazon. No problems now. Just replace the 12v battery. Easy to do.

[Jhnidy]

If I understand correctly, you left the vehicle in the ready mode. Did it run out of gas?
If so, you will only need a new 12 volt battery. Super easy to replace.

[Girlcopper]

Left the lights on in my 2015 Prius V. Bought a 12v charger charged over night but didn’t work. Bought a new 12v AGM battery for $160 on Amazon. No problems now. Just replace the 12v battery. Easy to do.
Why take the chance if getting stuck somewhere? Just get a new battery and remember to shut the car off this time

[banjobob]

Your service writer can answer your questions but 4 years on a battery is probably its lifespan

[M2inOR]

As others have said, problem is likely related to the 12V battery under the hood. The battery under the back seat is the drive battery for your hybrid.

I still have my 2006 hybrid Lexus with just over 100K miles. Have replaced the 12V battery 2 or 3 times so far. I asked my Lexus dealer how many drive batteries they had replaced since 2006 - one, due to damage caused by an accident.

We also had a 2008 Prius which we sold a few months ago before moving here. Same thing, had to replace the 12V battery 2 times.

Similar drive battery under the rear seat that was still doing well.

For those years, the drive batteries in the hybrid cars were NiMh, not Lithium. The transition to Lithium for hybrids has been slow, as NiMh has been quite reliable.

[noslices1]

2016 Prius, approx 24,500 miles. Apparently I left the car ' on ' Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm & it wouldn't start at 8 am Thursday morn. Had the car jumped but the roadside assistance responder was not a knowledgeable person, so was not able to get answers. Then I drove the car 10-15 min about 2 miles in Fenney, returned home . Parked it in our garage & after about 1/2 hour tried to start it & couldn't. When I try to start it, the battery light comes on & off too quickly for me to see how many bars. We're again getting the car jumped on Fri morn, & then driving to Philips Toyota, Leesburg, (in separate cars) for a scheduled 25,000 mile check up. Will battery need replacement or will sustained, highway driving (Fenney to Leesburg ) rejuvenate it? How long does a 2016 Prius battery last ? What are indicators it is dying? Thanks!

If your 12V battery is 4 years old you may need to replace it. Go to Sam’s Club and they will test it for you and sell Duracell batteries that should last another 4-5 years.

[bkrug123]

I have a 2012 Prius. The small 12 volt battery in the rear of the car needed replacing after about 60,000 miles in 2018. The battery was between $200 and $300 to replace.

[La lamy]

I would drive for awhile at least 1 hour, the battery charge indicator should increase as you drive it.

Good excuse to give yourself a nice trip to a beach! While safely distancing of course.

[Stu from NYC]

Good excuse to give yourself a nice trip to a beach! While safely distancing of course.

Actually was thinking about a very nice Italian bakery about an hour north of here.:)

[Sassparilla]

I had a similar experience with a 2017 prius v. The 12 volt battery was defective not the lithium one. Had to get towed out of my garage! Worked great after a new 12 volt.

[joecian1]

2016 Prius, approx 24,500 miles. Apparently I left the car ' on ' Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm & it wouldn't start at 8 am Thursday morn. Had the car jumped but the roadside assistance responder was not a knowledgeable person, so was not able to get answers. Then I drove the car 10-15 min about 2 miles in Fenney, returned home . Parked it in our garage & after about 1/2 hour tried to start it & couldn't. When I try to start it, the battery light comes on & off too quickly for me to see how many bars. We're again getting the car jumped on Fri morn, & then driving to Philips Toyota, Leesburg, (in separate cars) for a scheduled 25,000 mile check up. Will battery need replacement or will sustained, highway driving (Fenney to Leesburg ) rejuvenate it? How long does a 2016 Prius battery last ? What are indicators it is dying? Thanks!
Taxi drivers in NYC would often tell me about the need to replace the Prius battery after 80,000 miles.
I was under the impression that the Prius has a tiny gasoline powered motor that recharges the battery so it’s possible this could be the issue?

[ctmurray]

Others have pointed out that the problem is the small 12V battery. It can be jumped from the front of the car, under the hood, there is a positive post to clamp the jumper to which go back to the battery - this is hidden under black plastic covers (it took me a long time to find mine). I don't recommend trying to replace yourself, they are very hard to get at, sometimes having to move plastic venting that exists for the larger traction battery. The larger traction battery can fail, mine did, when this happens every light on your display will light up, like a Christmas tree.These are very expensive and it was not worth the price to replace, I just traded in the car for a used Corolla. I was not driving it enough as I was a snow bird (thus causing the 12V battery to die).

[Windguy]

Lithium batteries...[snip]

The problem is with the lead-acid battery that starts the car and the accessories—not the battery for the hybrid drive. The OP needs a new lead-acid battery. I recently went through the same thing with my hybrid Camry, although I had over 65K miles on my original battery. 25K miles seems premature to me.

One should use a charger to charge a dying battery—not by driving it.

[diane reynolds]

We have a 2015 Prius (96,000miles) and the battery died in April after not driving it during the virus beginnings. Got jumped, drove every other day to keep it charged for about 10 miles. It is OK , BUT the batteries last 4 years or so. Get a new one. Why be stuck?

[Mike Shebel]

I believe a Prius has two separate and independent batteries. One battery is a lithium ion battery pack that is used in the hybrid power system. The other battery is a conventional car battery used for initial power and to start the cars engine. It appears that your conventional car battery is failing. Replacement of the conventional Battery should not be expensive Nora big deal.

[greenflash245]

3 years is about the max lifetime of batteries these days

[cmapgurley@comcast.net]

I had what sounds like your experience. Have it jumped and go right to Toyota dealer..... it is the battery that starts all the hybrid batteries, it is NOT the same as a regular car battery. They know what to do, it's just expensive but after 4-5 years these tend to have to be replaced. I think it cost around $275 or thereabouts (don't quote me). good luck! I love my Prius V, it's 2015. This happened to me this spring.... at least it will run once you jump it and you can get to the dealership.

[OhioBuckeye]

If you haven’t changed your battery since 2016 & you didn’t say if you’ve ever put a new battery in it since you’ve owned it. I’m guessing your due for a new battery, & you’ll probably pay $100.+ for a new one but being a foreign made car I bet a battery will cost you closer to $150. or more. The last battery I bought was for a Ford Fusion& it was 4 yrs. old when I bought a battery for it & it cost $134. assuming it’s the original battery, buy a new one!

[Albany]

My 2018 Prius prime 12 volt battery failed at 20,000 miles at Colony cottage rec center, thankfully not out on a highway. I had AAA jump it and drove right to Pep boys to have it replaced (It was closer than Phillips Toyota). I had not realized til then that the car won't start if the lead acid battery is dead, it turns on the hybrid system. I had stupidly left the key in the car, I had the other one in my pocket. If the car detects a key in the car the engine won't power off. Dead in one hour. It is my opinion that once the 12 volt fails it should be replaced, no messing around.

[TFordos]

I had a 2015 Prius V, and the battery did not even last a year. Phillips had to send a flatbed truck to put it on. It was hell getting it out of the garage backwards!

[Abob954]

I had a 2012 Prius C since 2014, purchased with around 50K miles. Last weekend on a trip to North Georgia the drive battery failed. Unfortunately, it happened on a Saturday evening. On Monday, dealer in Atlanta confirmed it was the drive battery. The cost to replace it - $3,500. Since the car was not worth much more than that, I elected to swap it out. The mechanic who examined the battery told me it usually failed when subjected to temperature extremes (hot-cold-hot, etc). He had not seen too many fail. He mentioned the battery located under the rear seat should be well ventilated. Mine was not. I did not know this. Most of the time, the rear seat was under blankets, umbrellas, etc. He also mentioned the newer models have vents along the side of the rear seats to help temperature control.
Not fun to be stranded in North Georgia mountains on a Saturday night. I was lucky the car was drivable. Otherwise I would still be walking home. (not really, but it wasn't fun).

[dlfitz]

Your battery under the hood needs to be replaced. Also happened to my 2016 Prius & replaced battery for $180 & all OK.

[tenorgirl]

If your 12V battery is 4 years old you may need to replace it. Go to Sam’s Club and they will test it for you and sell Duracell batteries that should last another 4-5 years.

We had a 2012 Prius we traded in on a 2018 RAV4. Never had a battery problem.

[nn0wheremann]

2016 Prius, approx 24,500 miles. Apparently I left the car ' on ' Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm & it wouldn't start at 8 am Thursday morn. Had the car jumped but the roadside assistance responder was not a knowledgeable person, so was not able to get answers. Then I drove the car 10-15 min about 2 miles in Fenney, returned home . Parked it in our garage & after about 1/2 hour tried to start it & couldn't. When I try to start it, the battery light comes on & off too quickly for me to see how many bars. We're again getting the car jumped on Fri morn, & then driving to Philips Toyota, Leesburg, (in separate cars) for a scheduled 25,000 mile check up. Will battery need replacement or will sustained, highway driving (Fenney to Leesburg ) rejuvenate it? How long does a 2016 Prius battery last ? What are indicators it is dying? Thanks!
The 12 volt battery is probably about a 35-45 amp hour unit. The alternator probably puts out abut 70 Amp Hr. Run the car with minimal electrical load for about 30-45 minutes.

[transplanted]

The problem is with the lead-acid battery that starts the car and the accessories—not the battery for the hybrid drive. The OP needs a new lead-acid battery. I recently went through the same thing with my hybrid Camry, although I had over 65K miles on my original battery. 25K miles seems premature to me.

One should use a charger to charge a dying battery—not by driving it.
Agree - too low mileage. I have a 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid and haven't replaced ANY batteries in it yet. I have about 70K on it. Drove it around DC for 5 years and now here for 1 and 1/2. (mentioned because driving conditions very different).

[spofford]

Never had a problem with Rear battery in either 2013 (70k) or 2016 Prius V (107 k). Does sound like faulty battery. Keep us posted on outcome. Good Luck

[chrisinva]

Yep, we got a new 12 volt from Philips - $179. Prius runs like a charm.

THANK YOU ALL :BigApplause: for your comments, suggestions (esp. drive to the beach) and battery experiences. I learned a lot.


This forum is terrific and each of you is kind & compassionate.

[OhioBuckeye]

OUCH, 24,000 plus miles on it & 4 yrs. old, your warranty is no good. Looks like you need to buy a new battery. I bet a battery will cost you at least $140. My brother in law had to replace his battery in his Japanese car ( out of warranty) & it cost him $330. Personally I think he really got ripped off, & he bought another one same model. Tried to tell him I could get him a pretty good deal on another brand, but he declined.