The Leading Auto Repair Shop In San Leandro

Symptoms indicating hybrid battery needs professional attention:

High voltage hybrid battery consists of many individual battery cells connected together. Over time some of them will start to fail, and this produces symptoms that will alert you that something is not right:

1. Reduced fuel economy
2. Regular engine (internal combustion engine) running constantly
3. Hybrid system warning light or Check Engine Light illuminated on the dashboard

The good news is that if you regularly maintained your Prius hybrid, it will last for the lifetime of the high voltage battery – or two. Well maintained Prius can easily last 200,000+ miles. So if the high voltage battery needs to be replaced, it’s an investment well worth considering.

Typically Prius hybrid battery will last 150,000 miles or more. Since a well maintained Prius could go even twice that distance, failing hybrid battery will, at a minimum, force a decision: do I sell the Prius and buy a new car, or do I invest in the new hybrid battery and drive a paid-for car for many more years.

Theoretically you have 4 options when the hybrid battery starts failing:

1. Individual cell replacement
2. Installing a used hybrid battery pack
3. Replacement with an aftermarket battery
4. Replacement with the Original Equipment battery

We do not recommend options 1 and 2. The reason is that individual cell replacement still leaves many older cells in the battery pack – and we don’t know when those will start to fail – likely soon, after all we are already replacing their brothers and sisters. Option 2, like all used equipment purchases, depends on how the vehicle was driven and maintained – this impacts the hybrid battery, and usually we do not have reliable information. Also, such battery should not be stored longer than 3 months, and of course we still have to test each individual battery cell to confirm that the battery is ok. Adding up the cost and risks, you are better off replacing the entire battery.

We used to recommend aftermarket hybrid battery packs (option 3), but we found out that they had pretty high failure rate – usually around 2 years. If you were lucky, they failed just before the warranty ended and would be replaced under warranty. If not, well… it was time to purchase another battery pack.

In the end we have proven empirically that hybrid battery replacement using Original Equipment manufacturer produced hybrid battery is the best option for our customers. We can order a new hybrid battery, it comes brand new, with full warranty, and once we install it, we can anticipate that it will last as long as your original hybrid battery. This means many more years of happy driving.

Does your vehicle really need a new hybrid battery?

Before we undertake to replace a hybrid battery, we will inspect your vehicle to verify that the problems really are caused by the battery.

If they are, we will still continue with the overall vehicle inspection, so you can have a clear picture of the overall health of your vehicle. If the vehicle has not been well maintained, or is facing expensive maintenance and repairs in the nearest future, it may be more cost effective to sell it and buy a different vehicle.

If the vehicle is in good shape, it usually makes sense to replace the hybrid battery and drive the vehicle for a few more years – by the time a typical hybrid vehicle needs a high voltage battery replacement, it is usually fully paid for. There is nothing wrong with driving a payment-free vehicle for a few more years.

When you do bring your Toyota Prius, or Lexus Hybrid, or Honda Hybrid to our San Leandro hybrid repair facility, you can expect:

• Thorough hybrid battery testing – even if a dealer said the vehicle needs a new hybrid battery, we recommend getting a second opinion.
• Clear explanations of your options – after we have the test results
• Highly trained, and nationally ASE certified technicians who understand Hybrid vehicles, and are equipped with state-of-the-art digital tools to work on Hybrid vehicles

If you suspect that your Prius has hybrid battery problems – bring it to our San Leandro auto repair shop. We will inspect your vehicle, diagnose the problems, and explain your options.

We offer convenient online appointments or you can call us at the shop – we are dedicated to keeping your Hybrid on the road.