Comments on: Toyota Prius battery warranty now eight years

By: Carz

Carz — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:44:51 +0000

New Toyota management is definitely a genius. This strategy will help increase sales, many buyers would really consider this 8 year battery warranty. Kudos Toyota!

By: Hagar

Hagar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:40:37 +0000

TSI: No I have not driven without battery. There is a connector in the fuse box that disables the hybrid system. I would think it would go up to a normal 1.5L engine consumption plus 1-2 L/100km

By: realcars

realcars — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:17:51 +0000

Toyota are just too clever. Turn a negative into a positive.

Rest may as well pack up and go home. Ford/Holden let issues bleed for years until people trade their Ford/holden for a Toyota.

By: realcars

realcars — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:09:55 +0000

Reason why Toyota is number one!!!

They respond to customers full stop and get good publicity to boot.

Unfortunately Ford/Holden and others need to wake up!!!!!!

They may make boring uninspired camry based vehicles but they are on the ball like no other auto maker.

By: Frontman

Frontman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:08:21 +0000

What amazes me most about this story is the revelation that the motor vehicle thatwas going to change the world, and the type of vehicle that Australians really want (according to som bloggers) has sold an Astounding 1587.5 cars a year since it was released here!!!!!!!
Sorry, whilst it is nice that they allay the fears of expensive battery replacements, the vehicle that gets way more than it’s fair share of press still reemains as relevent as it NEVER was. Other manufacturers would either kill it off or remarket it with those numbers!!!

By: TSI

TSI — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:38:00 +0000

hey Hagar,
i wonder that if you have driven the prius without the bettery for three years.. How was the comsumption? Is it still the same as before i mean like the first time that you purchased ?

By: VW Freak

VW Freak — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:04:56 +0000

Hagar Says:
June 29th, 2009 at 1:42 pm

“I remember one dealer (Not Toyota) telling me they will not trade it in because the battery had not been changed and it is over 3 years old.”

What a retarded attitude. If I was running a dealership, I’d be happy to trade a Prius in. I wouldn’t be so happy to trade in something like a Hummer or a Cherokee SRT maybe…

By: Hagar

Hagar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:42:50 +0000

I had a 2004 prius from new. Traded it in this year with 120,000k on the clock. I remember one dealer (Not Toyota) telling me they will not trade it in because the battery had not been changed and it is over 3 years old. What a load of crap. There is a lot of negative press on this which is NOT true.
FO: yes it can be driven without the batteries.

By: DesignEng

DesignEng — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:26:01 +0000

This does mitigate buyer concerns and gives maybe even the 2nd owner some piece of mind.

However, I think that this is another Toyota marketing masterstroke, because as they claim, it’s not an item that is prone to failure anyway. Extended warranty on something that doesn’t tend to fail is a marketing free kick, that costs nothing, but makes the consumer all warm and fuzzy.

That unlucky 0.25% will benefit though.

Frugal, longer term question might only be answered once we get there.

By: FrugalOne

FrugalOne — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:08:46 +0000

Good work BigT! [tm.F-0]

Wonder what happens when the battery-pack is finally dead, like say in 15 years time?

Will a Prius run just on petrol and ignore the dead batteries sitting there, or does it need them to function?

I think its $1000’s to change, so be better if you just left them there and kept driving on.

What about a story on the NEW Kia Cerato [nee Forte] LPI LPG Hybrid?

Could be here next year, and the 1st hybrid under the $30k mark, will be THE

Rather a super-clean