Your check engine, VSC, triangle of death, and exclamation mark just came on. Your gas mileage has plummeted. Your Prius has over 100,000 miles and you're afraid that the problem is your High Voltage (HV) Prius Battery. The big one.

A sense of panic comes over you - because this is the problem you've been dreading. Is your Prius's time up?

First, take a deep breath. Your Prius may very well have a lot more time and miles left before going to the junk yard.

Second, remember that most Prius vehicles drive for 200,000+ miles without any major problems. These are amazing cars.

Now, practically speaking, where do you go from here?

First, it's very important to accurately diagnose the issue. The Toyota Service Shop is a great place to start - but not the only place. Well-qualified and well-reviewed, reputable hybrid battery repair shops are another option. The key to diagnosis is to make sure that the mechanic has a powerful vehicle scanner that can pick up all of the correct codes. Most repair shop scanners do not pick up the appropriate codes - they only pick up very general purpose codes - and diagnosis from these codes can be highly problematic and lead you to spend thousands of dollars without solving the true underlying problems with your vehicle.

Frankly, your local Toyota dealership is the best bet for Prius diagnosis if you're not in or near the state of Indiana where we can properly diagnose the vehicle for you. When requesting a diagnostic from Toyota, you need to request UP FRONT a detailed print-out of the diagnostic codes when they are finished. This should be included in the diagnostic fee at no additional cost. Make sure they hand you the print-out before paying for the diagnostic. You have to fight for your own interests as a consumer.

After a proper diagnosis removes the possibility of an underlying issue (like an electrical fault, inverter water pump, or transmission issue), we can now address the issues inside your Prius battery.

WARNING: Toyota Service usually gets it right, but we have seen them misdiagnose underlying issues as HV battery issues.  You should call us to get a second opinion - we can give you some insight over the phone after a diagnosis from Toyota.

WARRANTY: We offer a 12-month warranty on our renewed Prius hybrid batteries. We offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty on new batteries.