Toyota Hybrid Battery Replacement : Is it Worth It On Older Hybrids?
So you have a Toyota Hybrid and you worry about that expensive hybrid battery failing? Well this was exactly the thought that the owners of this 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid thought about as they decide to replace it or move on from the car.
In this video we show you a full replacement job of a hybrid battery on this 2008 Toyota Camry and talk about the costs involved and if it was worth it or not.
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#thecarcarenut #tccnautomotive #toyota #lexus #toyotahybrid
0:00 Intro
0:50 Battery Removal
22:54 Battery Replacement Information
26:41 Battery Disassembly
33:49 Battery Reassembly
44:24 Was This Worth It?
I met our famous KZheadr yesterday and I just wanna say, he went out his way sat down with me and discussed what I should do with my car as for maintenance wise and what the issue was. Man I kid you not never had a mechanic like him do this, felt like I was in great hands which I was! Best mechanic out here !!!
What state are you in? I’d love to meet this guy one day
@@StrongerThanBigfoot Illinois
It was a pleasure to meet you as well! Very nice Avalon you have!
@@TheCarCareNutcan't wait to have time to drive down myself in my new Corolla! Full Time Uber driver and such, so it's going to see heavy use and I need it taken care of!! Already has 16k. I'll swing by after my 25kmi free services are up! Should note, from downers Grove! So you're practically down the road 😅
Not jelly… but kinda jelly
AMD, I am a airline Lead aircraft mechanic with 51 years of experience, but let me tell you that I am so impressed with your knowledge. I watch all of your videos just so that I can keep on learning. On top of that, you’re a great, and honest man. Would love to meet you one day. Take car my friend.
I9 45:01 r😅
I don't have the car, I dont have a hybrid, I had no reason to watch this. But watching a calm, careful, thoughtful mechanic at work is interesting and rewarding to see a lot more how stuff works. So I watched it 👍
Be careful -
@@YTChiefCritic Of what?
Been in the industry for 42 years and had the same conversation with many customers. If your vehicle is safe and in sound condition it’s better to repair the vehicle you know than to replace it with a vehicle you don’t know. Well done sir. 😊
Given the bubble that both the used and new car markets are in, I think the owner made a great choice. Finding a reliable used car for $6000.00 in today’s market would be next to impossible IMO.
Was it $6000 plus labor?
I agreed with the owner. That's why I spent $3000 on my 20 years old corolla to put it on top notch conditions.
You can buy a piece of junk for 3000 or put your current vehicle in top notch condition with 3000. You know what I’m doing
@@rarefruit2320i know bro what are you talking, u should talk about shit European garbage 😂😂
I own a corolla.... maybe not "cool" but so reliable and I get 30+ mpg -It saves me alot of $$$ in my wallet
@@CL-yp1bs exactly.
Smart move $3000 verses new car cost. I have my Avalon since 2008 keep on driving.
The patience of this man is amazing.
As Tech of 40 yrs and now Automotive Instructor does my heart good to see traditions of honesty,professionalism. GodBless 52yr knowing him!
I am generally a "better the devil you know" kind of person when it comes to used cars, because when something new goes wrong I already know what it is not.
I see other drivers rodding their cars, wear them out and want to sell them for top dollar.
@@bayposYou just have to be mindful of what you are buying and what to look for. If it has a lot of mods or if that model ofcar that is frequently hot rodded, stay away.
Made perfect sense compared to buying a different car with worse condition. That's how I make my decisions on my car, because I'd rather keep my car than get another car with largely unknown maintenance history.
You said "I wish car designers would take this apart". I agree.
The owner made the correct decision 😊
My original 07 Camry hybrid had the original battery go at 136k miles almost 2yrs ago. Replaced with a GreenTec 48 month & unlimited mileage non-prorated warranty for about $2700 installed at my house taking 45mins start to finish. It’s been bullet proof since.
Best channel on KZhead by far. This is truly car repair and maintained education.
Such a cheerful man ! Doing a very tricky and painstaking task just to remove a battery! Then put it all back together again! A marvel of engineering and a marvel of a mechanic!
A masterpiece of an architect is a nightmare for engineers, a masterpiece of an engineer is a mechanic's biggest headache.
The same year (2008) that this car was bought new, we bought a Lexus ES350, which is basically a luxury Camry. I looked at the price difference to buy the Hybrid version, looked at the mileage difference, and calculated the cost savings (based on gas prices at that time). I also considered depreciation and potential future replacement costs. My conclusion was that considering the time value of money I could never recoup my purchase cost, and we drive our cars a very long time like this customer. There are many reasons to buy an EV or Hybrid, but I am strictly an economic analysis guy. So far I have not concluded that either EV’s or Hybrids are a good value. (Disclosure: I am a Mechanical Engineer.)
What if you update to current gas prices.like $5 a gallon
Your cost analysis is spot on. I also keep my cars a long time, 97 Lexus es300, and only cost is upkeep and gas, insurance. The battery life just is not developed enough for financial reasons.
I would say that holds if you plan on buying new. If you find a well maintained Hybrid you can find them quite reasonable. I was able to find one for less money than what this Camry's battery pack and labour cost and our 2008 Lexus 400h has over 330,000km.now - battery is still in very good shape. Overall more efficient than the regular RX350 and quite a bit faster. New in 2008 it was over $60,000. here in Canada. People who want to buy a hybrid car new are either very rich and don't care about money or they are really, really stupid.
As an electrical engineer with advanced degrees in engineering and business administration, I wouldn't buy an EV or a hybrid, not only for economic reasons, but I also have concerns about being bathed in 10 KW of non-ionized electromagnetic radiation. Prostate, kidney, pancreatic, liver cancers, as well neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and ALS are all concerns. No one even measures or states the amounts of radiation that are bouncing around inside the vehicle. There needs to MuMetal shielding installed all around the emission areas, measurements taken, studies made on acceptable levels of radiation by NGOs, and regulations put in place. But, I guess there will always be pools of unwitting guinea pig, early adopters available in any new technology.
This guy would get a big dose of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation out of plugging in a hot water kettle...@@jjustinengineer
Thank you for giving us the owner's thought process for repairing this car! I would have made the same decision.
It must be worth it since you just did this job. Thank you for making these long form videos and not skipping over parts of work like so many other youTuber's do. Your videos are like master classes and we all appreciate your knowledge and honesty. I wish I could find a mechanic like you in my area, very few and far between! Also, yes it's worth doing especially knowing that you did the job makes it a definite no brainer. The owner can sleep good knowing the job was done right.
The last part of your comment is key. It’s so hard to let people work on your car when there are so many crooked or incompetent mechanics in the industry.
How much is the labor??
If most everything is good in the car then spending a few thousand is way cheaper than buying a new car.
"I wish I could find a mechanic like you in my area". From your lips to God's ears. I'm 2,000 miles away. Would happily pay top dollar for this kind of service.
@@ralanham76 Yep. Plenty of new cars now with monthly payments approaching $1,000/mo. It's insane!
Love your videos and commentary. Nice to see how a professional handles the job. Considering the used car market and your evaluation of the other components of the car I think they made a smart decision. With the price of new cars pushing up the prices of used, it is starting to make sense to replace major components rather than "totaling" the vehicle you own (the devil you know, rather than the devil you don't).
I have only just started watching this video and already I’m impressed by this man’s skill and care in dismantling all the trim etc. to access the battery. Too often you see people shoving, twisting and generally trying to wreck the attachments which are effective but fragile, it makes me cringe and just hope that if ever I have to get my car worked on like this it is by someone like him, well done and keep up the good work !
I made a similar decision with my 2009 Camry. Put a little money into it and gave it to my daughter to drive because she and her husband only had one drivable car. Still drives well and gets about 29 mpg on freeway.
“This is a family car, so we’re not going to pass judgment” and this is why I keep watching your channel!
I wished he passed a vacuum over it before reinstalling the back seat.
@@pauldionne2884my thought exactly, would have 👌.
@@pauldionne2884 I just thought the same...
I had a refurbished hybrid battery replaced in my 2006 Prius in April, 2022. The installer came to my house and replaced the battery as I watched. It was more of a plug and play job; I don't recall any components being transferred from the old to the new battery. The whole job was done in under an hour. So far the battery has been great. I'm definitely getting better mpgs now.
What did you pay for that refurbished & approximately what part of the country are you?
@veganwally $1,659.26. Northeast Oklahoma.
@@veganwallyThe going rate on a refurb currently is around $1200-1400 parts and labor for a 2nd gen Prius. You could have a new lithium battery put in for around $2500.
They are generally using known good computers, relays, etc that they test as they swap and fiddle with the cells. Far less labor to swap the whole box and don't risk not connecting something. They'll reuse your parts on someone else's car.
I just replaced mine today for my Camry hybrid 2008. The check hybrid system light no longer comes on and the car doesn't turn off on me anymore. I bought the car at 140k miles for $4500 salvaged on 2019 The hybrid battery they took out I believe was original. It's currently at 193k miles Hope it lasts me another 4 years at least It cost $800 for the battery after a $200 discount and labor was like $1000
I just love the way he goes through the process I hope folks can use the info he gives because I honestly wish I had some of this when I was first getting started in automotive
It was good to see a professional Hybrid battery swap, done by someone who cares about doing the job right. Thank you for this. On a related note, we bought a 2005 Hyundai Sonata in 2014. We average 8k miles a year on it. I recently inherited $5000, nowhere near enough to buy a decent used car, and the Sonata had only lost a ball joint in the 8 years we'd had it. I spent 3800 of that inheritance getting it highway worthy, with a new radiator, alternator, timing belt, and a few other minor but important things. No regrets, even though we've spent more than we could sell it for. I know it'll give us another 5 to 10 years, and that gives us time to save enough money to buy something newer down the road.
Wise investment.... you'll get your money's worth.
Good luck. I don't see many 20, 25, 30yo Hyundais out there.
@@lcole7501quite possibly but we have no idea really, bcuz it's Hyundai, not toyota or honda. No comparison really at all, and Hyundai after around '10 also had premature engine failures, ie under 150K or so. I'm not impressed w/ the koreans myself, so far. They're getting there to top flight, but not quite yet.
Smart play not confusing the retail value of your vehicle with its replacement cost, which is far higher. The repair cost almost surely made sense given the current replacement costs
A dealership offered us $10k for our 2009 Sonata in trade-in. We kept it as we traded our Highlander for a Lexus RX. Used cars are completely worth it.
You have an excellent relationship with your customers. Honesty is so important in this industry. Love your channel. Being a mechanic myself, you answer many questions I have on different vehicles.
I REALLY appreciate your caution, proceduresand precision of repair, especially this video!!!
Great technical detail! Your voice and delivery make for a great video that you don't mind taking the time to listen to. I always wondered what a hybrid battery replacement entailed, now I know. Thank You!
Admittedly, I never keep any car long enough to experience these dilemmas. With that said, absent of any other major mechanical issues, it makes perfect sense to change the battery instead of spending major bucks on a new vehicle.
If it’s a solid car, little to no rust, always fix.
Not everybody has your money to do that. They made a wonderful Move.
Cars cost a lot of money. Unless you have money to burn it makes sense to keep them, which is why my car is 28 years old and my truck 22 years. Oh yes, I also have an 18 year old motorcycle. They are all insured liability only so I save more money there and of course the registration is less.
Keeping those car salesmen happy!
yeah and you know what you already have...
Just seeing how much work is involved in removing the back seats, along with keeping track of the nuts and bolts, should convey to any car owner that your mechanic is not ripping you off. This is real, knowledgeable work being performed.
Top notch video! Thanks for taking the time to create this in depth video and explaining the safety precautions when performing such a task. I look forward to watching many more. Cheers!
I agree with the owner's analysis. The basic question is what is your expected future cost of transportation with the repaired vehicle versus any other alternatives. They should get another 100K miles for the $5800 bucks (plus the cost of wear parts and maintenance). That's 5.8 cents per mile for the car itself. A new Camry hybrid costing $30K would have to go over 500K miles to equal that cost per mile. Good call!
Well… you didn’t account for anything else that’s likely to break on a high mileage car, including engine, cooling, exhaust, suspension, steering and HVAC components. A new car would have none of those costs. A head gasket repair alone will set you back another $2k easily. 130k miles doesn’t sound like much to most Toyota owners, but this is a big city car. It’s a Chicago car. That means many times more wear and tear, per mile, than the average. This car is over 15 years old, so major corrosion issues. Things like engine mounts, steering rack, door mounts, seat mounts, interior panels, gear shifter, switches, etc will all have much more wear because this car makes a lot more trips to get to its 130k mileage. An average trip for this car is likely around 10 miles. So those components see a lot more use. An average big city car starts seeing lots of problems around 100-125k miles, even a Toyota. That means the ACTUAL cost per mile on that Camry is likely to be 4-5 times higher than 5.8 cents/mile.
you're assuming they'll have no other problems in the next 100,000 miles. Also they could buy a 2008 non-hybrid camry with 100k miles for $7,000 and never worry about the battery again.
My first take away is to buy the a car with a great Consumer Reports track record, namely a Toyota Camry Hybrid. From day 1 plan to keep the car 20-yrs and start figuring $700 a year for an an eventual $7,000 cost paid for by using less fuel over the 10-yrs. Buy $700 a year worth of govt t-bills managed in a bank saving account and that with be the well you dip into to finance the battery swap out.
My 2012 Gen3 Prius made it 250,000 miles on the factory battery. A brand new Toyota battery was $2000 (with a Toyota warranty) and I am ready to go for another 250,000. The same battery issue will apply to EV's but folks are not talking about that yet.
$2000 plus labor right?
I have 2013 prius and i think i have an isue with hybrid batery .. do you have contact with that shop who changed yr battery??
no mate, your head gasket will blow next.
Yeah, many Prius' original batteries last 300k miles. The trick is not only the mileage, but also the years and how to take care of the battery. For this Camry the battery is 15 - 16 years old. If the car is left sitting there for a long time, close attention should be paid to the SOC of the battery.
I have a Chevy Volt in my shop now, 2015 with 75k miles. Batt replacement is $29k
Great point. "What it's worth" also includes NOT having another car payment. People forget that.
The cost of your next best alternative is much more important than Blue Book values. New cars could never be sold if the car's value had to equal what you paid given that they immediately depreciate when purchased.
Always impressed by how clean your shop is! Great job! .
Thorough, clear, concise, respectful, kind and considerate. Many of the several reasons I continue to watch these videos and this channel. From a Toyota hybrid owner who does all of his own repairs when possible, thank you. There is not a money value that could be put, on the skills that I have learned for repairing my own vehicle and being able to be there for my family with a running car.
Very well said. 👏👏👏👏
Looks like a clean Toyota Camry. Totally worth it. Granted, I think the car market is going to tank, but if you needed something NOW, then excellent choice. We love our 3rd gen Toyota Prius Plug In Hybrid. Toyota makes great cars if you take care of them. Car Care Nut set you up well with a working, reliable vehicle. Hope your daughter does well at school! :)
Great video. The reasoning in keeping the car and spending $6k to fix it makes a lot of sense for the owner and their situation. The real life cases are great lessons.
You are an excellent mechanic. I hope your back holds up so you can serve your community for a long time. Thank you for your services and knowledge.
Another way to decide if they made the right decision is if that car is worth more than the $5800 they spent on it, which I think these days it does.
Sure but I'd take my chances on those aftermarket batteries that cost around $1000. Especially since a lot of places completely restore them.
@@Mroctopus2988 Depends on what kind of a customer or car owner you are. I would crack open the old battery, and repair it. I can easily see the $1k battery viewpoint and the $5800 battery viewpoint though as well.
@@mph5896 I'm sorry but I don't see any reason to put in a $6000 battery on a 15 year old car. Other hybrid components will begin to fail and it's just gonna be a money pit. Especially these early Camry hybrids that only get around 30mpg
@@Mroctopus2988 I actually finished the video. It was a $4200 battery. Add on the ABS repair for $5800 total. Car was basically worthless with a bad battery and abs. Maybe $1500 in value? In the end, its the owners decision and the owners money.
Although batteries are expensive, this car now represents good value at $5800 ! Glad they had you to advise and look after them!
I am so thankful for his honest approach in discussing vehicles that benefit the consumer. Keep up the good work.
Fantastic video! I love how much time and effort you put into your videos. They are really appreciated!
Very rare to find a good, clean and dependable car for $6K. Mostly would just take over someone else’s headaches. My 2022 Prius has a 10 factory replacement warranty on the HV battery.
Not bad. That 2023 is really nice tho it’s nice a sports car now.
Not absolutely certain but I think here in the UK if you have your Lexus hybrid dealer serviced, including 'battery health check', it is warrantied for 10 years/150k miles.
Another fantastic piece of work here AMD! Enjoyed this thoroughly and wow I wish my 2009 Corolla with 292,000 miles on it only had 140,000 miles. Given the good condition of that car otherwise and assuming the transmissions been serviced well think they made a cogent decision especially given today’s market. their daughter will have a great car through her college years and for some years after that with this one. Anxious to see the updates on the LS!
We’re putting the LS back together in another weeks time. A LOT left on it! Wish us luck and stay tuned!
@@TheCarCareNut can’t wait!!! Thx for reply my friend. indeed may The Lord continue to greatly bless you and loved ones as well
LSD?
As the hybrid transmission is bullet proof, the expected life of the car has just doubled
When I am looking at used cars, my main 2 questions are condition and history (maintenance and major repairs needed). The owners knew their car well and far better than any new-to-them used car. It’s always hard to double down for major repairs, but as you said, they knew the care was otherwise in very good condition so seems like repair is a very good investment for their daughter. Also, if it’s a familiar car for her, she’ll likely be more secure driving it too.
I wish all mechanics were so honest like you
Great to see a master craftsman demonstrating all the skills most owners never see -- and honest assessments of the car designs and owner issues. A great master class! I think the owner made the right decision. Buying a replacement car is a risk, because all this work may not have been carried out, and it's potentially a rolling problem.
You are an exceptional person and we Iraqis are proud of all your achievements and we wish you all the best and progress in your work
Great video! I think they had good decision making on this one. Hard to find anything that isn't a pile for $5k in the current market. Sometimes you just gotta stick with the devil you know v. the devil you don't.
@@mke6489 There's no mention of slipping or seizing of the transmission because it's a Toyota eCVT; there's nothing in there to slip or sieze. If you replace the fluid once every blue moon or so, it'll outlast the frame of the car, so there is no "next big cost". There's a reason you can find Toyota Hybrids out there puttering around with over 1 million miles on them.
How much is the labor for this job? Was it included in the cost of the battery and brake actuator? I would think not.
I am an HR Professional from Bangladesh and on my third Toyota now. I am down with COVID-19 and have been watching our videos while being isolated. This channel is absolutely amazing and your videos are very helpful for a car nut (with OCD) like me. :)
When you described the owner looking at used cars of this same vintage and trying to find something equivalent to purchase for their daughter, and finding that everything they looked at was in way worse shape than their own car which they have owned and maintained since new, I completely relate to that as I have tried to find used cars equivalent to my own car and I have had the exact same experience, everything I found was in way worse condition than my old car. So it makes perfect sense to repair their car and keep it!
ChrisFix has covered this a couple times on the Prius. Glad to see you covering it also!
Interesting to watch, I've had my 1st generation prius nimh battery in and out of the car a couple times and it's definitely less complicated than this one. Sure wish i had a shop like this near me.
Nice job, love your patience and thoughtfulness. Necessary skills for a top mechanic.
One point on cost when it comes to a Toyota hybrid system battery: if you have it installed by a dealer you get a 3-year warranty. Otherwise it's a 1-year parts warranty. Personally I don't think a Toyota battery is ever going to fail inside that 3-years anyway, so I would choose to DIY.
Excluding collision damage, I never consider the value of the car when deciding to make a repair, I consider how many more miles/years that repair will get me. I kept my 1987 Suburban for 31 years and I think the last set of tires I bought for it cost more than the book value, but I got 6 years additional use out of the vehicle by spending that money. Second, a question, how do you feel about DIY mechanics with above average skills rebuilding their own battery? A co-worker did that for his wife's Prius. He bought all new individual cells and installed them himself. Took most of a Saturday but a LOT cheaper than buying a new or rebuilt battery.
To quote attorney Tom It depends
@@Mr-pn2eh he also has no warranty now if things go wrong he's on his own.
@@Patrick-nc6kk Yep, technically, he is the warranty. He himself. If anything goes wrong with his battery, even outside of his fault.
We use the same evaluation on our cars, is the repair cost divided by the life left on the car less then car payments? If so we opt to repair. That being said at some point it does not make sense to repair.
@@tomschmidt381 I don't do that much calculating. Basically I look at just the sales tax on a new car, and if the repair is less than that, it gets fixed. But to be honest the most expensive repair I have ever done was a transmission in my wife's Mountaineer and that was $2,100.
Your videos are so interesting. It is a pleasure to watch someone who knows his job so well.
I have a 2008 Hybrid Camry with 190.000 miles and original battery. After watching this I am putting it on the market now. I live in Oregon.
I appreciate the "story lines" you insert giving some background into your videos. I have come to crossroads in making decisions about repair or sell too. At times weighing value of car. Our family loves Toyota/Lexus, currently have 4 in our household, with 2009 being the newest.
you can always buy a new one and keep it as backup, so if any of the other vehicle fails, you get the new one until you can fix the previous ones
and drive it until they all fall apart, one by one
Smart parents. Like you said, the parents looked at used cars for 6,000 and they were rusty, cigarette burns in drivers seat, and even more things needed fixed. Daughter gets a cream puff college present that will last longer than her time at college.
Thank you for taking the time to make these videos, it's appreciated.
This man is a true master at his profession. Every video shares so much substantive knowledge about the details of the numerous pieces that comprise a vehicle.
I have 233,000 miles on my 2006 Lexus RX400H hybrid. The car is mint inside and out. Original battery too that gives me 30+mpg around town. If my battery goes out I would replace the battery and get it to Chicago for the swap. Love how clean your shop is too.
Agreed!
My 2018 Rav4 got 186,000 Miles. Goal is 1,000,000 Miles. I will replace anything in my car if needed, but right now it runs like a champ.
50:47 why didn't you hoover all that mess and debris in the back seat areas? Would have been 5 min job mate.
I certainly appreciate the videos you make. I am taking care of my own Toyota corolla and you seem to cover everything! Thanks a million!!!
Impressive work and I learned a lot from this video to say the least. From a OG viewpoint,I definitely feel the owner made the right decision on this one and of course with the support and help of an excellent mechanic. Big fan and thank you!
I thought the same thing the owner thought. Spending 5800 on this repair is like buying another car for 5800 of this caliber. Good deal. Oh , you also need to find a great service shop like the Car Care Nut.
Absolutely. The car with a bad hybrid battery and brake issue has little value. Maybe $1500 on a good day? Plus they know the history of the car, so they aren't gambling on that.
I think replacing the hybrid battery was a good choice in this situation. But considering the price of the new battery, it seems to me purchasing a similar car with a regular ice engine instead of the hybrid in the first place would likely have been the more economical choice.
I agree, though it depends on whether they are doing more city or highway driving. The ICE only version got 21 city/ 31 hwy while this hybrid got 33 city / 34 hwy.
My new batt cost 2800$ ...and 30 min at a dedicated batt shop.
Yep. The Camry ICE gets darn good mileage. Waaay simpler.
And with a normal ICE you don't have to pay $5800 for a battery at 130,000 miles!
@DCuerpojr - Yes, but cost you (in2023 dollars) $5800 extra **plus labor** to get the higher gas mileage.
I think the owners made a wise choice. Your skill and honesty are awesome!
Only just stumbled upon this channel and now I'm hooked. Liked and Subscribed.
I can watch a professional man work all day.
Great video. Thanks for the detailed procedure. The only comment I had was when you had the back seat out and you could see the floor pan, I would have vacuumed the trash out so that it was clean underneath. Your videos are perfect. Thanks for the ‘thought process’ discussion too.
Yeah, cleaning the little bit of trash out from under the seat would have been nice.
yes, that pen under the seat could have been the favorite one of the owner's daughter :) @@CHN-fh2sn
Everything comes with a price 🤣
Your positive and humorous attitude serves you well. Another great video. Keep the Faith!
This is why I subscribe, AMD. For your thoughtful method of “let’s do this once and do it the right way.” I have the impression that you treat each of your customers’ cars just like you treat your own. I like that about you. Thank you.
Great call on fixing this car. That being said it is mainly because of the professional doing the install. Price sounds extremely reasonable. Great video, looking forward to the next! God bless you all!❤
One of my former jobs was for a contract manufacturer in the cables dept. Zip ties are used on wiring harness to keep them organized. Bonus is it gives a "clean" look on a 30 wire harness for a fighter jets radar detector equipment
Zip ties? That's fancy. The military parts I made for one particular plane used wax coated lacing to tie the wire harness together.
I have a 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid and had a remanufactured battery installed from a company called Green Bean Battery back in I believe 2020. It has a lifetime replacement warranty which I believe I paid a little extra for, but the car has been running great ever since. The car had around 120,000 miles on it if my memory serves me right. The Camry now has 166,000+ miles on her. I paid right around 1,900 bucks for it and the installer came to my house and took him around 45 minutes to replace it. I don't work for this company but have been happy with my purchase. Hybrids have been out for a long time and there are now other companies who offer alternatives instead of just having a dealership as an only option.
This is low mileage for a replacement
Low mileage yes but the battery was 12 years old
Absolutely the right choice. You are the best. Fair and honest.
Informative video on hybrid batteries. Owner made the right choice. Good reliable car, good bones, good mpg for a college student.
Just bought my wife a 2024 LexusNX350h. If the battery pack last 15 years and cost a few $k to replace, I will be perfectly happy to replace it. Let’s see what happens, she drives 6-7k miles a year only.
Definitely worth it. The NX's are beautiful vehicles
That's one reason I would choose a regular hybrid vs a plug in, to replace the plug in battery it's in the 5 figure range.
Me too. And the fact that the the NX450H+ is at least $12k+ more than the 350h. It would take us 30 years to recoup the price difference. Plus I was not keen on writing a $67k check, $52k was more palatable. :)
yeah my wife loves it. We also looked at the RX350H but I was not ready buy a $65k SUV, $52k was already more than what I like to spend. Another car we looked at was the Toyota Venza Limited, but a few $k more we went with the NXH.
You can't buy a newer Camry for $5800 dollars, and you can't buy a brand new Camry for anywhere close to $5800 dollars. If the frame is sound, I would say it is worth keeping. I think that Family made the right decision. Great Video AMD, Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely. That car is retailing in the ballpark of $8k-$10k right now. You will not find anything comparable around $5800, not even in the same league. The car looks very clean and if I was the owner and familiar with its history and if the car is solid I wouldn't hesitate at all to replace the battery at that cost. Then drive it another 3, 4, 5 more years.. or perhaps even more.
Every city needs someone like you!
I had to make a similar decision with my 2011 Venza V6 AWD. I bought it used in the summer of 2020 with 80,000 miles. After just a few months of owning it, the rear differential blew up because the previous owner never serviced it. It was a $6,000 repair. I was thinking it was a lemon. But my mechanic who I trust, assured me that everything else with the car was good. I went ahead and had it repaired, and I've had the vehicle now trouble-free for the last 3 years. No way I could have bought another vehicle like that for that price. Glad I kept it. We've driven it to Florida and back from Ohio. No problems. Rest assured, once it hits 115,000 miles, I will be getting that differential serviced. 😂
Unless the differential was out of oil, there's nothing to service. 99% of rear differentials will go hundreds of thousands of miles with out ever being opened up.
I have a 2013 Lexus ES300H . Made in 2012 . Hybrid battery failed at 122,000 miles. I paid $5,900 total to have it replaced through the Lexus Dealer. Im happy with the car but at the same time I wonder if I did the right thing. Its a beautiful car , smooth, gas efficient, nice audio and super comfortable to drive even for long rides.
There are tons of cars that will set you back more than $5900 if they turn out to need a rebuilt engine, or transmission, and a lot of those will need such expensive work done before they get to 122,000 miles....
Best investment you can make. Car should last 10 more years.
That's a bit disappointing mileage wise for a Lexus.
@@johnstuartsmithmaybe, but the same car without a hybrid wouldn't need that work and the extra cost of the hybrid probably wasn't recouped in that 122k miles nor will the 5.9k be in future.
@@ln5747I'm thinking about getting a hybrid truck (2014 Tacoma/Land Cruiser) but after watching this video, I'm not sure if it's worth it. Maybe just keep my 4.7L V8 until something better comes out 😂.
Best Toyota related channel on the Internet. Thanks
I agree with the owners decision. Very lucky to have you 👍
At 140K miles and considering the overall condition of the vehicle and their future intended use of the vehicle, I think they made a good choice. Especially in today's market where car prices are better but still inflated, especially hybrids. For $5,800 they basically have a car that could quite possibly go for another 100K provided maintenance is kept up. I can only recall one customer at the dealer where I worked at that elected not to replace the hybrid battery. He had a 2004 Prius that had close to 370K miles. He already replaced the battery once at 190K. The car was worn and the motor was tired and smoky. He ended up ordering a brand new Prius. 01:44 - not going to judge, but from the condition of the back seat area, that was definitely a family car with little one residing back there. 😂
Yes. The car owner knows the car and it runs fine after these repairs. They probably couldn't find a used car for less than $6000; that will be as reliable.
Yes, this car bought from new and maintained properly and now repaired with this level of care is a definite keeper. We did basically the same thing with a 1999 Camry. Finally traded it after two kids driving for college in 2015.
I always have the fear of hidden costs with second hand cars. Broken or wild stuff the previous owners knew nothing about, or were actually the reason they sold out. This Camry had no hidden cost. I would always opt to keep this one for that small investment.
@@QnA22 absolutely a no brainer especially now.
OR... buy a Camry with no battery and go 240K miles anyway without spending $ 6k on battery replacement? Just a thought
I watched this video and get reminded to do things right the first time. no silly shortcuts.👍👍👍
8:00 pm pacific time. First time owner of a 2021 Camry Hybrid LE with 7400 miles and wanted to know how to care for it. So impressed with the mechanic doing the video. I am learning so much and am so glad there are Toyota mechanics out there that I can take my car too for knowledgeable maintenance. Thanks bunches from a Central Oregon fan.
Thank you for working in the cramped hot car to share with us the utter complexity of changing a hybrid battery (at least in this car). As we transition to more electric/hybrid cars I hope the designers do a way better job of making the re and re less labor intensive and costly. Love your vids!
The transition has slowed dramatically recently to the point manufacturers are pulling back investments in future and current production of EVs and hybrids. More people are realizing the true costs and inconveniences of owning them.
Thanks for the detailed view on replacing the hybrid battery. Your videos are always informative and well done! As for the question on fixing this car, Yes! Given how expensive new cars are, and the unknown of buying something used, if you know the history of your own and it is in good shape otherwise, then I'd always opt to fix if the car still serves your needs.
All things considered, that's a absolutely a sound decision. My gen 3 Prius has 225k miles with a reconitioned hybrid battery replaced 30k miles ago. According to the Dr. Prius app, it has 47% left but I only paid $1k for it so, that's a decent run. And, although I can get a new OEM traction battery at wholesale prices (30% of list), I bought Nexcell lithium battery pack for quite a bit more, obviously. Will probably install it in the coming weeks. Sure, it's a gamble like with any aftermarket parts but as a DIYer and semi-enthusiast, why not? Although I can afford a shiny new Merecedes or whatever, I'd rather dump money into this low-value Prius and keep it running indefinitey.
Have a gen 2 with 240,000. There’s also junkyard ones that for for really cheap but that’s a gamble of course.
I got a 2015 Prius w/126k miles. No problems whatsoever. I hope I don't encounter any hybrid battery issues anytime soon. I am on top of the maintenance, just recently had my hybrid battery fan cleaned out.
My 2015 Prius (155,000 miles) battery is somewhere in the mid-50% range of life left (per the same app), but Toyota doesn't make the OEM batteries for Gen 3 Prius anymore, at least that's what several dealers informed me. The only option for replacement is the lithium route or aftermarket "refurbished" ones. I also have to use another app the keep the cooling fan on more to keep the heat down (mainly because of this crazy summer heat).
The battery sounds like a good upgrade probably improves mileage..prius are a great workhorse and you're not constantly dumping a $100 in the tank and worry about the quality of the fuel
@@robmalcolm8042 There is a video of a Gen 2 with almost 800k miles and still going strong.
شخص موثوق ومهني ...بارك الله فيك
The owners did a good job assess the situation. I agree with them. Great job
It was totally worth it. In this climate of automobile prices new and used it’s a no-brainer. Thank you for this great video AMD!!
You should be wearing electrical safety gloves rated for the high voltage present 😮. Also, eye protection for arcs.
We (my wife) has a '10 Camry Hybrid w/192k miles which we bought new. Nothing wrong with the car. Dealer just confirmed the OEM brakes still have life left but we've made the decision to replace it with the new '25 Camry AWD Hybrid. Downside is the new model won't be available for another 2-4 months. I have no doubt our current car will be fine until then. I really like the new technology such as adaptive cruise, LED headlights, QI charging, wireless Android Auto and the newer models get even better gas mileage. Wife currently gets 37-38mpg with her current hybrid.
Thank you for posting this video, a lot of work editing it and so on. Then there's the actual work of swapping the battery over and telling us what's going on while you do it. I own a Camry Hybrid but there is no way I would even think about changing the battery, I would leave it to someone like you who really knows what they are doing. Congratulations on an excellent video, as an engineer I appreciated all the effort and skill shown.👍😎
I would've done the same thing as your customer. Like you said, that car is good for at least another 10 years now. You can't hardly buy a good car for $5,800 these days. They're out there, but you've got to be really patient and have lots of luck. Good examples of Toyotas and Lexus' that are priced well, sell within hours of listing. Your customer made the right decision. 💯