Who Is Smiling Now? About 500 Prius Owners A Month Are Returned To Replace Worn Out Battery Packs

So that's 25% of Prius's sold a month back then? This number will only grow larger as these vehicles get older.

Now you can argue this was expected. However you have to remember that you potentially could have a battery replacement at $2500 and then later a gas engine rebuild at a similar price.

That adds up pretty quickly where owners typically dump the car to an unsuspecting buyer rather than repair it.

It's more like 3%, but anyway....

When you sell as many vehicles as Toyota, larger numbers are less weighted. You'd have to look at if from a ratio stand point...So yea, with time, the numbers could grow..ALL of the numbers..You'd see the ration still the same..#FAIL...AND the trend is to sell more and more of these Pri.....#UMAD?

009, I hate that you are a "hop on the bandwagon" type dude...If you run across a "positive" story regarding Toyota/Lexus, you're suddenly "becoming" more of a fan...LMAO..SMH....BUT

Then you pull this BS...Im sure you got a rise when you saw this Article, huh? I can see it in your eye..#YIKES..."Who's smiling now?" Really?

angryinch1, the problem isn't my math, it is you and your reading comprehension. I clearly said the monthly sales of "back then" i.e. 2002 sales of roughly 2k a month.

Spin is what you did to my argument. And you're sore because I caught you at it again.

I was comparing the number of cars that need replacement a month to the number of cars that were produced when the worn out ones were made! It's the most logical comparison.

Yep reading comprehension for sure. Here I'll quote and bold the words you keep missing out on.

"sold a month BACK THEN"

So let's see, 300 000 miles and about 3000$ with installation to replace a battery pack ?

“The Prius is a good entry-premium car, and when this happens, we can get people to trade up to the next hybrid,” Sullivan said. “It’s a good story for us.”

Regardless of what the owner chooses, expired battery packs aren’t wasted, thanks to a battery recycling program Toyota launched in 2010.''

This is a good thing indeed

The 300K is the predicted life expectancy. The warranty runs out after 150K or 100K, so the they are failing some where after 100K to 150K. Out of warranty yes and totally legit, but not really what you want to hear.

Joe and his good friend 009. . .
This article is so useless. No facts at all, just speculation!
And it can go either way!!!
Firstly:
"While many of these original 2000 Priuses are still giving their owners the same gas milage they did when new, traction battery packs inside early cars are reaching the end of their predicted 10 year, 300,000 mile life."
What? That sounds like you've got a 12 year old vehilce still going strong. REAL STRONG!!!
And at some point, the batteries will expire. To state 'about' 500 a month, I was expecting some source to back that statement but there is no such thing!
Either way, the Prius is a long lasting vehicle that at some point will expire. Just like your BMWs, MBs, Audis, or what ever you want to insert as the 'best' car ever!
Along the way, the Pirus will get you great mileage, never need a starter replaced, alternator, or belts (on gen II and III, not sure about gen I). Won't need to buy expensive diesel fuel or have expensive oil changes!
Yeah, the Prius is what they say it is!!! And then some!!!

"I was expecting some source to back that statement but there is no such thing!"

cough cough click the follow through link

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1071391_life-after-death-what-happens-when-your-prius-battery-dies

"But if your car is out of warranty, you join the 500 or so owners every month experiencing an expired nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. "

Sounds like a good car to me...

After paying for the battery pack do you actually save any money? Engine rebuild is next, then the tranny, The nickel has to be extracted from the ground too, is this good for the environment? Does someone have a calculator?

After paying for the battery pack do you actually save any money? Engine rebuild is next, then the tranny, The nickel has to be extracted from the ground too, is this good for the environment? Does someone have a calculator?

truckman. . . Prius doesn't have a tranny!!! And if you read the article, it doesn't really state anything. Doesn't say that you have to replace the batteries after the warranty expires. Says you might have to. DUH!
Joe, what part of that statement shows factual evidence??? "500 or so"??? That could be 389. could be 645, and how do they know???
This article merely says that the batteries will some day stop working. Again, DUH!!!
And who knows really when because, as stated, most of the original Prii are still operating to their standards as new!!!