I met our famous RUclipsr 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 !!!
@@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 😅
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 👍
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. 😊
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.
As an owner of a19 Highlander hybrid. 5800 plus labor. Is still less expensive than a new one. And if taken car of and not abused should last at least another 100,000 miles. Good luck to this customer. And God Bless you all. Happy Holidays
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.
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.
"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.
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.
Battery still holding up ?? Looking for an option, a lot of the hybrid battery companies have bad reviews. Let me know how it's doing a thumbs up works ??? And how long all together have you had this battery in 🤔
@robertsiwicki4597 Thanks for the response. Green tech isn't close to where I live in Indy but I'm still on the hunt. Alot of hybrid companies but man the reviews 🤦🏾♂️ replace a battery lights come on few months later spend 400 at a shop to please the warranty come out replace the battery and happens again 🤦🏾♂️ anyway thanks for your response 👍
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).
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.
I replaced the battery in my 2010 Camry 2.5 years ago with one from Best Hybrid Battery near Chicago for $1600 and six hours of work. 40k+ miles further, I am very happy. Their packing was poor and UPS damaged it - I was able to straighten the tinware and they gave me $95 credit. This is obviously not for everyone. I did not take anywhere near the amount of stuff you took out from the inside of the car as it was totally unnecessary. However, it is nice to see how the third brake light is replaced. I also take exception with the "High Voltage" reference. True the intact battery produces >200 Volts. Pull the orange plug, which splits the batteries approx 40/60 and the terminals are dead. This is a very clever design - thanks Toyota. Replacing this battery was very easy for the DIYer.
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.
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 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 have watched you fiddle with this battery R & R for the last 30 minutes. Now you are a well trained heavily experienced technician who knows what you are doing. I like simplicity. Even though Toyota engineers designed this battery pack very well, their logical thought pattern is straight forward. However by seeing just how much labour is involved in this procedure is almost equal to removing a cylinder head on a 1979 Chevy pickup small block. I have no fears with removing a head ,but to realize the high voltage risks is what scares me. I don't believe that I will ever own an all electric vehicle. But you have shown me just what's involved. Thanks .
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!❤
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.
@@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.
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
Definitely the right decision for what the owners want for this car. I own a 2020 Camry in the UK and love it as a great economical, reliable, comfortable and quality car. Buying from new and main dealer servicing keeps it perfect for me. I would also consider replacing the battery after it wears out in future as this Camry is such a good car. Great video by the way.
I just did my hybrid battery on the same car 2008 I payed $1700 on a refurbished hybrid battery and had the break actuator problem also replaced it. I did it at about 220000 miles. At 230000+ and going fine. The battery company I called installed it along as well the drove out to me. Rhe battery might only 4-5 years but I'll have a new car buy then god willing. The only problem I have is oil burning but this engine is known to burn oil all 2008 at high mileage. So hopefully I get to around 300k mileage or dead battery again with no other problems.
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!
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.
Wow! Great video! Very detailed and straight to the point. I've always wanted to see how much work that goes into a hybrid battery. Who knows, maybe someday I will own a hybrid car. Now I have your video to go through the step by step process. Thanks! Yes it was a good decision to keep the car and restore it. Because it's a Toyota in good condition.
Yes, my issue also. I think the trick there, is keep it for a while, then sell it a few years before the battery needs to be replaced... else, there goes all your savings. Another alternative, just keep your ICE car. We have a 17 highlander with 38k miles... runs great, we keep up with recommended maintenance. So, the only battery to replace is the 12 volt for probably less than $100.
Ahmed, I am one of the owners at Volts, the hybrid battery shop in Chicago. When I did visit with you a couple of years ago I explained to you that at Volts we do replace the entire battery, not just individual modules. We also only use new generation modules, not old ones and for our premium product we use original, slightly used hybrid battery packs, not mixtures. Upon properly cycling the used battery to eliminate memory effects, more than 90% of the original performance is restored. We do have customers who put 200+K miles on our (refurbished) batteries, so I would say they're quite good. Pricewise, they're less than half of what the dealership charges. Maybe you'll consider trying one of our batteries in the future. And feel free to pay us a visit to see how we do it.
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.
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.
Interesting as I learned I will never buy a used hybrid and have to replace a battery. Keep my old 3rd gen ravs & 4th gen 4runners going. Fantastic tutorial! Keep 'em coming! Best channel!
Very good decision to replace the battery and sort out the brakes. Its a strait car with good exterior and interior. Worth the rescue. Kudos to the owner for a logical.😊 decession. 👏 😊
By the time you got down to swapping parts from old battery to new my head hurt trying to keep track of all the plugs, clips, misc parts, etc and where they all go. Glad i dont have to do it!
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Very good decision by the owner to have the car fixed. Buying a used vehicle of equal or greater price is a gamble and in the end, could cost the buyer more money in repairs. Since the car has been with the same owner since brand new, makes a lot of sense to have it repaired. It's a Toyota as well. You take care of it, it will take care of you. I purchased a used '10 RAV4 last year and have done a few minor repairs on it. Just came back from a 1500 mile road trip and my RAV4 did not disappoint. It ran flawlessly and kept us safe on our trip.
Top notch, knowledgeable and you sound very honest doing what you do. My only question is, Since you were in there, seats off etc. why didnt you take that extra few mins to clean the mess under the seat? I'm sure you have a logical reason for it..
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.
@@martyc2637 Yes, I was doing well to get 21 mpg in town with the Camry. I was surprised how well my Avalon hybrid did in city traffic jams. Regenerative braking essentially kept my battery charged.
@@martyc2637 Well the Avalon’s warranty on the battery is 10 years or 150,000 miles. After 4 years, I have only driven 31,000 miles. The gas savings I will have by 10 years at $3.5-4.5 per gallon should be more than enough to pay for a new metal hydride battery. Many people get 200,000 miles on these batteries. They don’t usually just fail, like all batteries they degrade in how much charge capacity they have. So if it degrades to 75%, it is still drivable but you might lose some efficiency.
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.
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.
Excellent video! I had helped a mechanic friend some years ago replacing 2015 Prius hybrid battery. A little easier with the hatch back but time consuming as we did the long way too. The original battery was heavy too but the replacement cell banks were upgraded and slighly lighter. Took us two days by taking time to remove and replace. Certainly can commend the engineering/safety of the orange plug(s). Just wondering if there was credit given for the return of the old core battery? Owner(s) made the right choice by keeping the car especially the almost good condition. Probably still in good driving condition for another troublefree 10 years or more! Cheers from West Coast Canada!
True. And most people relate, even if they never owned one, the Prius vehicle. But these hundreds of thousands of different types of true hybrid vehicles, expensive ones or not are a whole different ballgame. And EV vehicles. Well, you tell me what it would cost to swap out of a certain type of vehicle. And would it be viable? I think this whole battery thing is going to end up as a disaster of mega proportions for the entire earth! It isn't the answer. Neither is solar power/ nor windmills. Aint going to happen with the world's population, driving these things around all over the planet, unless there are fewer people on the planet. And that is a different topic for another time.
@@luckyguy600What are you talking about? You LITERALLY admitted you have NO idea of what anything might cost, and then immediately made an assumption that it will never work. You truly are a moron.
I understand your customers thoughts on this. I have a 2003 sequoia with 174k and the paint is bad but I cannot find a vehicle as good for the cost of the paint work and other minor repairs. like theirs , my unit is in very good shape mechanically. and with a quality paint job and some new door lock actuators and a few other things I can probably get another 170k from it. Really appreciate your work, knowledge and integrity.
I really enjoyed this video and I agree with the logic of the owner. While $5800 is a lot of money, what else can you get for that and what condition is it in? The car you have now is a known quantity and is in good shape otherwise.
Awesome video. Very professional. I love how clean your shop is. The man who trained me as a mechanic emphasized how important keeping everything very clean was, and I very much came to understand the importance. It's great to see another shop following the same practices. Thank you for this. Definitely the right decision for this family!
Very smart decision by the owner. I have a 2006 4Runner with 152,000 miles and have spent less than $500 on repairs because I serviced it as Toyota recommended. I was recently offered $21,000 for it by a 4Runner enthusiast, but to me it's as good as it ever was. We've owned only Toyota & Lexus for 31 years with extreme satisfaction.
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 interesting video, but why wouldn't you take a shop vac and vacuum under the seat before reinstalling it ? I realize that you are mechanics, not car detailers, but it just makes sense to spend two minutes doing this after all that work and expense.
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.
His biggest asset isn’t his technical knowledge which he obviously has, but rather it’s his calm, patient personality and ability to control his frustrations. I’ve noticed after 66 years, that all the great ones have his personality type and thankfully not mine :)
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.
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! :)
Good video. Hybrid battery lasted about 15 years with moderate driving. Not bad, however, the problem is that at the end of that time it had no resale value (without spending another $6k on it). Probably better to buy a non-hybrid car if you’re not going to drive much. Additionally, I wonder what the recommended annual mileage is to keep the hybrid battery in good running order.
For 2008, non hybrid mpg is like 25, hybrid is 33, really does not make sense to buy that hybrid in the first place given the below 10k miles/year mileage
Yet there other car with more mileage and in the future will go 20k a year in miles, my 2013 Camry hybrid has over 176k miles (50k in the last two years) getting 40-44 mpg. Highway commuting. All depends on how you use the car.
The math doesn’t make sense for Hybrids… a gas only Toyota should get 300k miles without a $6000 dollar battery…. There is no way a driver can save enough $ in the added MPG to pay for the replacement battery
I think they made a good decision to replace the hybrid battery. All their original cost has been used over 15 years. It has only scrap value without the needed repairs. If not this car, they would likely buy another used car for the daughter to drive hours away to school. They couldn’t buy a better school car for $6,000.
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.
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
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
Excellent video that explained the entire Camry hybrid battery replacement. I feel the customer make a very smart decision and I would have done the same.
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!
Great decision. Owner knows car and history. Wants safe and reliable. Wants inexpensive. You know where you are now, why risk for an unknown? I would but that car. BTW: Great video and I leaned alot. Just wish you could have had closeups when connecting, etc. Thanks!
OMG, no! I was waiting for him to grab the shop vac and suck that crap up. Not like the owners were leaving it there for a rainy day. I guess he had his reasons.
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.
Fantastic video I learned a lot. You did say you were super busy at the shop so thank you for taking the extra time to video this process and share it with us. Take care.
I absolutely agree with the owner. I would have done the same. I own an XL 2012 Hybrid. Not perfect but by far one of the best cars I have own. With 120.000 miles I am a happy camper.
My Lexus LS 600hl was up to 180,000 mile and I had to have the hybrid battery changed, I help the guy lift the battery in as its very heavy. It made a huge difference how the now drives. I Still think its the greatest car ever.
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
I liked this video. By the way, I'm nitpicking here, but it killed me when you put the bench seat back in without vaccuming all that crap that was underneath it lol i mean come on, its already out, that would have taken a few minutes using a shopvac. :) haha
While I see the point, I think it’s fair to only do what him and the customers agreed to have him do. I worked a short time detailing at a dealership and would do complimentary quick washes on cars that were just getting an old change etc and often there were times the customer would be angry as they have their own separate guy that does that for him
i have been always taught to wear all kind of safety gear and measure to make sure no power is there, but this man does everything without measuring anything and bare hands with powertools :D but toyotas are more easier and clearer to work with!
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.
I would say with the way you explained it. This family has made the right decision. Thanks for sharing this one video & knowledge behind it. Very cool.
Just watched your Taco 4 cylinder overhaul. This feels like a vacation in comparison. I’m not an e guy, I like petroleum powered motors, but I’d like to note that the newer batteries are mostly recyclable up to 90%.
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.
I can see the logic for the repair decision. Personally I would try and move my cars on before they get to this age. I guess it all depends on how much money you have and/or want to spend on cars. Good video, thank you.
Good decision by the car owner, even despite the additional $1600 due to ABS replacement. At $4200 if the battery was the only problem, it's a completely clear decision for an original owner where the car is clean, well-maintained, and free of significant rust or accident damage. It did bug me that you kept crawling through the garbage under the back seat, instead of spending a minute to vacuum or wipe it out. First time I've seen you do something like that. Even without a vacuum, a damp rag and shaking the stuff into a cardboard box would have taken care of the problem in a minute or two. I completely agree that a swap for a new factory battery with core swap (or getting a battery from a fairly new/low-miles wreck) is the way to go versus playing whack-a-mole with battery modules. I bought a used 2005 Prius with 151K miles and a factory-fresh battery in 2014. When I sold it in 2022, the battery was still working superbly, not a hint of imbalance or weakness. In the meantime, I had helped a cheapskate friend keep her daughter's 2004 battery alive, with mixed results. Due to that, plus rust and a list of other things about to fail (due to having bought the cheapest high-miles Prius available) that 200+K mile Prius was prematurely sent to the crusher, when she decided against paying for a new battery, even after I found her a brand new one at a dealer for $1700.
Excellent Video, I am making a decision on purchasing a new Toyota in 2024. I’m not totally sold on the Hybrid technology, though I know people who own both Hybrid and EV vehicles. Most of the comments are very positive about both Hybrid and EV. To date none of the owners have had battery issues or required replacement. After seeing this video and others providing Battery replacement cost none have stated the labor cost associated with battery replacement. This may be due regional labor rates. Has anyone been quoted a price for battery replacement and Labor ?
I met our famous RUclipsr 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
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. 😊
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😅
As an owner of a19 Highlander hybrid. 5800 plus labor. Is still less expensive than a new one. And if taken car of and not abused should last at least another 100,000 miles. Good luck to this customer. And God Bless you all. Happy Holidays
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?
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!
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.
Battery still holding up ?? Looking for an option, a lot of the hybrid battery companies have bad reviews. Let me know how it's doing a thumbs up works ??? And how long all together have you had this battery in 🤔
Yes not a single problem at all. Was definitely worth the money as car has been bullet proof since.
@robertsiwicki4597 Thanks for the response. Green tech isn't close to where I live in Indy but I'm still on the hunt. Alot of hybrid companies but man the reviews 🤦🏾♂️ replace a battery lights come on few months later spend 400 at a shop to please the warranty come out replace the battery and happens again 🤦🏾♂️ anyway thanks for your response 👍
How did all the gas savings work for you?
@@martyc2637. Awesome. No issues at all and also the Camry is bulletproof as well not needing any other things fixed. Got 161k on it now.
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.
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).
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.
Thank you for giving us the owner's thought process for repairing this car! I would have made the same decision.
I plan to swap out the one in my 2016 in the next decade and then drive another decade. Not sure if that in before gen 3 or not.
Best channel on RUclips by far. This is truly car repair and maintained education.
I replaced the battery in my 2010 Camry 2.5 years ago with one from Best Hybrid Battery near Chicago for $1600 and six hours of work. 40k+ miles further, I am very happy. Their packing was poor and UPS damaged it - I was able to straighten the tinware and they gave me $95 credit. This is obviously not for everyone. I did not take anywhere near the amount of stuff you took out from the inside of the car as it was totally unnecessary. However, it is nice to see how the third brake light is replaced. I also take exception with the "High Voltage" reference. True the intact battery produces >200 Volts. Pull the orange plug, which splits the batteries approx 40/60 and the terminals are dead. This is a very clever design - thanks Toyota. Replacing this battery was very easy for the DIYer.
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.
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
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 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.
Always a pleasure to watch someone that knows what they’re doing! 😊
I have watched you fiddle with this battery R & R for the last 30 minutes. Now you are a well trained heavily experienced technician who knows what you are doing.
I like simplicity.
Even though Toyota engineers designed this battery pack very well, their logical thought pattern is straight forward.
However by seeing just how much labour is involved in this procedure is almost equal to removing a cylinder head on a 1979 Chevy pickup small block.
I have no fears with removing a head ,but to realize the high voltage risks is what scares me.
I don't believe that I will ever own an all electric vehicle.
But you have shown me just what's involved.
Thanks .
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!❤
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.
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.
Definitely the right decision for what the owners want for this car. I own a 2020 Camry in the UK and love it as a great economical, reliable, comfortable and quality car. Buying from new and main dealer servicing keeps it perfect for me. I would also consider replacing the battery after it wears out in future as this Camry is such a good car. Great video by the way.
I just did my hybrid battery on the same car 2008 I payed $1700 on a refurbished hybrid battery and had the break actuator problem also replaced it. I did it at about 220000 miles. At 230000+ and going fine. The battery company I called installed it along as well the drove out to me. Rhe battery might only 4-5 years but I'll have a new car buy then god willing. The only problem I have is oil burning but this engine is known to burn oil all 2008 at high mileage. So hopefully I get to around 300k mileage or dead battery again with no other problems.
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.
For Pete sake man, vacuum out all the crap under the back seat. I can't believe you left it there. down right shameful!
Wow! Great video! Very detailed and straight to the point. I've always wanted to see how much work that goes into a hybrid battery. Who knows, maybe someday I will own a hybrid car. Now I have your video to go through the step by step process. Thanks! Yes it was a good decision to keep the car and restore it. Because it's a Toyota in good condition.
Counting battery replacement your potential gas savings goes out of the window. That’s why I am hesitant of hybrids.
Yes, my issue also. I think the trick there, is keep it for a while, then sell it a few years before the battery needs to be replaced... else, there goes all your savings. Another alternative, just keep your ICE car. We have a 17 highlander with 38k miles... runs great, we keep up with recommended maintenance. So, the only battery to replace is the 12 volt for probably less than $100.
Driving daily is better than leaving your hybrid vehicle sitting on your driveway for month.
Ahmed, I am one of the owners at Volts, the hybrid battery shop in Chicago. When I did visit with you a couple of years ago I explained to you that at Volts we do replace the entire battery, not just individual modules. We also only use new generation modules, not old ones and for our premium product we use original, slightly used hybrid battery packs, not mixtures. Upon properly cycling the used battery to eliminate memory effects, more than 90% of the original performance is restored. We do have customers who put 200+K miles on our (refurbished) batteries, so I would say they're quite good. Pricewise, they're less than half of what the dealership charges. Maybe you'll consider trying one of our batteries in the future. And feel free to pay us a visit to see how we do it.
It's a pleasure to watch a skilled tradesman in action. You make it look easy
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.
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.
Interesting as I learned I will never buy a used hybrid and have to replace a battery. Keep my old 3rd gen ravs & 4th gen 4runners going. Fantastic tutorial! Keep 'em coming! Best channel!
Alot of 1st owners ditch their Hybrid cars after a certain amount of years then the 2nd owner is stuck with the massive bill of replacement
Very good decision to replace the battery and sort out the brakes. Its a strait car with good exterior and interior. Worth the rescue. Kudos to the owner for a logical.😊 decession. 👏 😊
By the time you got down to swapping parts from old battery to new my head hurt trying to keep track of all the plugs, clips, misc parts, etc and where they all go. Glad i dont have to do it!
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.
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.
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
Very good decision by the owner to have the car fixed. Buying a used vehicle of equal or greater price is a gamble and in the end, could cost the buyer more money in repairs. Since the car has been with the same owner since brand new, makes a lot of sense to have it repaired. It's a Toyota as well. You take care of it, it will take care of you.
I purchased a used '10 RAV4 last year and have done a few minor repairs on it. Just came back from a 1500 mile road trip and my RAV4 did not disappoint. It ran flawlessly and kept us safe on our trip.
Top notch, knowledgeable and you sound very honest doing what you do. My only question is, Since you were in there, seats off etc. why didnt you take that extra few mins to clean the mess under the seat? I'm sure you have a logical reason for it..
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.
Got the same car, mpg really drops during stop and go traffic. Kind of surprised how the mileage tanks compared to freeway driving.
@@martyc2637 Yes, I was doing well to get 21 mpg in town with the Camry. I was surprised how well my Avalon hybrid did in city traffic jams. Regenerative braking essentially kept my battery charged.
@@TripleBerg Do you think the hybrid is worth the possible extra cost of replacing the hybrid battery?
@@martyc2637 Well the Avalon’s warranty on the battery is 10 years or 150,000 miles. After 4 years, I have only driven 31,000 miles. The gas savings I will have by 10 years at $3.5-4.5 per gallon should be more than enough to pay for a new metal hydride battery. Many people get 200,000 miles on these batteries. They don’t usually just fail, like all batteries they degrade in how much charge capacity they have. So if it degrades to 75%, it is still drivable but you might lose some efficiency.
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.
Excellent video! I had helped a mechanic friend some years ago replacing 2015 Prius hybrid battery. A little easier with the hatch back but time consuming as we did the long way too. The original battery was heavy too but the replacement cell banks were upgraded and slighly lighter. Took us two days by taking time to remove and replace. Certainly can commend the engineering/safety of the orange plug(s).
Just wondering if there was credit given for the return of the old core battery? Owner(s) made the right choice by keeping the car especially the almost good condition. Probably still in good driving condition for another troublefree 10 years or more!
Cheers from West Coast Canada!
True. And most people relate, even if they never owned one, the Prius vehicle. But these hundreds of thousands of different types of true hybrid vehicles, expensive ones or not are a whole different ballgame. And EV vehicles. Well, you tell me what it would cost to swap out of a certain type of vehicle. And would it be viable?
I think this whole battery thing is going to end up as a disaster of mega proportions for the entire earth!
It isn't the answer. Neither is solar power/ nor windmills. Aint going to happen with the world's population, driving these things around all over the planet, unless there are fewer people on the planet.
And that is a different topic for another time.
@@luckyguy600What are you talking about? You LITERALLY admitted you have NO idea of what anything might cost, and then immediately made an assumption that it will never work. You truly are a moron.
Every city needs someone like you!
I understand your customers thoughts on this. I have a 2003 sequoia with 174k and the paint is bad but I cannot find a vehicle as good for the cost of the paint work and other minor repairs. like theirs , my unit is in very good shape mechanically. and with a quality paint job and some new door lock actuators and a few other things I can probably get another 170k from it. Really appreciate your work, knowledge and integrity.
I really enjoyed this video and I agree with the logic of the owner. While $5800 is a lot of money, what else can you get for that and what condition is it in? The car you have now is a known quantity and is in good shape otherwise.
Awesome video. Very professional. I love how clean your shop is. The man who trained me as a mechanic emphasized how important keeping everything very clean was, and I very much came to understand the importance. It's great to see another shop following the same practices. Thank you for this. Definitely the right decision for this family!
As Tech of 40 yrs and now Automotive Instructor does my heart good to see traditions of honesty,professionalism. GodBless 52yr knowing him!
Only just stumbled upon this channel and now I'm hooked.
Liked and Subscribed.
Very smart decision by the owner. I have a 2006 4Runner with 152,000 miles and have spent less than $500 on repairs because I serviced it as Toyota recommended. I was recently offered $21,000 for it by a 4Runner enthusiast, but to me it's as good as it ever was. We've owned only Toyota & Lexus for 31 years with extreme satisfaction.
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. 👏👏👏👏
Very interesting video, but why wouldn't you take a shop vac and vacuum under the seat before reinstalling it ? I realize that you are mechanics, not car detailers, but it just makes sense to spend two minutes doing this after all that work and expense.
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.
His biggest asset isn’t his technical knowledge which he obviously has, but rather it’s his calm, patient personality and ability to control his frustrations. I’ve noticed after 66 years, that all the great ones have his personality type and thankfully not mine :)
They absolutely made the right choice in repairing it!
Fantastic video! I love how much time and effort you put into your videos. They are really appreciated!
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 🤣
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! :)
Fairly straightforward job, not too complicated.
I believe your customer made a good decision, with your valuable advice. 👍
Good video. Hybrid battery lasted about 15 years with moderate driving. Not bad, however, the problem is that at the end of that time it had no resale value (without spending another $6k on it). Probably better to buy a non-hybrid car if you’re not going to drive much. Additionally, I wonder what the recommended annual mileage is to keep the hybrid battery in good running order.
For 2008, non hybrid mpg is like 25, hybrid is 33, really does not make sense to buy that hybrid in the first place given the below 10k miles/year mileage
Yet there other car with more mileage and in the future will go 20k a year in miles, my 2013 Camry hybrid has over 176k miles (50k in the last two years) getting 40-44 mpg. Highway commuting. All depends on how you use the car.
Its trade offs. It’s worth it if you see how bulletproof the engine and transmission is on these things especially that Ecvt
The math doesn’t make sense for Hybrids… a gas only Toyota should get 300k miles without a $6000 dollar battery…. There is no way a driver can save enough $ in the added MPG to pay for the replacement battery
I think they made a good decision to replace the hybrid battery. All their original cost has been used over 15 years. It has only scrap value without the needed repairs. If not this car, they would likely buy another used car for the daughter to drive hours away to school. They couldn’t buy a better school car for $6,000.
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.
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 REALLY appreciate your caution, proceduresand precision of repair, especially this video!!!
If God had a Brother.....my Goodness, this is the Most Informative and Honest Vid I have come across
The patience of this man is amazing.
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.
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...
I'm amazed by all the parts that make up a vehicle.
Did you really just say, "Handle with negligence?" I like your very good sense of humor! Thanks for posting!
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.
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.
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.
Very intelligent, very thorough, very honest,very informative.
Excellent video that explained the entire Camry hybrid battery replacement. I feel the customer make a very smart decision and I would have done the same.
I can watch a professional man work all day.
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.
Iam really shock that you did not vacuum the flooring ,as dust is not good for hybrid batteries
Great decision. Owner knows car and history. Wants safe and reliable. Wants inexpensive. You know where you are now, why risk for an unknown? I would but that car.
BTW: Great video and I leaned alot. Just wish you could have had closeups when connecting, etc. Thanks!
You did a great job and saved them a lot of money and the car is great for college
I like how you left all the rubbish underneath the seat. The owners can never claim you stole something or put something of theres in the trash.
OMG, no! I was waiting for him to grab the shop vac and suck that crap up. Not like the owners were leaving it there for a rainy day. I guess he had his reasons.
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
Fantastic video I learned a lot. You did say you were super busy at the shop so thank you for taking the extra time to video this process and share it with us. Take care.
I absolutely agree with the owner. I would have done the same. I own an XL 2012 Hybrid. Not perfect but by far one of the best cars I have own. With 120.000 miles I am a happy camper.
My Lexus LS 600hl was up to 180,000 mile and I had to have the hybrid battery changed, I help the guy lift the battery in as its very heavy. It made a huge difference how the now drives. I Still think its the greatest car ever.
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
should have cleaned the bay before reinstalling the seat bench.
I liked this video.
By the way, I'm nitpicking here, but it killed me when you put the bench seat back in without vaccuming all that crap that was underneath it lol
i mean come on, its already out, that would have taken a few minutes using a shopvac. :) haha
Right, I don't understand either, cleaning is not his thing!
While I see the point, I think it’s fair to only do what him and the customers agreed to have him do.
I worked a short time detailing at a dealership and would do complimentary quick washes on cars that were just getting an old change etc and often there were times the customer would be angry as they have their own separate guy that does that for him
He made the replacement look relatively easy.... nothing too complicated
i have been always taught to wear all kind of safety gear and measure to make sure no power is there, but this man does everything without measuring anything and bare hands with powertools :D but toyotas are more easier and clearer to work with!
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.
ChrisFix has covered this a couple times on the Prius. Glad to see you covering it also!
You said "I wish car designers would take this apart". I agree.
I would say with the way you explained it. This family has made the right decision. Thanks for sharing this one video & knowledge behind it. Very cool.
Just watched your Taco 4 cylinder overhaul. This feels like a vacation in comparison.
I’m not an e guy, I like petroleum powered motors, but I’d like to note that the newer batteries are mostly recyclable up to 90%.
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.
I can see the logic for the repair decision. Personally I would try and move my cars on before they get to this age. I guess it all depends on how much money you have and/or want to spend on cars. Good video, thank you.
Informative video on hybrid batteries. Owner made the right choice. Good reliable car, good bones, good mpg for a college student.
Good decision by the car owner, even despite the additional $1600 due to ABS replacement. At $4200 if the battery was the only problem, it's a completely clear decision for an original owner where the car is clean, well-maintained, and free of significant rust or accident damage.
It did bug me that you kept crawling through the garbage under the back seat, instead of spending a minute to vacuum or wipe it out. First time I've seen you do something like that. Even without a vacuum, a damp rag and shaking the stuff into a cardboard box would have taken care of the problem in a minute or two.
I completely agree that a swap for a new factory battery with core swap (or getting a battery from a fairly new/low-miles wreck) is the way to go versus playing whack-a-mole with battery modules. I bought a used 2005 Prius with 151K miles and a factory-fresh battery in 2014. When I sold it in 2022, the battery was still working superbly, not a hint of imbalance or weakness. In the meantime, I had helped a cheapskate friend keep her daughter's 2004 battery alive, with mixed results. Due to that, plus rust and a list of other things about to fail (due to having bought the cheapest high-miles Prius available) that 200+K mile Prius was prematurely sent to the crusher, when she decided against paying for a new battery, even after I found her a brand new one at a dealer for $1700.
Excellent Video, I am making a decision on purchasing a new Toyota in 2024. I’m not totally sold on the Hybrid technology, though I know people who own both Hybrid and EV vehicles. Most of the comments are very positive about both Hybrid and EV. To date none of the owners have had battery issues or required replacement. After seeing this video and others providing Battery replacement cost none have stated the labor cost associated with battery replacement. This may be due regional labor rates. Has anyone been quoted a price for battery replacement and Labor ?