"Last but not least, you can
"Last but not least, you can get a new OEM battery from the dealer. If you can install it yourself, you will save a ton of money. Best part is that Toyota OEM packs have come down significantly in price to where they are finally comparable to the reconditioned units out there. Not too shabby."
Thank you for the article. I have a 2005 Prius. The quote above generates many questions in my mind. Why has the cost come down on "new" "OEM" "genuine Toyota" (fill in your favorite identifier here) HV battery packs only recently? That is not usually how older "OEM" parts work (and certainly not for the brake actuator on the gen 2 Prius, for example.) Simultaneously, the warranty offered on such batteries has fallen off a cliff. The original warranty (why can't I get that too?) was 8 years 100K I believe, and there is nothing like that offered with any "new" battery anymore. Just a few years back (like approximately 10 years after the gen 2 Prius ended production ahem) both prices and warranties dropped, and now those that used to sell only refurbished batteries are selling "new" "OEM" options for only slightly more but never say who actually made them or what is going on. I consider the HV battery pack to be a serviceable item, a fact which I considered carefully when originally buying the car, and I am surprised that there seems to be so much resistance to this notion - when people think "battery" they think it either works, or you need a new one. But, after so many years, obviously you will never be able to truly obtain a genuine, new replacement. As times goes on, production on "new" "original" parts will decrease without the original production cost decreasing whatsoever, and I worry that the "new" "OEM" "genuine Toyota" HV battery market is becoming muddled. Add to this the fact that Toyota is famously secretive about how "original Toyota" parts are produced, and I don't understand how anyone realistically believes they can get a new battery for a gen 2 Prius as it was originally manufactured for way less money 10+ years on, and anyone offering a refurbished battery for the comparable or lower money with a reasonable warranty and conditions is somehow offering a thing that is "too good to be true." But that is the prevailing advice, though generally not on this site. At some point new parts cannot be obtained anymore, and the first indication is big price and warranty drop. Common sense, it seems to me. Where am I wrong? It is still possible to buy a gen 1 Prius HV battery made within the last year fresh off the boat from Japan for way below the original price although the manufacturing process is pricey and the market is nil?