First of all, either battery will provide you many years of dependable operation but one option might be better than the other depending on how old your car is and what your long term plans are for the car.
We recommend new batteries for customers with 2007 or newer cars with less than 150,000 miles.
Here is a list of other reasons that you might want to go with a new battery:
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You plan on keeping the car for more than 3 years.
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Add the most resale value to your car.
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Get a 48 month battery warranty instead of 12 months that you get from Toyota.
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Complete piece of mind if you drive your car on long road trips (Cross country for example)
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You were going to have the dealership replace your battery but you would rather get the same thing for $1500 less and get a better warranty.
We recommend rebuilt batteries for customers with 2006 or older cars with more than 150,000 miles.
Here is a list of other reasons that you might want to go with a rebuilt battery:
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You plan on selling or trading in your car in the next 2 years.
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You want your car fixed for the lowest price.
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You use your car primarily for commuting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
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You drive your car 5-6 days a week.
If your car is in top mechanical condition and new enough you can certainly benefit financially from a new battery. Rebuilt batteries are the most popular and affordable option that we offer but they won't last as long as a new battery. While we welcome Prius owners outside of North Texas to bring us their car for repairs, we will only sell rebuilt batteries to local Prius owners. We will gladly sell new batteries to anybody who wants them, you can bring us your car or just your battery itself and we will exchange it for you.
Prius owners often ask us, "Should I buy a new battery or a rebuilt battery?", "What's the difference?". This is our guide to choosing your replacement hybrid battery.
Which battery fits your needs?
New batteries are simple. We've worked with Toyota to get factory new hybrid batteries at wholesale prices which we then pass on to our customers. In most cases we will pick up your new battery from the dealer on the day of your appointment. This ensures that you get the full 12 month warranty provided by Toyota which starts on the date of purchase. Unlike some of our competitors these are NOT used packs that have had new cells installed in them. They are NEW packs with NEW cells that have been factory assembled and prepared by Toyota. As part of your installation you will get a copy the reciept from Toyota for your records. A new battery will last 8-9 years just like your original battery.
Rebuilt batteries are slightly more complicated. We take the core batteries from all of the cars that we repair and completely dissasemble them. After dissasembly we recondition every module using our own unique process and computerized conditioning chargers. Next we test each module for capacity, resistance, and self-discharge (These are the three things that affect Nickel Metal Hydride batteries). We then review the test data and determine which modules meet our high standards for re-use and which ones should be recycled. Finally we group the healthy modules together, balance their charges, give them a good cleaning, and re-assemble them using new laser cut and nickel plated bus bars that we have manufactured right here in Dallas. A rebuilt battery will last 3-4 years with normal use.