Hybrid health check couldn't be carried out

[HughL]

Took my 2017 Prius to local main dealer for annual service: everything was fine, except that on collection was told they hadn't been able to carry out the hybrid health check, and asked me if the 12v Battery had been changed. It had, last spring, under Toyota warranty. I couldn't really follow the story, but apparently the attempt to carry out the check had thrown up some codes that prevented it. They've cleared the codes, and asked me to bring it back after another 500 miles when they will rerun the health check. I was assured that they system was OK and that I wasn't going to lose any warranty coverage.

Has anyone else had this happen? What was the outcome? Any info gratefully received: TIA.

PS the loaner was a manual Yaris. Decent enough little car in itself, but I'd forgotten how tedious all that pointless mucking about with gears and a clutch was in town traffic, and how smooth and seamless and flowing the hybrid driving experience really is.

[PeteB]

I've never come across the HV Battery check issue since the Health Checks started so can't comment there.

I agree very much with the sentiment about the way the Hybrids drive.  I bought my first Prius in 2002, but after just 6 months/12,000 miles it was totalled in a crash.  In fact, I had just left my dealer (0.4 miles from the scene) and got on the phone to my salesman while waiting for some lifting equipment to recover my Prius from where it had landed.  Long before the crane arrived, I'd agreed a deal to buy their 6 month old demonstrator as soon as my insurance coughed up!

I may have been influenced when I bought the car by the environmental credentials and running costs, but it was the way it drove that was completely behind by keenness to get another ASAP.

In fact, in 2019, after over 320,000 miles in a succession of Gen 2, 3 and 4 Prius, I was forced to get rid of my 4th Gen Prius because it's low ride height had caused colossal problems with with my hips, that then started to affect my knees and lower back.  Heavy doses of 2 types of strong pain killer and some expensive physiotherapy only slightly helped, and I knew from the pain getting in and out of the Prius that it was making things worse - or so I thought!

I looked around the market for a car that met my various requirements and drove at least as well as the Prius, and ended up with the RAV4 Hybrid.  It turned out that the Prius wasn't partially responsible for my issues, it was entirely the cause.  After three months in the RAV, all the problems (and the 10 pain killers a day) had completely gone!

[john p williams]

11 hours ago, HughL said:

Took my 2017 Prius to local main dealer for annual service: everything was fine, except that on collection was told they hadn't been able to carry out the hybrid health check, and asked me if the 12v battery had been changed. It had, last spring, under Toyota warranty. I couldn't really follow the story, but apparently the attempt to carry out the check had thrown up some codes that prevented it. They've cleared the codes, and asked me to bring it back after another 500 miles when they will rerun the health check. I was assured that they system was OK and that I wasn't going to lose any warranty coverage.

Has anyone else had this happen? What was the outcome? Any info gratefully received: TIA.

PS the loaner was a manual Yaris. Decent enough little car in itself, but I'd forgotten how tedious all that pointless mucking about with gears and a clutch was in town traffic, and how smooth and seamless and flowing the hybrid driving experience really is.

Yes, I`ve heard the same for Lexus--run it for 500 miles, then bring it back.

[Parts-King]

15 hours ago, HughL said:

 They've cleared the codes, and asked me to bring it back after another 500 miles when they will rerun the health check. 

Correct, if any codes are stored, you cannot carry out the HHC. Once cleared, you need to drive 500 miles before the HHC can be completed

[HughL]

Thanks: good to know it's standard. Now the only question is when I'm going to be able to rack up 500 miles by. That's an awful lot of trips to Tesco.

[Devon Aygo]

As the HHC includes a warranty on the Hybrid Battery, Toyota have built in protections to ensure:

• Any stored DTC codes are corrected before applying a policy
• 12v Battery has not been disconnected within 500 miles ( would clear DTC's ) 
• Fault codes have not been deleted within 500 miles

This is all to prevent unscrupulous persons trying to deceive Toyota into warranting a faulty hybrid Battery

[HughL]

3 hours ago, Devon Aygo said:

As the HHC includes a warranty on the Hybrid battery, Toyota have built in protections to ensure:

• Any stored DTC codes are corrected before applying a policy
• 12v battery has not been disconnected within 500 miles ( would clear DTC's ) 
• Fault codes have not been deleted within 500 miles

This is all to prevent unscrupulous persons trying to deceive Toyota into warranting a faulty hybrid battery

Thanks: that make sense. Happier now I understand why it's happened.

[ian rooke]

Hi I had the same on my 2016 gen 4 they failed to do the HHC 3 times it turned out to be a faulty lead on the tester it did however put 3 instances of HHC failure on the Toyota portal which the dealer cannot remove so it is up to you to contact Toyota portal to get them removed it took two months  

[BhxTrev]

I had to change my 12v Battery in my 2016 Gen4 Prius because during a cold snap the Battery went completely flat. When tested it was registering as only being 55% efficient & the Toyota club breakdown service agent said the Battery needed replacing. Being 40 miles from my Toyota garage & having a Halfords just down the road I went there to change the faulty battery. After reading some of the above comments I’m concerned now that replacing the battery would affect the warrantee as well as affect codes & any further hybrid checks. Does anybody know how fitting this new Halfords battery may affect my car? Would I need to replace this new battery with one from my Toyota garage to maintain the warranty, which I was hoping you extend?

[TonyHSD]

No, 12v Battery should not affect warranty as long as is of the same specs and size. 👍

[BhxTrev]

Hi Tony, thanks for that info. I have to admit I was getting concerned but I’m fairly sure the correct Battery has been fitted, if not when I next take my car into my Toyota dealers, I’ll be paying a visit to Halfords! Anyway I trust your advice & it has put my mind at rest. Thank you,

Trev

[PeteB]

20 hours ago, BhxTrev said:

...the battery needed replacing. Being 40 miles from my Toyota garage & having a Halfords just down the road I went there to change the faulty battery...

Wouldn't your dealer have replaced the 12V Battery under the 5 year warranty? 

I suppose they might not as the warranty is nearing the end, but my dealer replaced one on my very first Prius in 2002 when it was nearly 2 years old, and again on my 2016 Gen 4 Prius when it was 13 months old.

I was surprised the warranty covered the 12V Battery when I needed the first one, though not the second time!

[BhxTrev]

Hi Pete, I was never too sure that the Battery had ‘died’ or was so discharged it wasn’t as bad as the guy who tested it told me, so whether Toyota would have replaced it is open to question. Also, as I understand it, the 12v Battery is the one component that isn’t covered by the 5 year warranty. If you buy another Battery from Toyota that would then be covered for 5 years. As it is, Halfords have given me a 5 year guarantee on the new battery anyway. Also remember some time ago, my dilemma over getting Toyota to fit me a dash cam? Well my old Toyota garage changed hands & the new owners offered a Toyota approved service to fit a dash cam, so I had it done some time ago. I moved from the Midlands some time ago & my new Toyota garage is about 40 miles away now, but they are very good & I can’t fault their service. They also sorted out a catloc that I had fitted. Costly but worth it!