Toyota Prius: Eight-year hybrid battery warranty for Toyota, Lexus

Owners of Toyota or Lexus hybrids will be comforted by the knowledge that the batteries in their petrol-electric vehicles will now be covered by an extended warranty stretching from the current five-year, 100,000km plan to eight years and 160,000km.

The extended warranty will be applied retrospectively to cover all hybrid vehicles sold locally by Toyota and Lexus since the Toyota Prius was first introduced here in 2001.

Toyota says that, to date, 12,700 Prius models, including the first and second-generation, have been sold in Australia.

The consumer-confidence move will allay some of the fears concerning not just the expected lifespan of hybrid batteries, but the cost of replacing them.

From the moment it introduced the Prius to Australia, Toyota has been consistent in its claims that battery life is equal to that of the vehicle itself.

The company quotes Prius taxis -- with more than 400,000km on the clock in hot, humid conditions -- that are still running strong despite recording what Toyota describes as the equivalent of 20 years of normal operation.

The senior director of sales and marketing for Toyota, David Buttner, says that, to date, "Fewer than one-quarter of one per cent of Prius hybrid batteries have been replaced in almost eight years of sales."

Lexus Australia chief executive John Roca says the local company has yet to replace a battery on any of the 2,300 vehicles it has sold since the GS 450h hybrid -- which was followed by hybrid RX 400h and LS 600hL models - was introduced here in May 2006.

But, despite Toyota's assertions that hybrids are well up to the task, there are still some doubters, especially when it comes to replacement costs. Although the significantly extended warranty will make this irrelevant to most owners, the general word is that the price is in the region between $3000 and $4000.

Toyota says it has an arrangement with its suppliers to cover dead hybrid batteries with a special ISO14001 recycling program (more here).

"Owners of Hybrid vehicles will have the warranty extension activated by their Lexus Dealer at the next service and will have their service books updated to reflect this," said Mr Roca.

The Lexus hybrid range today comprises GS 450h, LS 600hL and the new RX 450h. Toyota is to introduce its third generation Prius in mid July this year and is writing to all Prius owners to inform them of the extended warranty. This initiative will also apply to the new car, as well as the Lexus HS250h, if that comes to Australia (more here).

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