I live in MO and received a POA80 error code today on my 07 TCH with 133k miles. The car has been well maintained with a good service record and no major issues. The catalytic converter was changed last summer which is the only big issue in the 7 years since I bought it new.
The Toyota dealership, Jay Wolfe ran a diagnostic today for $89 and told me that the P0A80 code meant that my hybrid battery failed and that I would need to replace the entire hybrid system for $4,620. To my knowledge no other tests or inspections were performed. I was told it was an immediate problem and to no longer drive the car resulting in us cancelling a family trip a state away tomorrow.
What options and steps can I take to ensure this is the problem and it not something I can do for less. I am not a person that can absorb this type of cost and will be left without any transportation if the car isn't safe to drive.
Thanks, in advance to all those that reply.

 

Full boat list for that battery is $3541.14 and requires 1.8 hours of labor (about $200 worth). Do some shopping around for the battery and you can get a used one from around $1,200 or so and a rebuilt (all new cells) from companies like green tec auto for $2,395 with free shipping. Add in $200 for the install and you are sitting at $2,600 or so. That is about $2,000 cheaper than your dealer with a 18 month warranty.

Check around and you might fine even better deals. One thing to remember, if you live in a CARB compliant state, the warranty goes to 150,000 miles on a battery.

Not much help but that price is about the same as having a late model transmission replaced.

 

try this company, they are local.

http://greentechybrids.com/hybrid-ba...s/toyota-camry

 

You could call a reputable auto wrecker to see if they can locate a battery removed from a wrecked vehicle. This is a risk of course as how do you know it is a good battery from a wreck, compared to a failed battery that has been removed from a vehicle on the road. Most offer a warranty and typically want 50% of a new part price, so $1800?? Could be a good deal if it is a battery from a 2011. May be safer to go the remanufactured route with new cells, if that green tech hybrids company is reputable.