How Much Do Hybrid Car Batteries Cost?

Hybrid vehicles use different batteries than traditional gasoline-only vehicles and can run you anywhere between $1,000 and $8,000. The final price you'll pay depends on your car's make and model and whether you go with a new battery or a refurbished one. While the replacement of any kind of battery is infrequent, those for hybrids represent a significant portion of the total cost of owning a car.

Here’s a rundown on the average costs of hybrid car batteries.

Hybrid batteries

Due to their technology, hybrid batteries cost much more to replace than the traditional car battery. The good news is that they can last up to 150,000 miles with proper maintenance, and some hybrid manufacturers warranty their batteries for up to 10 years.

Hybrid car batteries can range between $1,000-$8,000, and the final price depends on the make and model of your car. For example, a quote for a hybrid battery for a Toyota Prius can run around $3,800, while a quote for a hybrid battery for a Ford Escape can be closer to $8,500.

Discounted hybrid batteries

Sadly, there aren’t many options available for you to compare when considering how much you want to shell out for a new hybrid battery. But there are a few ways to save money.

Rebuilt hybrid battery: While rebuilt batteries are a cheaper alternative to new hybrid batteries, they don’t provide the same performance as new batteries. They also don’t always come with warranties, and so they aren’t guaranteed to last for a certain amount of time. However, they can provide a financial cushion if you plan on trading in your hybrid car in the near future.

While rebuilt batteries will save you some money, how much depends on where you buy it and the model of battery. In most cases, you can expect to save a few hundred, if not a thousand, dollars overall.

» MORE: How much do electric car batteries cost?

Reconditioned hybrid battery: A reconditioned battery offers a very short-term option that restores a once unusable battery to usable condition. But this option works more like a Band-Aid rather than a long-term solution, and it isn’t likely to last very long.

Prices vary here as well depending on the specific car you’re driving, but a reconditioned battery will cost less than a new version, potentially saving you thousands of dollars.

Used hybrid battery: If you don’t want to pay up for a new battery, you can look for a used battery to fit your hybrid car. This can sometimes save you thousands of dollars. On average, they cost between $500 and $3,500, depending on the model you need. If you go for a rebuilt hybrid battery, you can pay up to $5,000.

As with any used purchase, though, err on the side of caution before agreeing to pay. Used hybrid batteries might be closer to their deathbeds than you realize and can affect your fuel economy. Ask for a diagnostic report of the battery’s health before making the purchase so you know what you’re buying.

» MORE: Should you fix up or break up with your car?

Installation

Regardless of the type of battery you buy, you’ll also need to pay for the labor to remove the old battery and install the new one, which requires special training. That doesn’t come cheap, and like the cost of the battery, the total charge for labor depends on your car’s make and model. For some more common hybrid vehicles, it takes only one to three hours to replace the battery, but more complicated vehicles can require over six hours of labor. Depending on the hourly rate, the labor could add several hundred dollars or more to the total cost of battery replacement.