The triangle, or a silent dash?
The usual picture: red triangle, “check hybrid system,” P0A80, reduced power, a kind of limp — and the car still moves. Plenty of people nurse it home, or keep driving that way for days or weeks. The other picture is a silent car and a dark dash. On these years the 12-volt lives in the hatch; start there, not with a traction pack. Symptoms.
If it is the pack conversation, scan module balance with Dr. Prius and a Veepeak OBDCheck BLE before you buy. That is diagnosis, not a pack install. Factory HV coverage on these cars is long gone unless some aftermarket warranty is still in force. We cannot see that from here.
The airflow people forget
Heat-related limp or red-triangle drama that eases when the car cools can be airflow, not “order a reman tonight.” The Gen 2 pack lives under the rear seat and breathes cabin air. Pet hair and junk pack the intake path people forget exists. After Ready goes off, a soft whir back there used to be normal; a growl, a rattle, or sudden silence is a clue.
We will not publish a tear-down. A shop, or a careful owner with a parts diagram, can inspect that airflow. No HV how-to, no orange-cable steps. The related Gen 3 story — hatch blower and filter — is on the Gen 3 page.
Options that actually exist
DIY sodium modules
Salty Hybrid / NexPower lists the Gen 2 GT2 pack at $1,890. Sodium-ion blades into the OEM case. Not Toyota OEM. They abandoned lithium after durability issues; current line is sodium GT2. Often sold out.
Warranty since March 2023: 2 years unlimited miles with a NexPower-certified installer, 1 year if you do it yourself, non-transferable. They do not guarantee the roughly 10% MPG claim you will see in forums. This guide will not repeat it as fact.
If you want those modules installed by someone else, The Hybrid Geek is a NexPower reseller with mobile install. Authorized resellers also include Green Bean and My New Battery.
Shipped reman
Hybrid CPR lists a complete recon Gen 2 pack around ~$950 on their pricing page. Public recon pricing; this guide has not used them.
Greentec Auto publishes Gen 2 reman around ~$1,399 (24 months) and new cells around ~$2,099 (48 months) in their 2026 buying guide.
Mobile reman / sodium
Green Bean (LKQ) cites most Prius replacements at $1,349–$1,949 installed in their 2026 cost article. Come-to-you in select markets. Warranties from 1 November 2025: recon 1 year, sodium (NMS) 4 years, other new-module lines 2–3 years; unlimited miles, non-transferable, no refunds. Mixed PriusChat / BBB warranty reputation — details on the comparison page.
Dealer
Green Bean cites dealer work at $3,500–$5,000+. RepairPal sits at $4,501–$4,694. Reasonable if you want OEM paper on a clean, low-rust car you plan to keep. Expensive if the rest of the car is tired.
DIY “how” lives elsewhere
ChrisFix’s Gen 2 video already exists. We will not compete with a high-voltage procedure. If you watch it, remember orange cables can kill, and a YouTube success is not training.