A silent dark dash is a different picture — often the small 12-volt, not a traction pack. Sort that first on symptoms if you have not. None of these three paths make this site a lab.
What the words mean
OEM (Toyota)
A new or dealer-sourced nickel-metal hydride pack in the original chemistry. This is the only path that plays inside Toyota’s remaining factory coverage. It is also the expensive baseline: $3,500–$5,000+ as cited in Green Bean’s 2026 cost article, and $4,501–$4,694 on RepairPal.
We are not a Toyota partner. If the glove-box warranty still applies, stop reading vendor blogs and go to the dealer.
Reman / recon / “reconditioned”
Someone opened a used OEM case, tested modules, replaced the weak ones (sometimes with other used modules, sometimes with new), and sold the pack again. Quality is a spectrum. Public prices we can source:
- Hybrid CPR complete Gen 2 / Gen 3 recon about ~$950 (their pricing page).
- Greentec Gen 2 / Gen 3 reman about ~$1,399 for 24 months (2026 buying guide).
- Green Bean “most Prius” installed $1,349–$1,949 installed, chemistry mix in that band.
A reman is still NiMH in an OEM-shaped case, unless the vendor says otherwise. Warranties are shorter than a sodium NMS pitch and often non-transferable. Ask what “reconditioned” means on your invoice: all modules new, or only the failed ones swapped.
Sodium-ion (NexPower GT2 and reseller NMS)
New chemistry in the old box. Salty Hybrid is NexPower Energy. Live list: Gen 2 GT2 $1,890; Gen 3 / Prius V / CT200h $1,890; Prius C $1,350. Often sold out. They left lithium after durability issues. Current line is sodium GT2.
Warranty since March 2023: 2 years unlimited miles with a NexPower-certified installer, 1 year DIY, non-transferable. They do not guarantee the ~10% MPG story. Authorized resellers include Green Bean, The Hybrid Geek, and My New Battery.
We have had a NexPower GT2 sodium pack in a daily-driven Prius for about two years now with no trouble. One car, not a study — enough that we do not treat sodium as vaporware.
Sodium / lithium conversions are not OEM. They do not preserve Toyota warranty. They are a bet that new cells and a different chemistry beat a sorted used NiMH pack. That bet can be reasonable. It is still a bet.
The fourth option owners try first: fix what you already have
Before anyone buys a pack, they hear the cheap version: grid-charge or balance the pack, or pull the one weak module and drop in a used one. It is a real path and it is the least money down.
We tried the balance route on a Gen 2 and got limited results — the red triangle went quiet for a while, then came back. Balancing a 15-year-old NiMH stack does not reset the clock on the rest of the modules that are the same age. It can buy weeks or a season. It is a stalling tactic to get through a month, not a substitute for a path.
If P0A80 comes back after a balance, stop shopping tools and start shopping the paths above. This puts your hands inside the orange cables, so there are no steps here — same stop sign as the rest of this site. The how already lives on PriusChat and YouTube. We will not publish HV opening, balancing, module-swap, or grid-charger how-tos.
Green Bean is not the hero
Founded 2016, acquired by LKQ in May 2021 (LKQ’s release, Green Bean about page). They will come to your driveway in select markets. That convenience is real. So is the fine print.
Warranties effective 1 November 2025, from their warranty page: reconditioned 1 year, sodium (NMS) 4 years, other new-module lines 2–3 years. Unlimited miles, non-transferable, no refunds. Core charges if the old pack is not returned.
Reputation is mixed, and you can read it yourself. PriusChat warranty threads describe long waits after a claim is “approved.” The BBB profile has complaint narratives about quotes moving and communication going quiet. Other owners report a clean Saturday install. Both things can be true. We are not going to launder either into a star rating we did not earn.
Who this guide mentions and why
Greentec Auto — public reman / new-cell ladder from their 2026 buying guide. Not tested here.
The Hybrid Geek — NexPower reseller plus mobile install. Not tested here.
Hybrid CPR — public recon list for complete Gen 2 / Gen 3 packs. Comparison column only.
Ranking method: public price, warranty text, DIY vs mobile vs dealer. Not “best.” Not “we ran 17 packs on a dyno.”