GreenTec Auto

Puente Hills Toyota quoted $ 5,500 + tax for a Camry Hybrid battery replacement, with only a one year warranty.
I paid a total of $ 2,700 including tax to GreenTec Auto for the same battery, with a three year warranty.
In and out in one hour. Toyota dealership said it would have taken four hours.
Only drawback as another reviewer noted is that it’s difficult to find. It’s not facing the street, you’ll have to drive down a driveway, it’s on the left.

Recently three dash lights on my 2004 Prius came on, one ACCURATELY nicknamed the «Red Triangle of Death». Our code reader confirmed there was an issue with the battery, Houston we have a problem. I just bought the car used 6 months ago and no warranty, just my luck. After TONS of internet research my worst fears are confirmed. Everyone Prius owner knows most places want to charge you so much money you would have to sell a body part to pay for the battery. Seeing as I enjoy having two kidneys it was officially time to start some extensive research.
To start with a baseline quote I called Toyota, they wanted approximately $ 3,500 and possibly your soul for a new battery, tax and installation. AND they only give you a two year warranty FOR A NEW BATTERY??? NOPE!
Next step, we had the car towed to our normal mechanic. His quote to replace the battery, labor and tax was $ 2,600 and it came with NO WARRANTY. NOPE again, not going to happen.
Next attempt involved YouTube we found out individual cells could be changed instead of the whole battery. We started our Craigslist research (as this was the only place I could find said… mechanics? Guess that should have been my RED FLAG) and made some calls regarding this option. One call involved a shady guy saying for around $ 450.00-$ 650.00 he would «come to my house, take my battery to his shop, replace the bad cells and then come back with my battery to reinstall it». I little voice in my head SCREAMED «Hmm what if he NEVER comes back with my battery?» Craigslist may be okay to purchase a couch, a magic bullet or even a puppy but a specialized car battery? A little further research revealed that often once one or more of your individual cells in your battery pack go bad they tend to have a domino effect. Conclusion: this is like playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun, PASS.
Next stop, internet website’s of the very few reputable looking companies that specialize in selling refurbish batteries. Now we are finally talking a realistic option! We checked out about 3 businesses, checked their history on Unilocal and other review sites and called each one to discuss specific details and concerns.
It didn’t take long to decide Green Tec was the way to go for us. They were reasonably priced and had full coverage on the battery for the length of the warranty, none of that prorated warranty junk! We chose a battery that would cost us about $ 1,600 and has a 18 month full replacement warranty. If anything goes wrong with the battery within that time frame they switch it out 100% for free! NOW WE ARE TALKING! The San Dimas location which is close to my home (for an additional charge they will make house calls) had the battery in stalk. We set an appointment to have the replacement installed the next day, we were informed it should only take about an hour for installation. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THE LAST TWO WEEKS GREEN TEC???
We get the car towed to Green Tec and meet the tow guy there. Now I am not going to lie, the only downfall is this place was NOT easy to find. It is actually in the middle of a set of garage like business buildings that go back away from the street. Give yourself a little time to get lost just in case.
We got to the office and were greeted by Josh (the mechanic) who promptly looked up our info while we waited for my car to arrive. Josh was very professional but at the same time kept us entertained while we waited. When the car arrived Josh got straight to business. Before I knew it he had all the interior stripped down and was ready to start removing my old battery. While he worked he took the time to explain to us in detail how the battery in my Prius Hybrid worked. He explained why replacing just the bad cells is never a good idea because the cells wear differently. He explained Green Tec Auto’s process of properly refurbishing the batteries. At this point I feel OVERLY educated on my car’s battery! Josh was so fast and efficient he was done in 45 minutes versus the hour estimate! Once the installation was completed he had me park it to make sure the car felt right and that I could confirm all dash lights were indeed gone.
No one likes paying that much money on anything! But I honestly feel Green Tec Auto is reputable, honest company that seems to really care about their customers, and on top of all that they are very reasonably priced in comparison to similar offering from other companies. With Josh’s knowledge, speed, accuracy, customer service and great attitude he made paying so much money a much softer blow! In fact, I was so impressed I ALREADY recommended Green Tec Auto to someone on my way home from getting my car fixed!
Thank you Josh and Thank you Green Tec Auto! No offense but hopefully I won’t have to see you guys for a LONG, LONG time, if ever again.

So I choose Greentec based on the website and technical info, they also had a shop close to my home to install it. Now the installation did not go smooth, I’m not sure if it was their batteries or my car. I had to take the car to the dealer, they had a tough time resetting the codes and computer. My car had issues, but the Greentec installer stay with it, and so far all is good. They have the best options on batteries and a 36 month warranty. I would recommend having Greentec replace your battery.

On a Thursday night in May, the dash in my Prius instantly lit up with all sorts of warning lights that I’ve never seen before. I immediately thought, «this can’t be good». The next morning I went to the dealer to see what the problem was. After an hour they informed me that my hybrid battery needed to be replaced. Then the bad news… they said the cost for this repair would be $ 3,500.00, $ 700 of that being for 5 hours of labor. I was in shock. I immediately told them that I couldn’t afford that and that I would have to seek out other options. Off to the internet I went.
After about an hour of searching I came across Green Tec Auto. I was able to get a hold of them right away and within minutes was being told that I would be able to get a battery shipped to me in less than 3 days (over a weekend). I was also told that the total cost, including shipping & installation would be around $ 1,500.00. I was in shock. But this time it was a good shock. How could Toyota quote me $ 3500 when Green Tec is quoting me $ 1,500? I’ll tell you why. It doesn’t take 5 hours to replace a hybrid battery in a Prius. It takes about 50 minutes.
I’ve seen it first hand because I had MY Prius battery replaced yesterday for a mere $ 75 (installation cost) by Josh at Green Tec Auto in San Dimas. Yes, I didn’t stutter… $ 75.00. Not $ 700 that a dealer would charge. There’s also numerous videos online showing you how to do it and how long it takes. Josh couldn’t have been nicer or more efficient. They’ll even do house calls if you want your battery installed at your home or business. I felt it was better if I went to them as I thought it would be a better environment to install a battery than where I live.
So here are the final numbers and times:
I purchased a refurbished hybrid battery from Green Tec auto for around $ 1,345.00 on Friday afternoon. I had to pay a $ 500 deposit which was handled over the phone. It was shipped to San Dimas CA that afternoon where I was called to come in on the following Tuesday to have it installed. The installation took just about 90 minutes which included prep time and system checking after the battery was installed. The refurbished battery from Green Tec comes with an 18 month warranty, 6months more than what the dealer would give me. It’s also approx. $ 1,200 cheaper than what the dealer would charge for a battery. The dealer, all in, wanted $ 3,500 for the whole job. I saved about $ 2,000 by doing this outside of Toyota.
But it’s just not Toyota that they’ll work on. They’ll install almost any hybrid battery on the market. If your Prius needs a new hybrid battery or you drive another car that’s in need of a new battery, then I suggest you call Green Tec auto before you call anyone else. Again, I saved roughly $ 2,000 by NOT having the dealer install my battery. You can too. I would use them again in a heart beat (but I hope I don’t need to call them for a few years!)