NiMH

Toyota Prius 3rd Generation (ZVW30) Hybrid Battery

The Toyota Prius 3rd Generation (ZVW30) Hybrid Battery is the high voltage battery in the Toyota Prius (2010-2015).

At a Glance

NiMH chemistry
201.6 volts nominal
28 modules
forced air cooled

Specifications

Chemistry	NiMH
Cell format	prismatic
Cell maker	Panasonic
Nominal voltage	201.6 V
Modules	28
Module voltage	7.2 V
Capacity	6.5 Ah
Cooling	forced air (battery cooling blower assembly)
Location	Cargo area, mounted to floor pan cross member behind rear seat (INL: behind rear seat under trunk floor)
Weight	41 kg

Cars That Use It

Toyota Prius 2010-2015 ZVW30 liftback, all US trims Run the checklist

What Goes Wrong

Reported failures, each from a source listed below, as of October 7, 2026.

Owner complaints NHTSA lists under the Hybrid Propulsion System component for the Toyota Prius, by model year: 2010: 30 · 2011: 11 · 2012: 9 · 2013: 8 · 2014: 5 · 2015: 3. These are all hybrid system complaints, owner reported and unverified, not only battery faults, as of 2026-10-07.
In an INL/DOE fleet test of one 2010 Prius, measured battery capacity fell from 6.24 Ah at 29 miles to 4.99 Ah at 160,144 miles (about 20%) against a 6.5 Ah rating. (energy.gov: batterygenIIIprius0462.pdf, 2026-10-07)

Symptoms

Toyota service bulletin T-SB-0074-20 (Aug 2020) describes the check engine light (MIL) coming on with DTC P0A80 and/or P0A7F stored because dust or debris has built up in the HV battery cooling fan or intake filter; the procedure cleans the fan and cleans or replaces the intake filter. It lists 2003-2020 Prius, covering 2010-2015; its filter table shows an internal intake filter from MY2014. (static.nhtsa.gov: MC-10179698-9999.pdf, 2026-10-07)
Toyota bulletin T-SB-0013-14 (2013-2015 Prius, now superseded by T-SB-0074-20) described MIL ON with DTC P0A80 due to dust or debris in the HV battery cooling fan. (static.nhtsa.gov: MC-10134084-9999.pdf, 2026-10-07)
A keyword search of the 30 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2010 Toyota PRIUS finds that 20 mention warning light, 6 mention loss of power or reduced power, 14 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2010 Toyota Prius, 2026-10-07)
A keyword search of the 11 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2011 Toyota PRIUS finds that 6 mention warning light, 1 mention loss of power or reduced power, 7 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2011 Toyota Prius, 2026-10-07)
A keyword search of the 9 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2012 Toyota PRIUS finds that 6 mention warning light, 5 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2026-10-07)
A keyword search of the 8 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2013 Toyota PRIUS finds that 2 mention warning light, 4 mention stalling or shutting down (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2013 Toyota Prius, 2026-10-07)
A keyword search of the 5 Hybrid Propulsion System complaints NHTSA lists for the 2014 Toyota PRIUS finds that 3 mention warning light (complaint text is owner-reported and unverified; as of 2026-10-07). (NHTSA complaints, 2014 Toyota Prius, 2026-10-07)

Same Electrical Spec

These packs share this one's chemistry, voltage and module count. That is a spec match only. It does not mean the parts fit each other, so check with a technician.

Toyota Prius 4th Generation (ZVW51/55) NiMH Hybrid Battery

Recalls

14V053000 2010-2014 Transistors in the inverter's Intelligent Power Module can be damaged by high operating temperatures, which turns on warning lamps and reduces power.
18V684000 2010-2014 Excess voltage in the inverter's Intelligent Power Module may shut the hybrid system down and stall the car while it is being driven.
20V369000 2013-2015 The same inverter power-module excess-voltage shutdown risk as 18V-684, for cars that were not included in that recall.

Check the exact car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Warranty

Toyota's 2011 Prius Warranty and Maintenance Guide lists the hybrid battery under the Hybrid System Warranty for 8 years or 100,000 miles, and 10 years or 150,000 miles for vehicles with a California-certified emission system in the listed states; other 2010-2015 guides were not found. (techinfo.toyota.com: T-MMS-11Prius.pdf, 2026-10-07)

How battery warranties work.

Get This Pack Tested

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How to test a hybrid battery safely

Sources

Last updated October 7, 2026. Failure and recall notes are as of that date. Spotted a mistake, or speaking for a maker? Report an error.

Hybrid Battery Test is independent. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Panasonic, Toyota. Names and part numbers are used only to identify the vehicle and the part.