I have now found out that there is updated software available for the data communication module the campaign reference is XGG78 this new update is to fix random battery drains, amongst other issues to do with the SOS feature. So I would recommend any one with a new yaris to contact the dealer to see if their car needs the update. I believe they also test the battery and replace it if needed.
Hi, where did you find this information? It would be fantastic, half the world would be happy to solve these horrible problems on the Yaris and not worthy of a prestigious brand like Toyota
@befanello i was speaking to a Yaris cross owner, and he mentioned he had a letter from Toyota but wasn't really sure what it meant, so he showed me the letter with that information on it and I explained what was happening with the new yaris and how many where suffering from flat battery issues.
@befanello you could, but you would need to change the plate and clamp that the battery sits on. With the current way the battery is secured, you can only fit a 202 size battery
@@azerotha4531 Thank you for your timely and quick responses, and thank you for your very precise and professional advice. I find Toyota's passive behavior with this issue caused by their poor quality batteries shameful
Thanks for this. There have been a few people saying that the battery drain is coming from a software update for the SOS module but this just looks like they went with low quality parts and didn't test properly. You'd expect better from Toyota
I've heard all sorts from people and many excuses from the dealers there will be some cars that have genuine drains on the battery but most don't get issues when they upgrade the battery, the older yaris with the AGM batteries where great some of those agm batteries lasted 10 years
Thank you for this video, I've seen this problem mentioned on other TH-cam videos. I currently drive a Honda Jazz EX Hybrid which I bought new in May 2021, the mileage is under 4000 and I've never had a battery problem with it. I've been considering a new Toyota Yaris GR Sport but the battery problem has put me off getting one.
I had the same problem with a less than one year old Mazda CX 30, I got very paranoid about not starting, so much so I bought a battery starter pack and was also constantly checking battery with a voltmeter and recharging it, in the end I’d had enough and I got a better and higher cranking battery, all good now.🎉
This well known problem is an absolute disgrace from TOYOYA! I’ve had all this and been told by my dealer, it’s MY FAULT because I don’t drive many miles. They advise either keeping it on trickle charge or at least getting a solar OBD port maintenance charger. What a nerve! Clearly a design fault and their loyal customers are simply being fobbed off! This would be an instant law suit in America! What’s the answer here in the U.K., God not knows?
My old Toyota Yaris with just a 1.33 petrol engine was 11 yrs old & still on original battery. It once went dead when I left the side lights on. Some people gave me a push start, after I did a bit longer journey say 30 minutes and after no more problems, still going strong when I traded it in a few years later
Great info, thanks. Just bought a 2022 Yaris, and a cheap jump pack. Prepared to get a Yuasa. I don't drive a lot (or far), so I'm psychologically prepared for some issues.
I took my elderly aunts 2019 Toyota to one of their dealerships to have them check the battery, and they said it was all fine, yet her problem persisted. She's had Toyotas for decades without a problem until this hybrid. Now she doesn't trust the toyota anymore and we're helping her find a suitable replacement for the few trips she'd do on an average week. If toyota admitted the battery wasn't good enough and offered a free replacement she'd have been happy. It's put us off ever owning one in the future.
@morganmuffel2678 the 2019 yaris should have the AGM type battery in the batteries on those tend to be very hardy. But again, they are a very small battery and very short infrequent journeys will cause this issue. Pre 2020 yaris are no where near as bad as these new ones, if it does have the older AGM battery I think those can be upgraded do a bigger battery it just needs the clamp modifying with hacksaw or grinder. The dealer won't do this, but a good independent could. Most hybrids from other manufacturers suffer this issue with short infrequent drives
My Yaris Cross is now 8 months old and 100% causes problems if the 12 v battery is below 12.4 V. The engine often starts instead of EV mode. When the battery is 12 v above 12.4 the hybrid system behaves normally and EV mode is often turned on .
I've just discovered this video and I can't believe how 100% it relates to my experience over the past 3 months with the battery going flat, two unecessary AA callouts (the only ones in 60 years of driving) and been fobbed off by the dealer EXACTLY like most comments say. My car is the bZ4x BEV and my symptoms are EXACTLY as described. Yesterday I logged a formal complaint with Toyota, no response yet. My frustration and anger is off the scale. How do they manage to drift into this mindset and refuse to open their minds? Or does it perhaps generate a bit of revenue from unsuspecting customers?
I forgot to include; when the 12 volt battery goes flat in an EV you are absolutely 'dead in the water', hence the AA callouts. But why should I have to buy a booster? Should Toyota include one with the sale?
There is one more thing not mentioned here. Hybrid engines from Toyota like Yaris / Yaris Cross have 2 batteries (larger - traction battery) and smaller like the one on the film to just open and enable 'electronics'. This is by design in new cars, that Toyota can save a lot of $ by making this small batttery smaller, howver they forgot about battery drain by smart systems that allow mobile app to receive car status / location, etc... This drain is causing even more troubles - any longer than a week period of just 'parking' of a car, by design can drain enough battery to empty this battery 🤣
@Hasmilton spot on, that is a big contribution factor with having such a small 12v battery. If they had fitted a more powerful battery, these issues wouldn't be as bad, hence why I recommend fitting a more powerful and battery quality 202 battery
Very good post, thanks. I went to Halfords to buy and fit a battery for my Toyota CHR. But they refused. They are not allowed to replace 12v battery for hybrid cars. Can I buy and replace myself safely? Would it cause other electric issues?
Not allowed to fit batterys to hybrids?? that's just funny. Well, they will struggle when all cars are either hybrid or EV🤣. The CHR is very, very easy to change 12mm bolt for the clamp and 2x10mm for the terminals just make sure its switched off keep the key away from the car and give it 5 min after switching it off before changing the battery. I've done around a hundred CHR batteries, and not once have I had a problem. If you have ever changed a battery before on a normal car, I'm sure you will be fine👍
Just seen some thing to night on TH-cam toyta Poland found problem with yaris hybrid 12volt battery send new test equipment to dealers in Europe replace 12 volt battery net uk get new equipment soon
Just came back from a Toyota dealership in Poland after our Yaris Cross died after 10 days. "Everything is fine, these things happen, get a 12V booster". That's what the "most reliable" carmaker has to say.
Pleased that I stumbled on this video and have a question that I would appreciate your advice on. I have just ordered a Yaris Cross Icon as my daily. I have a GR Yaris as my fun car so that gets lots of long drives out and is on a CTEK charger all of the time in the garage so no problems there after 2.5 years. I daren't leave that most places hence the base YC as daily. For the Yaris Cross I probably come into the bracket of shouldn't have bought one as only 3-5k miles a year. Got told this after ordering it.I have bought a connection cable and extension for CTEK to fit to the small 12v battery so it can be connected in the boot and put on the CTEK maybe once a fortnight to keep it charged and cleaned. Also bought a NOCO GB40 for glovebox. In your video I couldn't quite catch the battery you suggested. People on the YC forum suggest seeing if we can replace the 35 AH battery with a 45AH battery or bigger if possible. I just don't understand electrics. I am willing to buy a new battery if Toyota allow. I heard that Toyota don't allow this as the car is designed for that battery it comes with. All they say is you need to use them much more. What is wrong with the provided battery to cause it such a problem when my current AygoX has been fine for two years doing exactly whet my new YC will be doing. Am I worrying over nothing? If this Yaris Cross was your car doing 300 miles a month -ish would you put a better battery in and if so, which one. There is also confusion if they are AGM or normal when people talk about getting a CTEK. I think they are normal but not sure. Thanks Craig.
Hi Craig you lucky man on having a GR great little cars, the main issue ive found is down to the quality of the battery not its AH, they just seem to struggle with sitting around and low milage if the car is used regularly and you pop the charger on every 2 weeks it should not have any issues. On the topic of upgrade I found the best battery to be a yuasa YBX5202 Google that number and you will find the battery, on the older yaris they used an AGM battery which was pretty good and very rarely did they fail before 5 years the new generation use a cheap standard lead acid battery the YBX5202 is exactly the same size in dimensions it's just a better quality of battery. Dealers can be funny. Some have said to owners if you purchased the car second hand. Even if it's only 13 months old, then the 12v battery warranty ended at 12 months which is odd lol, If you fit a better quality battery and its the same dimensions, then they shouldn't complain about it but each dealer is different. If you prefer to have a better battery and are handy with tools, you can always re fit the standard battery, every time you take it to the dealer. That way, they can't tell. But they shouldn't care if its got a better battery, but again every dealer is different. Hope that helps Cheers
It's easier said than done. The dealer will have to do specific tests to do that is controlled by toyota uk and not the dealer. I don't know what the pass or fail limits are but they will most likely do a full charge then test, look at the milage and read the ecu to determine how much power is lost when the car is not being used and how much is put back in when the car is being used. They will then say yes or no for a battery warranty claim. Each dealer is different, and some might change the battery just to look after you others might only go from what Toyota uk say, I've seen too many people keep getting sent away either saying it's OK when it's not or just saying it's not under warranty as the car isn't driven enough, there are loads of variables when it comes to batteries and you will need to check terms and conditions on the warranty. As all this is usually too much hassle for some they just buy a battery else where and live with having to buy a battery. If you have not yet been to the dealer, take your reports to them and see what they can do for you
@@azerotha4531 would I break the warranty if I changed the battery by myself? I just bought it and I’m afraid that I have to wait until 2 years warranty ends?
I've tested the obd ones in the past and found them to be pointless. They only started to top the battery up when I had 6 of them connected to the battery and only in direct sunlight, The best option if you want to keep it charged is to use a maintenance charger that plugs into the house/garage etc, if that's not an option then its best to 1, have a good battery and 2, run the car for 45min or so once a week. You might be able to get a very good solar charger that campers use, but it will need connecting to the battery and probably cost a fortune.
I have used a solar trickle charger for the last 3 years to keep my Yaris 12v battery charged. It just sits on the dash under the windscreen and puts out about 19 volts at very low current. I do very little mileage, and the car always starts. The output from the solar cell is fed through the OBD port, where pins 4 and 5 are vehicle Earth and pin 16 is permanently 12v connected to the battery. The unit I use is an AA Solar battery charger. It Works! The unit is easy to disconnect and stow away when you want to drive the car.
I have a similar problem with a Toyota Yaris Hybrid year 2020, low usage and car won't start. Back up running now with jump start by AA. Has been suggested trickle charging battery regularly to avoid problem. In a previous comment you implied (Toyota use to use an AGM battery which was pretty good and very rarely did they fail before 5 years, the new generation now uses a cheap standard Lead acid battery). I am not sure if my 12 volt battery is lead or AGM. I have a NOCO GENIUS5 charger and not sure whether to set it up for charging AGM or standard Lead acid. I am aware of the charging point in the fuse box and procedure. I dont want to look at the battery under the back seat to give me the information I want, if indeed it is stated on the battery. Any help much appreciated
Your yaris could be the agm try putting your reg into the yuasa website it will tell you what battery you have www.yuasa.co.uk/ Battery chargers can work wonders so worth a try in recovering hope that helps
Many thanks for your quick reply !!! I found the site you recommended and entered the registration number of my car. It displayed some very interesting details including type of battery which was an AGM.
Same here, same Yaris age (made on 7/11/22, but registered in Jan 2023), and the fault occurred after a few weeks low use last month this year. The Toyota owners/connectivity faq page states: “For Hybrid vehicles, we recommend you switch the car to Ready once a week for at least 20 minutes. While doing so, make sure you always leave the car in "P" Parking mode and do not use "N" Neutral mode as it will not charge the Hybrid battery.” Looks a bit close to the bone to me. After the problem, I did run it for a few hours on a couple of journeys, then used an old Black&Decker 3 stage charger (bought in 2008 on account of a problem with another car). We’ll see if the battery is any good now, or if it’s real capacity has deteriorated.
An update on this matter: A battery failure was detected by doing a routine top-up charge on 23/6/2024 using the B&D charger after a quiet week. It presented a failure code that said that one of the cells was dodgy, in effect, and recommended having it tested by the dealer. I arranged to take in on those grounds, and took it in on 25/6. They did their proper tests and decided to replace it, but they did not have any in stock, and would need a couple of days to acquire one and fit it, so 27/6 was going to be the likely collection day, perhaps in the afternoon. They said that only one battery replacement would be done under the warranty, and criticised the lowish mileage, and said that it needs to be used often enough to maintain the battery! We’ll see how it works out - but I suspect that the fault was there before the proper discharge in the winter, but worked around by regular topping up without a failure to start occurring again; it was my B&D that found it, after all, on this occasion. They did replace the 12V battery on 26/6/2024, but stated that it was done on “goodwill”, not officially as being done under warranty. There was no charge, so there is a receipt for zero expenditure for that job. After about 90 minutes after returning from the dealer, the 12V value was 12.6V, which is more like it for a 12V lead acid one, properly charged.
@Dara-jz9hl yaris pre 2020 had agm batteries and had very few issues compared to the ones from 2020 onwards. However, the new ones do seem to be getting better with the latest software but the batteries are still low power compared to other makes of battery. They come with 264 amp batteries which is small compared to the yuasa batteries. The rest of the car tends to be very reliable
You can just be careful where you put the negative don't attach it to any of the metal parts on the hybrid components. Go direct to the engine it's self. Getting to the battery direct is easy, the rear seat on drivers side the plastic trim around the seat base you will find 2 clips press the center part in on both clips, then pull the trim forwards you will then see the battery there is a part on the positive terminal to attach the positive clamp then attach the negative to the wire that goes from the battery to the body, attach the negative to the bit that bolts to the body this will prevent any damage being causes to the sensor on the battery negative. Hope that helps
Toyota wants hanging. I have this problem and they just keep fobbing me off. I had many bangers in my life but they have always started. Having just retired I thought I would treat myself with my lump sum, what a waste of £28000. I am livid and can't trust myself to go to the dealership anyway more as I would end up in jail.
@moggymorris2873 it is a right pain, and it all comes down to your dealer. Some are great. Some just fob you off I've even heard that some dealers are saying the battery is too small and needs a more powerful battery, which is pretty much what I have said, other dealers just say go away. if your software is all upto date and still get this issue the options are try a different dealer or take the plunge and change it I'm sure there will be battery shops near you that can upgrade the battery, one of the best is the yuasa YBX5202 most people that upgrade it them self's report that they don't get the same issues, cars can still get flat battery if it's not used or you leave stuff on, but a better quality battery will definitely help.
It has now been just over 6 months since you fitted the YUASA YBX5202. It would be interesting to know if you have received any feedback since fitment from this customer etc.? Thanks in advance.
@Wolves1963 The last time I saw her was 2 months ago in her local supermarket and hadn't had any issues. I've not seen her since, so I can't comment if I do ill post up cheers
Depends on which year Yaris you have? if its got the older agm style battery usually pre 2021 they tend to be very good batteries they do fail as all batteries do, but not as much as the newer 2021 onwards cars. As for battery make, I prefer Yuasa they tend to last better than others. For the newer Yaris that use the standard lead acid battery, the Yuasa YBX5202 is probably the best one to get
So if original Toyota battery is 35amp should a new 45amp suffice? (Different brand) for sure! Are cranking figures more important than actual battery Amh ?
@charliegeorge. cranking amps are not needed on a hybrid as the battery doesn't start the engine, the hybrid battery starts the engine. However, there is usually a corelation with CCA and AH. The higher the CCA, the higher the AH. One of the main issues with these batteries is quality, it's just not great. Any decent quality battery will be an upgrade even if it's the same 35AH, but as they say bigger is better lol, and 45AH is probably the biggest you can get in a battery of that size, as you can't fit a physically larger battery in the space.
Hi Azerotha 4531, I am in the process of purchasing a 2 year old yaris cross and was wondering if by changing the battery to the larger capacity would this be sufficient to stop the 12v battery issue? And have you any feedback on the software update as I've seen that not all toyota franchises are installing it.
Hi Adrian I've not got any Information on how successful the software update has been, but I do know that the original battery isn't the best quality, most people that have fitted a better battery, have not had any or as many battery problems, obviously no battery is imune to going flat but with the better battery it seems to be a big improvement
I bumped into her last week in her local supermarket and has not had any issues since the battery was upgraded. If your buying one or thinking of it, I'd expect you to get a few flat batteries. But you might not it seems to be a lottery some people get a flat battery if left parked up for more than 3 or 4 days others tend to be ok up too 8 or 9 days it really is hit and miss
if you only drive few miles a week DEFINITELY don't buy a hybrid car. You will have battery issues and you won't save any meaningful amount of gas anyway and on top of that regular ICE cars are cheaper.
I have a 4-month-old Yaris Cross. For the last few days, the EV mode does not turn on for the first 15 minutes of driving, and the weather is warm and the heating is turned off. Could the cause of the problem be a low voltage in the 12 V battery. What do you think
No I don't think so as once started the hv battery runs the 12v side of things, if you have the climate control set to cold with the air conditioning on this could cause the ev mode to be disabled untill the interior temperature is at the set value. If the ev mode is disabled with the AC off, it's most likely the hv battery is a bit low and needs the engine to top it up. If the hv battery is full, then it will need checking out. Without seeing the car, it's difficult to say exactly what causes it.
So what IS the actual solution then? Having recently spoken to an AA rescue guy, this is apparently a very common problem on these cars - and Toyota are just sweeping it under the carpet.
I do not own an electric car .... but ..... I have heard of HUGE problems with the 12 Volt Lead acid batteries .... All EV's have a charging port for the high voltage battery .... it should not be difficult for the manufacturers to supply a little 12 Volt charge port for users that leave their EV's idle for a few days .... a decent 14 Volt mains charger can cost as little as ( £15 at Lidl™ ) ... some models ( TESLA ? ) need a huge " strip down " to get to the 12 Volt battery ! ! ... the designers spend SO MUCH time on the electric drive train , they totally forget the little 12 Volt battery ( ? ) ...please comment .. DAVE™🛑
Easy to say all that when you haven’t sold the customer the battery to get them to buy one. If you sold them this battery with the same test, r u gonna give out free batteries an not get ur replacement/credit from whom you bought it from. Battery suppliers will reject this as a warranty claim, maybe you need a better charger
@jonnyboi6342 correct on a few things, a warranty claim from most manufacturers is only accepted on bad cell test results caused by manufacturing defects. Anything else is classed as ware and tear, imagine buying 2 new tyres then doing a burn out till they exploded or lost all tread the manufacturer won't cover that as its your fault lol, when im dealing with battery issues there are various things that need to be taken into consideration such as amount of use, milage, vehicle condition such as electrical faults amongst other things, a battery that fails a test or in this case won't hold good voltage is down to ware and tear and not warranty accepted and is fully explained to the owner, With regards the toyota batteries it's more of a quality issue they are the smart price of the battery world. A better quality battery will give better performance and last longer, the older AGM batteries they used lasted years, some 10+ years. With regards the charger I've got 3 of them all different ones, remember if the plates are worn out or damaged they won't recover, yes there are people that claim to be able to fully recover damaged batteries by doing all sorts but they either take a lot of faffing to do or it don't work, end of the day we live in the real world and people just don't want the hassle, new battery and away they go, most that have upgraded the quality of the battery get less issues, no car and no battery is immune to going flat or failing early on unless they are looked after, and everyone I go out to that has a flat battery regardless if the battery is good or bad gets the same advice on how to look after a battery and they all get the options to charge it up and see how they get on buy one from the company i work for or go elsewhere for new batteries, everyone has a choice that's theirs to make. Most yaris owners tend to buy a new battery because they have been the dealers a few times and gave got fed up with going there not having the car for upto a few days to be told stupid things like you need to do 12k per year and getting fobbed off. A good quality battery is always the best option and take things from there.
That result was after being on a re conditioning charger. The same way the dealers will do it and was to demonstrate what results you get when you visit the dealer. If you have any other ideas, please share cheers
@@azerotha4531 for such a small battery it wouldnt be cost effective to recondition properly; but unless you are missing a large chunk of voltage (indicating a cell cell short) then it could be restored to near full health. You'd have to run a sulphide cleaner through it - as you mention dealers are not equipped to do this, nor do they even bother to run basic diagnostics properly - which is amazing because midtronics stations etc have meant to be standard equipment for them for ages now and these do account for exactly what you have showed here. Dealers in the EU/UK are also told not to attempt reconditioning on AGM style batteries, despite them being perfectly serviceable by professionals. A proper reconditioning charger is risky and thus would never be done on vehicle simply cyclic reconditioning is not useful in majority of cases.
This is very useful post, many thanks. I have a Toyota CHR, 12v battery went flat on Sunday. Called AA who says battery need to replace, jump started but said it may not start again and recommended to go to dealer. It’s a surprise because I drive minimum 250miles on motorways each week. I still have warranty, just been to dealer. The guy came out and first thing he says, you need to pay to new battery. I replied, what about warranty. He then started giving excuses- we need to check mileage, check the battery and leave it on charge overnight. He then checked and comes out a good battery report. I then left and booked another appointment in July for overnight charge. After watching this post and messages, seems like I should not waste any further time. It becomes so clear for me. I also went to Halfords to buy and fit a new battery, but they refused saying they are not allowed to replace Hybrid car 12V battery. I’m so confused, is it okay for me to buy and replace the battery myself safely?Lastly, why does everyone talks so much about Toyota reliability!!
Yes, 21s century engineering and yet motor manufacturers produce cars like this that aren't fit for purpose. Apparently various Toyota owner's clubs suggest turning off all sorts of mod cons on their cars to minimise this 12v drain. Absolute nonsense. And of course you must not leave the car undriven for a few days.
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I've updated the description with a little more info and now including the Lexus LBX as its based on the yaris
I have now found out that there is updated software available for the data communication module the campaign reference is XGG78 this new update is to fix random battery drains, amongst other issues to do with the SOS feature. So I would recommend any one with a new yaris to contact the dealer to see if their car needs the update. I believe they also test the battery and replace it if needed.
Hi, where did you find this information? It would be fantastic, half the world would be happy to solve these horrible problems on the Yaris and not worthy of a prestigious brand like Toyota
@befanello i was speaking to a Yaris cross owner, and he mentioned he had a letter from Toyota but wasn't really sure what it meant, so he showed me the letter with that information on it and I explained what was happening with the new yaris and how many where suffering from flat battery issues.
instead of putting a YUASA YBX5202 wouldn't it be better to put an AGM like on the old Yaris?
@befanello you could, but you would need to change the plate and clamp that the battery sits on. With the current way the battery is secured, you can only fit a 202 size battery
@@azerotha4531 Thank you for your timely and quick responses, and thank you for your very precise and professional advice. I find Toyota's passive behavior with this issue caused by their poor quality batteries shameful
Thanks for this. There have been a few people saying that the battery drain is coming from a software update for the SOS module but this just looks like they went with low quality parts and didn't test properly. You'd expect better from Toyota
I've heard all sorts from people and many excuses from the dealers there will be some cars that have genuine drains on the battery but most don't get issues when they upgrade the battery, the older yaris with the AGM batteries where great some of those agm batteries lasted 10 years
Thank you for this video, I've seen this problem mentioned on other TH-cam videos. I currently drive a Honda Jazz EX Hybrid which I bought new in May 2021, the mileage is under 4000 and I've never had a battery problem with it.
I've been considering a new Toyota Yaris GR Sport but the battery problem has put me off getting one.
I had the same problem with a less than one year old Mazda CX 30, I got very paranoid about not starting, so much so I bought a battery starter pack and was also constantly checking battery with a voltmeter and recharging it, in the end I’d had enough and I got a better and higher cranking battery, all good now.🎉
This well known problem is an absolute disgrace from TOYOYA!
I’ve had all this and been told by my dealer, it’s MY FAULT because I don’t drive many miles.
They advise either keeping it on trickle charge or at least getting a solar OBD port maintenance charger.
What a nerve! Clearly a design fault and their loyal customers are simply being fobbed off!
This would be an instant law suit in America!
What’s the answer here in the U.K., God not knows?
My old Toyota Yaris with just a 1.33 petrol engine was 11 yrs old & still on original battery. It once went dead when I left the side lights on. Some people gave me a push start, after I did a bit longer journey say 30 minutes and after no more problems, still going strong when I traded it in a few years later
Great info, thanks. Just bought a 2022 Yaris, and a cheap jump pack. Prepared to get a Yuasa. I don't drive a lot (or far), so I'm psychologically prepared for some issues.
I took my elderly aunts 2019 Toyota to one of their dealerships to have them check the battery, and they said it was all fine, yet her problem persisted. She's had Toyotas for decades without a problem until this hybrid. Now she doesn't trust the toyota anymore and we're helping her find a suitable replacement for the few trips she'd do on an average week. If toyota admitted the battery wasn't good enough and offered a free replacement she'd have been happy. It's put us off ever owning one in the future.
@morganmuffel2678 the 2019 yaris should have the AGM type battery in the batteries on those tend to be very hardy. But again, they are a very small battery and very short infrequent journeys will cause this issue. Pre 2020 yaris are no where near as bad as these new ones, if it does have the older AGM battery I think those can be upgraded do a bigger battery it just needs the clamp modifying with hacksaw or grinder. The dealer won't do this, but a good independent could. Most hybrids from other manufacturers suffer this issue with short infrequent drives
My Yaris Cross is now 8 months old and 100% causes problems if the 12 v battery is below 12.4 V. The engine often starts instead of EV mode. When the battery is 12 v above 12.4 the hybrid system behaves normally and EV mode is often turned on .
So what is the solution ? Refuse to take a Toyota sourced battery and replace it with an alternative model ?
I've just discovered this video and I can't believe how 100% it relates to my experience over the past 3 months with the battery going flat, two unecessary AA callouts (the only ones in 60 years of driving) and been fobbed off by the dealer EXACTLY like most comments say. My car is the bZ4x BEV and my symptoms are EXACTLY as described. Yesterday I logged a formal complaint with Toyota, no response yet. My frustration and anger is off the scale. How do they manage to drift into this mindset and refuse to open their minds? Or does it perhaps generate a bit of revenue from unsuspecting customers?
I forgot to include; when the 12 volt battery goes flat in an EV you are absolutely 'dead in the water', hence the AA callouts. But why should I have to buy a booster? Should Toyota include one with the sale?
There is one more thing not mentioned here. Hybrid engines from Toyota like Yaris / Yaris Cross have 2 batteries (larger - traction battery) and smaller like the one on the film to just open and enable 'electronics'.
This is by design in new cars, that Toyota can save a lot of $ by making this small batttery smaller, howver they forgot about battery drain by smart systems that allow mobile app to receive car status / location, etc...
This drain is causing even more troubles - any longer than a week period of just 'parking' of a car, by design can drain enough battery to empty this battery 🤣
@Hasmilton spot on, that is a big contribution factor with having such a small 12v battery. If they had fitted a more powerful battery, these issues wouldn't be as bad, hence why I recommend fitting a more powerful and battery quality 202 battery
Very good post, thanks. I went to Halfords to buy and fit a battery for my Toyota CHR. But they refused. They are not allowed to replace 12v battery for hybrid cars. Can I buy and replace myself safely? Would it cause other electric issues?
Not allowed to fit batterys to hybrids?? that's just funny. Well, they will struggle when all cars are either hybrid or EV🤣. The CHR is very, very easy to change 12mm bolt for the clamp and 2x10mm for the terminals just make sure its switched off keep the key away from the car and give it 5 min after switching it off before changing the battery. I've done around a hundred CHR batteries, and not once have I had a problem. If you have ever changed a battery before on a normal car, I'm sure you will be fine👍
Just seen some thing to night on TH-cam toyta Poland found problem with yaris hybrid 12volt battery send new test equipment to dealers in Europe replace 12 volt battery net uk get new equipment soon
Just came back from a Toyota dealership in Poland after our Yaris Cross died after 10 days. "Everything is fine, these things happen, get a 12V booster". That's what the "most reliable" carmaker has to say.
Pleased that I stumbled on this video and have a question that I would appreciate your advice on.
I have just ordered a Yaris Cross Icon as my daily. I have a GR Yaris as my fun car so that gets lots of long drives out and is on a CTEK charger all of the time in the garage so no problems there after 2.5 years. I daren't leave that most places hence the base YC as daily.
For the Yaris Cross I probably come into the bracket of shouldn't have bought one as only 3-5k miles a year. Got told this after ordering it.I have bought a connection cable and extension for CTEK to fit to the small 12v battery so it can be connected in the boot and put on the CTEK maybe once a fortnight to keep it charged and cleaned. Also bought a NOCO GB40 for glovebox.
In your video I couldn't quite catch the battery you suggested. People on the YC forum suggest seeing if we can replace the 35 AH battery with a 45AH battery or bigger if possible. I just don't understand electrics. I am willing to buy a new battery if Toyota allow. I heard that Toyota don't allow this as the car is designed for that battery it comes with. All they say is you need to use them much more. What is wrong with the provided battery to cause it such a problem when my current AygoX has been fine for two years doing exactly whet my new YC will be doing. Am I worrying over nothing?
If this Yaris Cross was your car doing 300 miles a month -ish would you put a better battery in and if so, which one. There is also confusion if they are AGM or normal when people talk about getting a CTEK. I think they are normal but not sure.
Thanks
Craig.
Hi Craig you lucky man on having a GR great little cars, the main issue ive found is down to the quality of the battery not its AH, they just seem to struggle with sitting around and low milage if the car is used regularly and you pop the charger on every 2 weeks it should not have any issues. On the topic of upgrade I found the best battery to be a yuasa YBX5202 Google that number and you will find the battery, on the older yaris they used an AGM battery which was pretty good and very rarely did they fail before 5 years the new generation use a cheap standard lead acid battery the YBX5202 is exactly the same size in dimensions it's just a better quality of battery.
Dealers can be funny. Some have said to owners if you purchased the car second hand. Even if it's only 13 months old, then the 12v battery warranty ended at 12 months which is odd lol, If you fit a better quality battery and its the same dimensions, then they shouldn't complain about it but each dealer is different. If you prefer to have a better battery and are handy with tools, you can always re fit the standard battery, every time you take it to the dealer. That way, they can't tell. But they shouldn't care if its got a better battery, but again every dealer is different. Hope that helps
Cheers
Had the aa out twice with our cross surely its not fit for purpose and we can request the dealer changes for a fit for purpose new battery ,?
It's easier said than done. The dealer will have to do specific tests to do that is controlled by toyota uk and not the dealer. I don't know what the pass or fail limits are but they will most likely do a full charge then test, look at the milage and read the ecu to determine how much power is lost when the car is not being used and how much is put back in when the car is being used. They will then say yes or no for a battery warranty claim. Each dealer is different, and some might change the battery just to look after you others might only go from what Toyota uk say, I've seen too many people keep getting sent away either saying it's OK when it's not or just saying it's not under warranty as the car isn't driven enough, there are loads of variables when it comes to batteries and you will need to check terms and conditions on the warranty. As all this is usually too much hassle for some they just buy a battery else where and live with having to buy a battery. If you have not yet been to the dealer, take your reports to them and see what they can do for you
@@azerotha4531 I think I will gain some more knowledge and go in as they are unlikely to fob you off if they think you know what your talking about
@@azerotha4531 would I break the warranty if I changed the battery by myself? I just bought it and I’m afraid that I have to wait until 2 years warranty ends?
@einsam_aber_frei changing the 12v battery won't affect the warranty on the rest of the car.
@@azerotha4531 Thank you, I’ll try!
Our Yaris Cross battery is constantly going flat if we don't drive it for over a week.
Would you recommend a solar trickle charger that connects to the obd port
I've tested the obd ones in the past and found them to be pointless. They only started to top the battery up when I had 6 of them connected to the battery and only in direct sunlight, The best option if you want to keep it charged is to use a maintenance charger that plugs into the house/garage etc, if that's not an option then its best to 1, have a good battery and 2, run the car for 45min or so once a week. You might be able to get a very good solar charger that campers use, but it will need connecting to the battery and probably cost a fortune.
I have used a solar trickle charger for the last 3 years to keep my Yaris 12v battery charged. It just sits on the dash under the windscreen and puts out about 19 volts at very low current. I do very little mileage, and the car always starts. The output from the solar cell is fed through the OBD port, where pins 4 and 5 are vehicle Earth and pin 16 is permanently 12v connected to the battery. The unit I use is an AA Solar battery charger. It Works! The unit is easy to disconnect and stow away when you want to drive the car.
I have a similar problem with a Toyota Yaris Hybrid year 2020, low usage and car won't start. Back up running now with jump start by AA. Has been suggested trickle charging battery regularly to avoid problem. In a previous comment you implied (Toyota use to use an AGM battery which was pretty good and very rarely did they fail before 5 years, the new generation now uses a cheap standard Lead acid battery). I am not sure if my 12 volt battery is lead or AGM. I have a NOCO GENIUS5 charger and not sure whether to set it up for charging AGM or standard Lead acid. I am aware of the charging point in the fuse box and procedure. I dont want to look at the battery under the back seat to give me the information I want, if indeed it is stated on the battery. Any help much appreciated
Your yaris could be the agm try putting your reg into the yuasa website it will tell you what battery you have
www.yuasa.co.uk/
Battery chargers can work wonders so worth a try in recovering hope that helps
Many thanks for your quick reply !!! I found the site you recommended and entered the registration number of my car. It displayed some very interesting details including type of battery which was an AGM.
Same here, same Yaris age (made on 7/11/22, but registered in Jan 2023), and the fault occurred after a few weeks low use last month this year. The Toyota owners/connectivity faq page states: “For Hybrid vehicles, we recommend you switch the car to Ready once a week for at least 20 minutes. While doing so, make sure you always leave the car in "P" Parking mode and do not use "N" Neutral mode as it will not charge the Hybrid battery.” Looks a bit close to the bone to me.
After the problem, I did run it for a few hours on a couple of journeys, then used an old Black&Decker 3 stage charger (bought in 2008 on account of a problem with another car). We’ll see if the battery is any good now, or if it’s real capacity has deteriorated.
An update on this matter:
A battery failure was detected by doing a routine top-up charge on 23/6/2024 using the B&D charger after a quiet week. It presented a failure code that said that one of the cells was dodgy, in effect, and recommended having it tested by the dealer.
I arranged to take in on those grounds, and took it in on 25/6. They did their proper tests and decided to replace it, but they did not have any in stock, and would need a couple of days to acquire one and fit it, so 27/6 was going to be the likely collection day, perhaps in the afternoon.
They said that only one battery replacement would be done under the warranty, and criticised the lowish mileage, and said that it needs to be used often enough to maintain the battery! We’ll see how it works out - but I suspect that the fault was there before the proper discharge in the winter, but worked around by regular topping up without a failure to start occurring again; it was my B&D that found it, after all, on this occasion.
They did replace the 12V battery on 26/6/2024, but stated that it was done on “goodwill”, not officially as being done under warranty. There was no charge, so there is a receipt for zero expenditure for that job. After about 90 minutes after returning from the dealer, the 12V value was 12.6V, which is more like it for a 12V lead acid one, properly charged.
I’m interested in a Yaris or Yaris cross
Which year model would you advise to get to avoid this issue
Thanks
@Dara-jz9hl yaris pre 2020 had agm batteries and had very few issues compared to the ones from 2020 onwards. However, the new ones do seem to be getting better with the latest software but the batteries are still low power compared to other makes of battery. They come with 264 amp batteries which is small compared to the yuasa batteries. The rest of the car tends to be very reliable
Have YC hybrid. Can I charge the 12v battery from the points under the hood (these for jump start), not directly to the battery under the back seat?
You can just be careful where you put the negative don't attach it to any of the metal parts on the hybrid components. Go direct to the engine it's self. Getting to the battery direct is easy, the rear seat on drivers side the plastic trim around the seat base you will find 2 clips press the center part in on both clips, then pull the trim forwards you will then see the battery there is a part on the positive terminal to attach the positive clamp then attach the negative to the wire that goes from the battery to the body, attach the negative to the bit that bolts to the body this will prevent any damage being causes to the sensor on the battery negative. Hope that helps
@@azerotha4531thank you very much!
Toyota wants hanging. I have this problem and they just keep fobbing me off. I had many bangers in my life but they have always started. Having just retired I thought I would treat myself with my lump sum, what a waste of £28000. I am livid and can't trust myself to go to the dealership anyway more as I would end up in jail.
@moggymorris2873 it is a right pain, and it all comes down to your dealer. Some are great. Some just fob you off I've even heard that some dealers are saying the battery is too small and needs a more powerful battery, which is pretty much what I have said, other dealers just say go away. if your software is all upto date and still get this issue the options are try a different dealer or take the plunge and change it I'm sure there will be battery shops near you that can upgrade the battery, one of the best is the yuasa YBX5202 most people that upgrade it them self's report that they don't get the same issues, cars can still get flat battery if it's not used or you leave stuff on, but a better quality battery will definitely help.
Thank you 👏👏👏👏
It has now been just over 6 months since you fitted the YUASA YBX5202. It would be interesting to know if you have received any feedback since fitment from this customer etc.? Thanks in advance.
@Wolves1963 The last time I saw her was 2 months ago in her local supermarket and hadn't had any issues. I've not seen her since, so I can't comment if I do ill post up cheers
Must be a recall notice surely???
So suould you buy a better battery for the Yaris? And which is better?
Depends on which year Yaris you have? if its got the older agm style battery usually pre 2021 they tend to be very good batteries they do fail as all batteries do, but not as much as the newer 2021 onwards cars. As for battery make, I prefer Yuasa they tend to last better than others. For the newer Yaris that use the standard lead acid battery, the Yuasa YBX5202 is probably the best one to get
So if original Toyota battery is 35amp should a new 45amp suffice? (Different brand) for sure!
Are cranking figures more important than actual battery Amh ?
@charliegeorge. cranking amps are not needed on a hybrid as the battery doesn't start the engine, the hybrid battery starts the engine. However, there is usually a corelation with CCA and AH. The higher the CCA, the higher the AH. One of the main issues with these batteries is quality, it's just not great. Any decent quality battery will be an upgrade even if it's the same 35AH, but as they say bigger is better lol, and 45AH is probably the biggest you can get in a battery of that size, as you can't fit a physically larger battery in the space.
Hi Azerotha 4531, I am in the process of purchasing a 2 year old yaris cross and was wondering if by changing the battery to the larger capacity would this be sufficient to stop the 12v battery issue? And have you any feedback on the software update as I've seen that not all toyota franchises are installing it.
Hi Adrian I've not got any Information on how successful the software update has been, but I do know that the original battery isn't the best quality, most people that have fitted a better battery, have not had any or as many battery problems, obviously no battery is imune to going flat but with the better battery it seems to be a big improvement
Wonder how the lady is doing with her new battery! As a low mileage driver (just a few miles a week) I’m Just wondering if this is the car for me.
I bumped into her last week in her local supermarket and has not had any issues since the battery was upgraded. If your buying one or thinking of it, I'd expect you to get a few flat batteries. But you might not it seems to be a lottery some people get a flat battery if left parked up for more than 3 or 4 days others tend to be ok up too 8 or 9 days it really is hit and miss
if you only drive few miles a week DEFINITELY don't buy a hybrid car. You will have battery issues and you won't save any meaningful amount of gas anyway and on top of that regular ICE cars are cheaper.
@@sten260interesting point - would I get the miles in to charge the hybrid battery?! Not concerned about a flat 12v battery so much.
@@paulcan58 hybrid battery will be fine probably even with low miles
So Much to learn re hybrids after having a diesel for 16 years!
I have a 4-month-old Yaris Cross. For the last few days, the EV mode does not turn on for the first 15 minutes of driving, and the weather is warm and the heating is turned off. Could the cause of the problem be a low voltage in the 12 V battery. What do you think
No I don't think so as once started the hv battery runs the 12v side of things, if you have the climate control set to cold with the air conditioning on this could cause the ev mode to be disabled untill the interior temperature is at the set value. If the ev mode is disabled with the AC off, it's most likely the hv battery is a bit low and needs the engine to top it up. If the hv battery is full, then it will need checking out. Without seeing the car, it's difficult to say exactly what causes it.
@@azerotha4531 hybrid battery is on 100%because engin turn of.
@@azerotha4531 thank you for answer
What battery would replace it with what make
Just got new toya Yaris hybrid can u tell tell dealer replacement better one
You can ask for a better battery, but it will be up to you to pay for the new one unless it has failed, and if possible, I would fit a Yuasa YBX5202
So what IS the actual solution then?
Having recently spoken to an AA rescue guy, this is apparently a very common problem on these cars - and Toyota are just sweeping it under the carpet.
I do not own an electric car .... but ..... I have heard of HUGE problems with the 12 Volt Lead acid batteries .... All EV's have a charging port for the high voltage battery .... it should not be difficult for the manufacturers to supply a little 12 Volt charge port for users that leave their EV's idle for a few days .... a decent 14 Volt mains charger can cost as little as ( £15 at Lidl™ ) ... some models ( TESLA ? ) need a huge " strip down " to get to the 12 Volt battery ! ! ... the designers spend SO MUCH time on the electric drive train , they totally forget the little 12 Volt battery ( ? ) ...please comment .. DAVE™🛑
Easy to say all that when you haven’t sold the customer the battery to get them to buy one. If you sold them this battery with the same test, r u gonna give out free batteries an not get ur replacement/credit from whom you bought it from. Battery suppliers will reject this as a warranty claim, maybe you need a better charger
@jonnyboi6342 correct on a few things, a warranty claim from most manufacturers is only accepted on bad cell test results caused by manufacturing defects. Anything else is classed as ware and tear, imagine buying 2 new tyres then doing a burn out till they exploded or lost all tread the manufacturer won't cover that as its your fault lol, when im dealing with battery issues there are various things that need to be taken into consideration such as amount of use, milage, vehicle condition such as electrical faults amongst other things, a battery that fails a test or in this case won't hold good voltage is down to ware and tear and not warranty accepted and is fully explained to the owner, With regards the toyota batteries it's more of a quality issue they are the smart price of the battery world. A better quality battery will give better performance and last longer, the older AGM batteries they used lasted years, some 10+ years. With regards the charger I've got 3 of them all different ones, remember if the plates are worn out or damaged they won't recover, yes there are people that claim to be able to fully recover damaged batteries by doing all sorts but they either take a lot of faffing to do or it don't work, end of the day we live in the real world and people just don't want the hassle, new battery and away they go, most that have upgraded the quality of the battery get less issues, no car and no battery is immune to going flat or failing early on unless they are looked after, and everyone I go out to that has a flat battery regardless if the battery is good or bad gets the same advice on how to look after a battery and they all get the options to charge it up and see how they get on buy one from the company i work for or go elsewhere for new batteries, everyone has a choice that's theirs to make. Most yaris owners tend to buy a new battery because they have been the dealers a few times and gave got fed up with going there not having the car for upto a few days to be told stupid things like you need to do 12k per year and getting fobbed off. A good quality battery is always the best option and take things from there.
This battery could be reconditioned.
That result was after being on a re conditioning charger. The same way the dealers will do it and was to demonstrate what results you get when you visit the dealer. If you have any other ideas, please share cheers
@@azerotha4531 for such a small battery it wouldnt be cost effective to recondition properly; but unless you are missing a large chunk of voltage (indicating a cell cell short) then it could be restored to near full health.
You'd have to run a sulphide cleaner through it - as you mention dealers are not equipped to do this, nor do they even bother to run basic diagnostics properly - which is amazing because midtronics stations etc have meant to be standard equipment for them for ages now and these do account for exactly what you have showed here.
Dealers in the EU/UK are also told not to attempt reconditioning on AGM style batteries, despite them being perfectly serviceable by professionals.
A proper reconditioning charger is risky and thus would never be done on vehicle simply cyclic reconditioning is not useful in majority of cases.
This is very useful post, many thanks. I have a Toyota CHR, 12v battery went flat on Sunday. Called AA who says battery need to replace, jump started but said it may not start again and recommended to go to dealer. It’s a surprise because I drive minimum 250miles on motorways each week. I still have warranty, just been to dealer. The guy came out and first thing he says, you need to pay to new battery. I replied, what about warranty. He then started giving excuses- we need to check mileage, check the battery and leave it on charge overnight. He then checked and comes out a good battery report. I then left and booked another appointment in July for overnight charge. After watching this post and messages, seems like I should not waste any further time. It becomes so clear for me. I also went to Halfords to buy and fit a new battery, but they refused saying they are not allowed to replace Hybrid car 12V battery. I’m so confused, is it okay for me to buy and replace the battery myself safely?Lastly, why does everyone talks so much about Toyota reliability!!
Shame on Toyota!
Yes, 21s century engineering and yet motor manufacturers produce cars like this that aren't fit for purpose. Apparently various Toyota owner's clubs suggest turning off all sorts of mod cons on their cars to minimise this 12v drain. Absolute nonsense. And of course you must not leave the car undriven for a few days.