Causes of premature hybrid battery Malaysia

Dear CHOCoM members...

I've read in almost every conceivable websites and online sources on Toyota Camry hybrid trying to find out the problems associated with the car such as the problem with regard to the hybrid battery and it was really difficult to find one. Virtually, all the owners and car reviewers around the globe have nothing negative to say but sang praises about the car.

Majority of them collectively agree that the car is so comfortable. The owners also vouched for its bulletproof reliability. Another good feature mentioned by the owners is its excellent fuel economy. And not much was said about the reliability and durability of the hybrid battery.

Surmise to say that practically all the Camry hybrid owners around the world were very satisfied with the car except for some unfortunate owners in Malaysia. They have reservations about the reliability of the battery What could be the reasons for the problem?

If you refer to the Camry hybrid battery survey that I just put up in the group - as of 3:51 pm today a total of 31 respondents have said that they had no problems with the traction battery but 4 owners have claimed that they have replaced prematurely the main battery under warranty- What is the reason for having the battery problem?. Are the batteries supplied in Malaysia of low quality?

I don't have the answers but my wild guesses are that the style of driving of Malaysian drivers is different. I believe that the Malaysian drivers of Camry hybrid are of a different age category. Here, most of the owners and drivers of the hybrid are young people of the age of 28-40 years old compared to the States where the buyers are senior citizens or people in the age range of 50 to 80 years old. Those in the US drive slow and they use the car mainly to commute. But the young Malaysian drivers tend to drive the Camry like a sports car and they drive nothing short of 150 km/hr along the North-South Plus highways all day. I believe the fast driving plus heavy revving really put a strain on the hybrid battery and that probably causes the battery to have a short lifespan.

Another possibility is the extremely hot weather in the country. The Panasonic battery although very durable could not possibly withstand the hot and humid weather in the country. To aggravate the situation some drivers always prefer to use the eco mode or the electric mode as much as possible to extract better mileage from the car. This too could be the reason why batteries in some cars in Malaysia go kaput earlier than expected.

I would just like to point out that the problem with the battery is still not very alarming. Still, only a handful of owners are rather unfortunate to have the problem with the hybrid battery. The majority of the owners are extremely happy with the performance of the car. I am personally enjoying my hybrid and I hope it will continue to be problem free for at least another 5 years.

Happy motoring..