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Do car battery warranties reflect actual physical differences? (self.auto_repair)

submitted 3 days ago by 31337 to c/[email protected]

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For my particular car, Walmart seems to sell batteries with 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year warranties. ~$70 for the 1 year, ~$110 for the 2 year, and ~$150 for the 3 year. Are these batteries actually different? If the battery with the 3 year warranty actually lasts 3x longer than the battery with a 1 year warranty, I guess it'd be the better deal, but I'm suspicious if they're actually much different.

It looks like batteries at most other stores are even more expensive with the same warranties.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Assuming we are talking about standard lead batteries, there may be variability in their amperage capacity which comes down to the design and components. You also have country of origin contributing to cost and warranty period.

How long the battery lasts depends on use and climate. If you drive 10 miles a day, your battery will last longer than if you drive 10 miles a week. If you have colder temps, it will hurt the battery's lifespan.

There is a bit of a Boots Theory going on here, it costs more to be poor. That year battery may be lower quality and end up failing after a year, but the 3 year battery may last 10 years; so you may have to buy multiple year batteries and spend considerably more than if you had just bought the 3 year battery.

I would buy the middle priced one if I couldn't afford the $40 premium on the most expensive battery.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As for the Walmart batteries, if the cold cranking amps are the same on the all 3 versions, no, there isn't, you're just "extending" the warranty. They all last around 3 years now, and are prorated. The exchange cost on a gold battery at 3 years is only going to be a few dollars different from strait up buying the replacement battery. Usually they have a chart with what it is per age. The one year will be like 100% in month one, next to nothing by month 12. Gold will be like 100% for year one then drop to next to nothing by month 36. Amazing how their pricing of tiers corresponds to how many they're likely to need to replace or exchange.

[–] 31337 1 points 3 days ago

I don't think walmart's warranties are pro-rated. They advertise "3 year free replacement." A couple years ago, I brought in a ~2 year old battery, and they just gave me a free replacement. All 3 batteries I was looking at have different CCA ratings, but I'm guessing ratings can be fudged too.