NAPA Battery Warranty

I had to have the battery replaced in my wifes 2005 Explorer yesterday. I had replaced the OEM battery in June 2008 with a NAPA Legend 75. I started having problems with this battery when the weather got below 0 a month or so ago. Then with this last bought of sub-zero weather.
I drove the vehicle to the NAPA store and had them check the battery out. They said their meter showed the battery needed to be replaced. I didn't have the tools with me to replace the battery, so I brought the new battery with me and replaced it at home, then returned the old battery. It was then that I found out that NAPA charges $1.91 per month for the warranty adjustment. $61.12 for the 32 month use of a $88.00 battery. I guess I'm better off now. It is a good thing the battery didn't last for 5 or 6 years, I would have had to pay $135 for an $88 battery.
When I need to replace the batteries in my JD4320 I will probably return to Mother Deere. I feel better now.
Tim in Montana

My best battery ever is in my 1998 F-150. I am not a strong Ford fan, but bought this truck new in Feb 1998. Still using the original battery, 13 years.

Well "knock on wood" the batteries in my 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 are the OEM's and they are still doing good. I can only hope the last 13 yrs.

Tim in Montana

Many years ago, I worked in an auto parts store as a teenager. All battery manfacturers warranties are "prorated". I don't think that most people either know that or think about it if they do know about it. Some prorate, subtract for use, at quicker rates than others, and some don't. Some battery manufacturers make better batteries than others as well. Back when I worked in that store, we carried batteries from several manufacturers, but the worst and most expensive was Delco. Maybe since then, their batteries and warranties have gotten better, but when I worked there, their batteries were the most expensive, the lowest quality because materials ahd improved for everyone but them, and their "prorate" was the stiffest, where say you purchased a 48 month battery, which was the longest warranty at the time, at about 24 months into that warranty, it had become worthless because of its prorate factor. From memory, I don't think we ever sold a 48 month Delco battery that lasted 24 months, so we didn't sell many of them...at least tried not to, unless we didn't have something on hand in another brand. Back then, customers would bring in ther dead batteries for warranty replacement, and we'd get out the Delco book and show them the prorate scale, basically showing they weren't getting anything, and they would flip out, and we didn't blame them, which is why we tried not to sell them if we could avoid it. We didn't like unhappy customers, and we didn't like getting yelled at.

Mark

All batterys have a limited time free replacement. after that they are pro rated to the end of the warranty.

Same here on the Motorcraft in my 99 F150. I got to thinking it would let me down so took it out and put it in a welder that needed a battery and still going. 12 yrs old. I took 4 out of a bigger truck that were 14 yrs old--but they needed changed couple years before that and I just made out with them. Also have a Napa in a backhoe I bought 12 yrs ago and it camewith it. Never been down yet. LB

I had a battery in my pickup that went bad with a couple months left of warranty. Napa store prorated that battery, gave me a new one, and I paid the prorated difference. No problem. The replacement battery went bad a couple weeks later, and they prorated that back to the purchase of the original battery. All said and done, there was in effect no warranty at all. The total prorated amount was equal to the price of a new battery. This Napa should have realized there is an excellent Car Quest store just across the street. Abbotsford, Wisconsin. Wayne

That's pretty typical of battery warranties. They generally give you a failure period of free replacement... sometimes 6 months, sometimes 12 months. Sometimes 2 or 3 years. Then they have a prorated period from 3 years to 6 years... depending. I'm guessing that this one is a 1 or 2 year battery... which is typical of Exide sourced batteries. Also note that Deere batteries are sourced from Exide (as are Case/NewHolland) and will have the same marvelous quality and warranty. NAPA does source some, or actually most/all around here from East Penn/Dekka... but I understand that this is not a uniform practice throughout their distribution area. There is generally a better warranty on the East Penn stuff and generally a better battery in my experience. Just ask them who the supplier is when you price the battery. NAPA CAN tell you that. It's in their system...
I found that most CNH branded Exide's I had would expire on the first cold day going into the fourth winter. Some of the truck batteries would only last one winter.
Motorcraft always lasted 8-10 years here with any that I had.

Rod

The monthly "prorated" charge is based on the MSRP- not the actual selling price. I worked in the tire business many years ago and they were adjusted the same way. If the tire was half worn when it failed it was cheaper to buy a new one than to have the failed one adjusted.

Company Truck that I used until recently was a 1998 f150. Has original battery and starts good in any weather.4 years ago I made the statement that batteries last longer if you always added distilled water, not tap water and used that battery as example as it is maintenance free and management demanded that I get a new battery in it. I did not so It was sold recently with the original battery.

I have 3 Walmart best batteries with the 3 year free replacement. They're all over 9 years old. I even have one in my garden tractor. They're about $80.00 with sales tax and your old battery. I hope all 3 don't fail at the same time. My garden tractor has a starter/generator and it draws a lot of amps when cranking when its very cold. That battery
and tractor are in our mini-barn without any heat. Hal

I have an Advance Auto silver something (2nd tier) battery in my MF165. It failed before 24 months and they replaced it for free. No prorating or anything, they took the old and gave me a new and said "have a nice day."

You had better luck than me.

I had a Walmart 36 month free replacement battery go bad after 28 months. Their tester showed it just needed charging, so they put it on a charger for an hour and told me there was nothing wrong with it. I put my own load tester on it and showed them it was bad.

By then the Store Manager was involved. He so much as accused me to my face of just trying to pull a fast one to have the battery replaced before the free replacement ran out. He also told me that model battery had an average life of 38 months, so basically if the battery fails after 36 months, you're screwed.

you are right on the second battery going against the first batteries warranty,been there done that at NAPA. Bill M.

Ok.. My turn..

Nearly 30 months ago, I bought 2 "80 month warranty" batteries from NAPA.. Which clearly states 24 MONTH FREE REPLACEMENT on the battery. This winter, one of the 2 pooped out (in a diesel pickup) so i took em in.. Tested.. Yep, one bad one recharge..

I made a statement that I was not putting a "junk" battery back in my truck, as next month the weak one would likely give out and leave me stranded.

They did the pro-rated warranty, which saved me $27.00 per battery.. Even the one the tester said was ok was warrantied. Not much, but worth it.. The batteries were replaced with a different battery group/size, and because of this, the warranty will restart. If you didn't like how the pro-rate works, you could have opted to just purchase new, then will have a warranty as new.

I'll bet when your tv/truck/washer/etc dies 3 months after the "free replacement warranty" is up you expect a new one free too, huh? Like said, show me a battery that isn't pro-rated after so many months.. At least you get X months free replacement, since a battery is what I'd call a "common wear" item (none last forever).

Don't badmouth every NAPA store just because your local store isn't worth a crap.. Every issue I've ever had with my local NAPA has been dealt with reasonably, and a agreement is made in the end that makes us both happy. Pointing out there's somewhere down the street will usually cause the owner to show you the door and how to open it, and the direction in which another part store is in.

Brad

My way of looking at pro-rated battery warranties is basically... they don't really think it's going to last longer than the free replacement period in most cases but the pro rated period makes you feel good about having something. It's a while since I worked out the cost... but it seems to me that once one gets more than a few months out of the free replacement period you're just as well off to buy a new battery and get the new warranty because warranty pro rated prices are based on MSRP and I can always buy batteries for far less than MSRP.
My rule of thumb is to look at what length the free replacement period is and go with that. Better batteries generally have a much longer free period... That's the same wether it's NAPA, CNH, Deere, Carquest, Cat, etc.
Another interesting fact... at least here... the NAPA and Carquest batteries are the same. Both supplied by East Penn.

Rod

I also bought a Wally 3 yr battery for my 89 F-150 that"s parked 9-10 months out of the year. Two winters ago a couple of cells froze and Wal Mart replaced the battery no questions asked. It was almost 3 yrs old.

If you only had it 28 months you should've received another battery. If it fails after 38 months get a 70 month credit on another battery. They're guarnteed 108 months which is about $50.00 credit. The warranty on mine has expired. Hal

I've had great luck with AC Delco batteries, never had a lot of long term luck with NAPA's. Actually I wish I knew where Kubota batteries are made, never changed one. I'm sure they're made in a place where other brands are made or somethign.

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble with napa junk
a$$ batteries vie got one that's two years old and it's junk this
after the last one lasted about two years the only reason I got
another one was because off the warranty. But it still cost me
60 bucks but thought the second would last thinking I'd just
gotten a dud the first time .

we have always used NAPA batterries at the farm hence 6 pieces of eguipment and 4 trucks , 1 with dual batteries and 2 with 3. about 2 years ago we started getting "bad batteries" from them. at 1st we thought we just got flukes then more or them went out and the "new 1's went out in 1 truck 4 months after we replaced all of them. needless to say we dont use Napa batteries anymore.

I agree, come to think of it I never have had to replace 1 either

basically Speaking...no matter the brand, store, or other issues...some Batteries Just simply outlast others...without regard to anthing in Particular...like light bulbs or anything else. Larry KF4LKU