Whoa.....have you priced car batteries lately?

[Kern Dog]

On Friday, I did a favor for my Sister who is moving. She had a 2004 Toyota with 2 year expired registration and needed it gone.
The battery was dead so I jump started it. A few miles down the road, the engine died and when it restarted, the gas pedal was NON-reactive. The throttle position sensor crapped out.
I thought a new battery might help, so I went to check on one.
Holeeeeee CRAP! $150 for a battery? Really? This was at an "O'Reilleys", Not a NAPA store.
The last time I bought one couldn't have been that long ago. It was around $110 give or take.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Lol I got sticker shock a week ago. The battery I priced at Oreillys for my Taco was 189.00.. WTF Last I remember batteries were like 60 bucks.

 

[eldubb440]

yup.... battery for a little shitbox hyundai......149............ plus the tax

 

[Jerry Hall]

Group 24 & 27 batteries are $120+ at Walmart. Others are higher. I'm constantly having to replace batteries and tires. Had two tires blow on a car that hasn't moved in 30-45 days. The battery tender showed fully charged and it would only click. Sure enough dead cell in the battery, tires were old but 90% tread with no dry rot showing.

 

[Kern Dog]

Thanks. I will not set foot in a Wal-Mart unless I have absolutely no choice.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Try Costco... I've bought three batteries in the last couple months, two were available through Costco, about $85... The other was special for my GF's Miata not available through Costco... $170.....

 

[chargervert]

Thanks. I will not set foot in a Wal-Mart unless I have absolutely no choice.


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The Walmart batteries are made by Johnson Controls,they used to make the Mopar factory batteries that last 10 years or more. My wife's 09 Challenger R/T still has the original factory battery! I just bought two Walmart batteries for my Cummins Dodge $95.OO each.

 

[F4R/T]

My local dodge dealer sells to me at wholesale , I have excellent luck with Mopar batteries. If I were you I’d check with the dealer for the heck of it. Over the counter batteries are good . I went that route after failure of Napa and other parts house branded batteries over the years. I had excellent luck and even my two chargers have them. Yes they maybe just a tad more than Walmart but I have my local dealer to help if there was an issue, good parts guys are priceless !

 

[Ironbuilt]

The Walmart batteries are made by Johnson Controls,they used to make the Mopar factory batteries that last 10 years or more. My wife's 09 Challenger R/T still has the original factory battery! I just bought two Walmart batteries for my Cummins Dodge $95.OO each.

You probably just jinxed yourself. Your wife's battery will give up the ghost this week.

 

[F4R/T]

Do you ever sleep Ironbuilt? Lol

 

[Charles Cook]

Just had this experience a few weeks ago. My wife’s Challengers battery took a dump after 2 1/2 years. Went back to the dealership and purchased a new one. $ 163.00 bucks. I sure thought they would last longer than 2 1/2 years.

 

[Ironbuilt]

Do you ever sleep Itonbuilt? Lol

I'm a trucker, there's no time for sleep.

 

[Slap Stick]

Johnson Controls no longer makes batteries. They sold that business a couple years ago.

 

[chargervert]

Mopar has a different supplier now,her 2016 Jeep needed a new battery at 4 and a half years old. I guess when you sell batteries that last 10 years or longer you are not going to sell too many batteries, it was probably not that profitable for Johnson Controls! The best batteries ever from the factory, the ones in my Cummins lasted 10 years.

 

[Hey-O]

Interstate or Duralast. Costco no longer sells a Kirkland branded car battery, it’s been replaced with Interstate.

 

[Darter6]

Look at motorcycle batteries if you want to choke. Bought one for a Kawasaki at Auto Zone, with tax it as over $100.

 

[YY1]

This happened a couple of years ago.

Previous to the last battery I bought, I had been buying $45 Exide made Rural King batteries.

This last one (I want to say 2019) was $79. Almost a 100% increase in about 1 year.

 

[YY1]

OTOH, the price for used batteries has gone way down.

When I was buying those $45 batteries, it was a better deal to take used batteries to the scrap yard and get $12-$18 than to take the $5 credit from buying the new one.

Even emergency light and UPS batteries were going for $6 each to recycle.

Now you're lucky to get $3 for a car battery

 

[GrabberOrange69]

How timely.

Saturday my mom called and said her Chevy Cruze Eco wouldn’t start. So I head over, and sure enough it just clicks. The battery is 4 years old. She says the dealer said they’d instal it for $189 total, which I think is not a bad deal, but the car would have to get a cross town. I’m in no mood to blow the time for that, so I tell her “I’ll just do it”. I have the old one out in 5 minutes with the intent to go to Walmart, but Walmart is 20 minutes away. Oriely’s is like 3 minutes, so I go there.

Mother of god. With tax I’m $219 out the door for the top of the line battery (of course they’re all out of the lower price line in the size I need). But even the economy batteries are ~$140.

WTF?!

 

[moparedtn]

The Walmart batteries are made by Johnson Controls,they used to make the Mopar factory batteries that last 10 years or more. My wife's 09 Challenger R/T still has the original factory battery! I just bought two Walmart batteries for my Cummins Dodge $95.OO each.

Agreed. Although I hate to admit it, I went the "half price" route as well for my '04 Ram at
Wally World (traced the battery to be made by Johnson Controls IN SAUDI ARABIA!!!).
$90 out the door versus double that at any parts store.
Sheesh...