Check out the Walmart car battery finder to check prices and order online: bit.ly/3m0B0fP

a good video but i would mention the biggest thing to look for in a car battery is the sticker with the manufacturing date the minute they put the acid in the battery it begins to slowly discharge sitting on the shelf and I have actually seen a big difference in how long battery lasts when a battery is a few months old when you buy it . If you can find one with the current month and year it will last longer then an older one

*Lesson learned today:* If you are desirous of saving *dinero,* get your car battery from *Costco, Sam's Club or Walmart.*

You didn't mention cold cranking amps (CCA). That can vary widely between batteries and can affect battery life. Just make sure you're comparing similar CCA or you may not be getting such a good deal. Also AGM batteries are substantially better than lead acid and will last a lot longer - worth the extra cost if you're keeping your car for a while. My last AGM battery lasted 17 years - yes you read that right! To be fair it was in my garage queen which stays connected to a battery tender but a lead acid battery would never last that long

My dealer wanted to sell me an Optima Yellow Top Battery, which was going for 400 dollars. I walked out, and went to Sam's Club and bought a 99 dollar group 51 Battery. That was 2 years ago still going strong.

Tip from an Old Salt. Jump start and drive your car to WallMart. Get a shopping cart and unhook your battery. Bring into the Auto section and match up your battery size. Put it in the cart, then go up to customer service desk. They will give you a core allowance and then charge you for the new battery . Go back and install it in your car. If you have never done this, go to you tube and learn. My last Walmart battery was installed in 2017. It's almost done and I would have had to replace it but the winter here in Delaware has been very warm.

Something to consider if you travel, Walmarts are everywhere, not so with Costco, Sam’s,and some auto parts stores. Having a problem with a battery when away from home makes Walmart a good choice.

You forgot to add about checking the "Date of Manufacture". That way you get the freshest battery and the most from the warranty.

Home Depot also has a great price on car batteries, if you don't mind self installation. Plus they're located almost everywhere.

Excellent video. Comprehensive and to the point. Thanks!

Thank you for a no nonsense evaluation of the batteries themselves, and of the price discrepancy among all of them, and the companies that sell them all. Great video and important information that everyone needs to know. Thank you !!!

Another suggestion is to check if in your city a battery conditioner exists. For example I have a 2006 Toyota Sequia Autozone quoted me $170 plus tax for their battery. The local battery conditioner charged me $35.00 for the reconditioned battery and no sales tax. Yes either one needs to be installed but the work is the same. I have several cars and have been able to save a lot of money buying there.

One thing you didn't mention is the intended use of the battery which can affect its life and price. I needed a new battery for my Ford Explorer. Checked to see the size battery case it used and looked for a replacement. I needed one quick, so I bought one from NAPA. They had two batteries available, one more expensive than the other. The costlier one had a significant higher cranking power which explained the price. But the expensive battery only had a one-year warranty whereas the cheaper one was like 3 years. That is because the expensive battery with higher cranking power had more plates inside (closer together) and the plates were longer and were closer to the bottom of the case. A battery like this can more easily have a cell go bad or short out since the natural sulfation that occurs inside can short some plates together and cause a weak battery. The cheaper battery doesn't have to larger plates, so it is less likely to fail and therefore has a lomger warranty. The expensive battery is fine if you have very cold winter conditions, and you need the extra cranking power to start your car under very cold conditions. But if your winters are not so severe, you can easily get by with the lower cranking cheaper battery with the longer warranty.

Thank you for the information you provided it was very helpful. Again, thank you please do a video on alternators. Also, it does not really matter about if a store installs the battery it is very simple to do usually it takes only two nuts and maybe a holding bracket to loosen and replace. Keep in mind, if it fails during warranty, you will have to either tow it to the store or replace the battery your self, and then take it to the store to be exchanged.

Be sure to ask if the retailer will install the battery before you purchase it. Some batteries in these newer cars are a real pain to install, so they may install in one car but not another. They are located in weird places with all kinds of brackets and stuff in the way. I don't care where you buy your battery, I don't buy anything from wal mart for my cars personally. I have never seen anyone at wal mart who knows anything about a car, your experiences may be different.

Great information. New cars now a days are harder on batteries than the older one. Some much electronics running in the background and although most of that goes to sleep when not in use, a small amount of energy is being used. Especially for people who don't drive every day, issues can happen. I buy my the best deal with the best warranty. Check around! Thanks for this video. You are going to be saving some people a good chuck of money!

One of the best places to get a cheap battery is at a junk yard like LKQ. This would be mainly for people who know their battery is weak and have time to visit the junk yard. I have seen plenty of less than a year old batteries for sale for $35 - $50.

Excellent video! Thank you!

Had the same idea when I bought a new battery for my daughters car. Autozone was around $160 and Walmart was around $75. Bought battery online for her and she swung by to get it installed.

The Auto Club (Triple A) now can sell you and install a battery when you call for a jump start. They test your battery first. It is a little expensive, $155.00 for my Corolla. But the battery failed in a hospital parking lot on a Saturday night when it was 4 years and 8 months old (on a 5 year warranty) and a AAA battery service truck came out and replaced it under warranty, no charge. You need to consider the convenience and service factor. (This was just last month, March 2023). I don't know if their current battery sales have the same 5 year warranty. And of course you need to be a AAA member.

100% correct on everything you said. A couple of things, the parts stores won't install in some vehicles due to the location of the battery or difficulty in installing because of interference by brackets etc. Installing a battery is generally easy, but it's important to follow safety guidelines, knowing which cable to remove and install first, etc.

You may wish to revisit this topic as since 2021, Johnson Controls who distributed the majority of the Batteries in the USA sold their Automotive Battery Business to a company named Calisco and since then, the quality of car batteries has gone down and the prices have jumped considerably. There is also a new factor to consider which is, Batteries at one time were manufactured in the USA and then for the most part it was moved to Mexico due in that country they have much more lax environmental laws and the Labor was considerably cheaper. Costco who's Batteries are distributed by Interstate are still made in Mexico but the quality (down) and price (up) have changed dramatically. WalMart's Batteries distributed by Calisco are have creeped up in price and they are now made in South Korea and lately they've had a lot of quality control problems where there is a percentage that are DOA so it's wise to see if the store will load check the Battery and check it's voltage prior to purchase. Nothing against South Korea but there is a noticeable difference in quality of the majority of items they export when compared to American or Japanese made products.

Good start, but it's incomplete: 1) Assuming that you are going on price and price alone, the best battery to buy is the one that is cheapest per month in cost. To get that, you divide the total cost by the number of months of warranty coverage. The one that comes out the cheapest is the best...assuming it has the same specs. 2) As others have noted, you need to compare specs. The battery you buy should have the same BCI (Battery Council International) group size, voltage, CCA (Cold Cranking Amps), Cranking Amps (CA) and Reserve Capacity (RC) and be the same type or an upgrade to the one being replaced. So, if your vehicle has an AGM battery (which is stated on the old battery's label), then it should be replaced with another AGM. If you have a lead acid battery, an AGM would be an upgrade. Buying a cheaper battery that doesn't have the same specs is like comparing a steak sandwich at a fast food restaurant to a steak house. 3) Ease of warranty, which you touched on can be a factor. Also, not everyone belongs to Costco or knows someone that does. That is an option that isn't available to everyone. 4) You alluded to batteries being made by a few manufacturers and that is correct. The main supplier to most companies that most people know is Johnson Controls which is now renamed Clarios. They supply (as of this writing in May 2023) Interstate batteries for Costco, Champion batteries for Pep Boys, some Walmart batteries, among many other brands out there. Exide and East Penn are two other well-known manufacturers. It was a good start, but it needed to go a bit further.

Thank you,that was very informative

The company is called Johnson Control. I have picked up several semi truck loads from the Tampa Fl. location. One day I asked what company battery was the best. Employee told me that Walmart had the highest quality control out of all the others. So that’s why I buy mine from Walmart.

Thanks for providing this valuable and accurate information.

We shop at Costco all the time except for batteries. There is another youtuber who claimed he was rip off at costco concerning a defective battery that was within the free replacement window and still had to pay the difference. Aside from that good info from the video.

Good advice. I would like to add something. All car batteries are coming from same factory. The price is different because depending where you buying from and what’s the CCA ( cold cranking amps) make sure you put right battery on your car,sometimes people to be less expensive they buy wrong group battery and less CCA. Yes if you buy from Walmart it will be less expensive from small parts stores because Walmart receives 4 pallets a week and small parts stores 1 pallet every 3 months.what you expecting who is buying chipper from factory? Just remember very important what size battery and CCA

What batterys do you recommend for a vibrator? My grandmother keeps burning them up! Thank you 😊

As a Auto Tech Fanatic, Best Price for AGM Batteries is Costco and Sams. For Lead Acid Batteries is Walmart(Maxx).

I'm a retired Automotive Engineer from a major OEM with 42 years of experience (BSME and MSME). This is an excellent video and you are to be commended for your research and key points! Johnson Controls and Exide were both bought out by new corporate entities but these firms still make most of the batteries using the same process, materials and quality control systems as before. And you're right if one doesn't have the stop/start feature, AGM technology isn't needed. I may have to replace my battery soon on my 5 year old vehicle. But for now it's fine and I'm going to stay with it until it starts to die. Then I'll go to Walmart to buy an Everstart battery. I will install it and be on my way with some extra $$ in my pocket. Lastly, for maintenance, it's important to keep the posts and battery clamps clean and tight for good connection. Also the top of the battery needs to stay clean to avoid discharge between the posts. Thanks for a great video and kind regards.

i get mine from battery remanufacturing places, they sell new and refurbished/remanufactured. i also buy walmart as second choice.

Don't leave out checking at your dealerships! I did price checking and the last two times, the dealership was the cheapest in my case and had the longest battery warranty. Now even between dealerships of same makers were price different so call around! The Honda dealer at one was cheaper then the other! Worth that extra call.

I bought a battery from Sam’s because Costco didn’t have it, but it did not last long, replaced with a dealer battery. Bought another battery for other car from Costco, it failed within 3 years, took it back to Costco and got a replacement for like $1.50 or $2.50, I forget.

I'd recommend checking your local dealer prices as well. I got a 5/7 yr warranty battery for my Camry from the dealer and it was $20 cheaper than Auto Zone. I did the installation myself. Not rocket science. And check the Date of Manufacture sticker for the freshest.

just bought two batteries from Advance. They price matched Walmart's on-line price just by asking. Installed them myself, saved $150 on the two batteries.

This video was 2 years ago. 5:25 more like $250 Autozone battery now, lol. Great video! Thank you!

Excellent video!

Thanks. Keep up your good work.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good place to get quality batteries is farm implement stores. My local one has batteries with a seven year warranty. The first three years are 100% and prorated after that. I have had two of the seven year batteries last 8 years. One is in my garden tractor at 9 years. Before they had the seven year battery, their five year batteries lasted 6-7.

What do all the numbers mean? Ive got a 2004 Ford Taurus SES

Good video! My prius AGM battery just died and been having a hard time finding a cheap battery. I went to like a dozen stores. Costco, sams club and Walmart didn't have it. I'm thinking of buying it on ebay and then having Walmart install it. But I'm afraid they won't install it for free since I bought it somewhere else!

A old timer told me years ago to put a couple layers of cardboard in the batterbox before Installing the battery ,made sense to me,I've been doing it for years,probably due to the metal used in the compartment,not sure if it still pertains today.

I recently bought a never start battery from Walmart and I failed within 90 days. I live over a hundred miles from the nearest Walmart so its not like I walk across the road and return it. Plus these is the cost of installing the battery which is not covered by Walmart. I replaced my Never Start from Walmart with an Interstate battery. The interstate battery has been installed for six months during cold winter temperatures and has not let me down.

Rural King stores are your best bet. They have a couple of universal 12 volt batteries that are $49.95 and $59.95. Just measure your battery box, note whether you need a top post or side post battery, and which side the positive and negative terminals are on. Easy.

What a good video. thanks sweetheart !!!!

The only thing that matters to me is customer service when I need to return the battery! The quality of car batteries and the warranties are complete crap now, so I am most interested in how easy it is to return the battery. Well done review and it was so refreshing to see and hear an actual person! So many channels now are all AI generated with robot voices, I just click of as soon as I here the bot!

You get what you pay for. Own a repair shop for 40 years the best battery for long haul thus cheaper for long haul were ac deacons ,motercraft, interstate and one time die hards. The discount retail battery’s average life was around two year while the top shelf was over 7 years. So what’s cheaper ?

But is it true that a Walmart 5 year warranty battery only gets fully replaced for free within the first 3 years, then after that it's pro rated? They also dont have very good reviews on their site.

I was in the car service business for 25 years. Spot on analysis.

Good info!

I just started watching the video so I don’t know if she gets to this later on. But there are separate battery stores. Interstate Batteries has their own chain of stores. Last time I needed a battery I went in and asked if they had a used or reconditioned battery. I got what would ordinarily be a $200 battery for $45. My thought was, all cars run on used parts……

Great video. Thanks. It's not exactly shocking that the car battery industry is a bit of a scam just like many other industries.

Like to add one thing. My sons new Honda POS battery only later two years and both of new Honda SUV batteries only lasted two years. You would think after spending $25 to 30 grand on a new vehicle that you could get three years out of the battery. Each of the three were cared for by cleaning with Baking soda and given two coats of battery protection. First 25 degree day they failed.

Tractor Supply also offers batteries for less than the auto parts stores. They don't install though. They stock Exide batteries.

And remember on newer vehicles, maintaining various computer memories is imperative when changing out batteries..

Great job.

Thank You Everybody for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.. Peace Shalom Salam Namaste 🙏🏻😊🌈✌☮❤🕊

What about AAA? They will drive to you and install? How do there prices compare? Also, worth mentioning, car batteries degrade quickly over time just sitting on the shelf. You want a new, new car battery?

Most Junk Yards / U Pull It. They sell Refurbished Batteries for around 50 Bucks 1 year warranty. That's the only place to go unless you like to be took to the cleaners, AZ ,O'reilly Advanced.

She is absolutely correct. Walmart has the best selection and close to the cheapest price. Can't beat the 2 year free replacement warranty.

I've been using the ~$50 Value batteries from Wal*Mart. They offer a shorter warranty, only a year, but I've consistently seen similar life out of them compared to the $100 top of the line battery. If I get 3 years from the $50 battery and 4 from the $100, I'm money ahead. I think I got over 4 years from the last one I purchased. I pro-actively replaced it before this winter as it was testing just on the edge of good/marginal. Of course, both of our cars are Asian brands. I drive an 11 year old Mazda and my wife a 6 year old Toyota. No AGM or battery encoding needed.

It’s funny. These batteries from Autozone, Napa, Walmart, Costco. All made by 2 supplies. I choose Costco due to their warranty and return policy! They don’t test car batteries or give you issues when you need a new one.

If you really, really want a good deal, go to a salvage yard. They pull good batteries out of wrecked cars, test them, and give you a full 30 day return. You know it has been used, but just learning to read the date code on top, will give you a clue on how long it will last. For $5, most will install it. For $30, I have gotten replacements for 35 years, and never got a bad one. Almost every other battery purchased at Sears and Montgomery Ward, needed replaced within 6 months.

I figured this all out last nite before I saw this video. I need a 24 F. 120.00 at Walmart but they r out of my way. 130.00 at Sams where I was going to go for meat anyway. And 209.00 at advance which I would pass on my way to Sams. So Sams is my choice of course.

The auto-parts stores don't "install it for tree"....they GOUGE you to the tune of 40%. But if you take your old junk battery to Advance Auto Trinkets....they'll give you a battery-core "store credit" You can use it to buy some air fresheners or steering wheel covers (they don't stock the parts you need)

You say there are 3 manufactures but each one may make 3-4 different versions. A summer type for hot areas a cold one for winter, a cheap version with only 1 year warranty and gold type with the 5 year warranty. Also there are multiple factory locations some in foreign countries. So watch out what apple you compare to what orange. Auto shops will also test your items so that battery you are thinking to replace may be an alternator problem. Now who will reset your computer/ alternator battery recharge settings? This is new to get a longer battery life by changing the charge profile.

Excellent news. I've been wasting money. Thanks

Walmart is my favorite battery, I have heard Costco is good. Walmart has decent prices and are long lasting, I install my own, so the job is done correctly. Returning a core might require that you contact the manager of the auto department to get your core charge returned.

some batteries simple to install, but my 2018 silverado is a struggle

I had Triple A come out and change a battery in my drive way and it was $170. Though I did save the cost of a tow, it still seemed high.

I am going to give Walmart a try on my next battery purchase, you need to factor in the cost of membership at Costco and Sams, I am not a member. I have been a lawn maintenance contractor for 35 plus years and have found the auto zone lawn mower batteries to be superior and the cost to be about equal to other brands and all the mower batteries to have very short warranty periods.

Thought I knew about cars and accessories. Was I wrong. Thanks

I buy my AGM battery from Costco and install it myself ( Costco does not install). During my youth, I work at a gas station. I own a Lexus, Benz and RAV4 (v6).

Get an electronic battery tester, use it in spring and fall to check the condition of battery. You will have an educated idea on how long it will last, and when to replace before it dies.

I’ve owned about 45 cars and have bought a number of wal mart batteries over the years and have had more trouble with wal mart batteries than all the other brands I have bought combined.

Great explanation. Battery is near dead and am going out this afternoon to buy a new one for my 2012 Jeep Compass. Going to stop at AutoZone first since only 1 mile away to see if they have any on sale. You didn't say whether those type of auto parts store run sales. If not, I will run down the highway another mile to the Walmart store.

Charlie Berens approves this channel! Oh ya fer shure.

I found out the dealership isnt so great on batteries either, battery in my car was 3 years and 2 months old , and was warrantied for 42 month , turns out battery was found to be weak , dealership put new one in , but never gave me a new warranty, what a rip off

There are actually 3 types of Batteries; Lead acid, AGM and Lithium. Also AGM batteries tend to last longer than lead acid.

Both types are lead-acid. They are either flooded or AGM.

The problem with the store wanting to test your battery, is that they have switched from a big thorough tester to a very expensive little hand held unit. However, it is not reliable. We had a long argument about a battery that just died if unused in a few weeks. They insisted it tests perfect and we must have a phantom current leak in the car. So we took it home and put it on the shelf, fully charged, without being connected. It died in 3 weeks. So they gave in, but it tells you that their $1000 tester is a joke.

Costco and Sams do not carry many sizes for even the most popular models. The last three times I tried to buy a battery at Costco or Sams they did not carry my size. The cars were Chevy Equinox, Acura TL and Buick Verano. I believe the battery size was the same for all three H6(48). They would have had a much better price if they carried it.

AAA is reasonable and they come to your location.

Buy from Costco or Sam’s. No hassle returns if it goes bad.

About warrantees: just because there is a warranty does not mean it will be honored. You also may end up having to go through a lot of hassle to get the warranty honored. I have heard quite a few people having a tough time with WalMart when it came to car batteries. Costco's no questions asked return policy is just that: you return it, they don't ask why. As for Costco not installing batteries, just buy it and take it to a mechanic you trust next time you service your car if you don't want to or don't know how to install it.

Yuo Tube channel Project Farm tested different types of batteries 3 years ago. The battery that came out on top was Ever Start sold at Walmart. It beat out Napa, Interstate, Diehard, Autozone and O'Reilly batteries.

I had my battery changed at Auto Zone. Prior to disconnecting my bad battery, they hooked up an auxiliary battery device and removed my old battery then installed the new one. They told me they did this to preserve various electronic settings in my truck, probably like clock and radio, but possibly other settings on a fairly new truck. Anyone know about this?

Best place i found to buy automotive batteries is Rural King Great Prices

Pay a little more time for tech. upgrade, if you need a new battery get a capacitor battery. Compared with the start when the super capacitor is connected in parallel with the battery, the instantaneous voltage drop at start is increased from 3.2V to 7.2V when only the battery is used; the starting current is increased from 560A to 1200A; the instantaneous power output power is increased from 2kW to 8.7kW; the steady voltage during the starting process is increased from 7V to 9.4V; the steady current during the starting process is increased from 280A to 440A; the steady output power of the power supply during the starting process is increased from 2.44kW to 4.12kW.

All auto parts and fluids are usually less expensive at Walmart. This includes oil, tires, wipers, etc

If Walmart's Ever Start batteries are made by the same Co that makes AutoZone's "Duralast" Batteries, why are Auto Zone's batts so way much better ? Personal experience....

I had a battery problem several years back with my (what I referred to as my "Toyota Corolla Light) Chevy Prism. I check all the auto parts stores and they were around $170. I called AAA and they came over and installed the battery for around $120, a savings of $50. It was a 3-year warranty. I know that I had it for more than 3 years when I traded the car in for another car. The last battery I bought before that one was one with a 10-year warranty and it cost $50. But gone are those days.

Rural king....good prices....but who makes the rural king batteries...?

I've had good luck with refurbished at the interstate battery retail store. $40 + $10 deposit or $10 install and no deposit.

If your battery is smaller and you can buy from Costco, do that as they have higher quality products. Do not buy smaller batteries at Walmart, they die too quickly. I went through 3 of their batteries in only 2 years on my Honda Odyssey minivan and they did refuse to honor the warrenty. Bought the next one at Costco and no problems.

How about AAA? They come to you as part of the membership and will install the battery.

Awesome tips, thank you. I'm on my way to Walmart 👍🏼👍🏼👌🏽

East Penn/Deka batteries have lasted the longest for my cars and boats. No other manufacturer has come close. 'Get what you pay for..' Quality, or a lot less quality... The cheaper batteries are manufactured that way, cutting corners to save cost. They fail quicker... I don't comment much but, when there's misinformation, commenting is the right thing to do.

I believe what they do with core batteries is they clean the cell's put more acid recharge it and place a new label and whala!!! they got a another battery to sell