OEM Battery quit on me!

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Finally my OEM battery failed on me today as I went to start the Corolla today. OEM battery from 2007 Corolla. 125k miles (200k kms) on car. I had CAA (AAA in USA) come and boost me. They offered to replace my battery for 149$ tax included on the spot with a 6 year warranty.. and I get 20% back on that.. so it would work out to about 120$. Seems worthwhile since I would pay 98$ plus tax for a walmart everstart by Johnson Controls battery. Walmart battery would cost me about 113$ with tax locally. Does anyone know who makes the CAA batteries? I am kind of thinking they provide NAPA branded batteries but I could very well be wrong. I would much prefer to get a battery made by Johnson Controls over Exide.. although I am sure they are both decent. Also, I will headed down to NY/VT this coming weekend, so does anyone know any good promotions? Promotion must be in store.. and not online unfortunately.. as Advance and other auto stores wont take Canadian billing addresses to order stuff.. Thanks in advance!
 
AAA batteries are low level quality lines from various manufactures. They have poor reliability & the plates vary in thickness. The ones in California that i see fail in a few months, or last a few years. I'd go with a AGM type. My Diehard AGM is 7 years old & still has 800+ CCA & is rated at 740 CCA.
 
You pay for convenience in having the battery van come to you.

The best deal you could pull off is a $40-50 coupon at advance auto, but IDK how you'd pay for that with a canadian credit card.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
You pay for convenience in having the battery van come to you.

The best deal you could pull off is a $40-50 coupon at advance auto, but IDK how you'd pay for that with a canadian credit card.


It wouldn't really matter if they took his credit card..how would he get the battery? BTW, the CAA battery is not bad. Not sure who makes them , but just ask them..
 
Originally Posted By: mehullica
AAA batteries are low level quality lines from various manufactures. They have poor reliability & the plates vary in thickness. The ones in California that i see fail in a few months, or last a few years. I'd go with a AGM type. My Diehard AGM is 7 years old & still has 800+ CCA & is rated at 740 CCA.


Data?

There is precious little reason to AGM in this application. I'm a big fan where it makes sense, but not here.



I'm not one to ascribe to the theory that there is no difference between brands of batteries, even if made by the same manufacturer. But what basis is there that the product line is a hodgepodge?
 
Convenience and saving time of another trip may cost you some bucks. As far as battery manufacturer, they can probably tell you. And they are there to install it and provide warranty I am sure.
 
My grandma's Trailblazer had it's battery replaced by a AAA, it died within a year and a half and they replaced it under warranty.
 
Get a Costco or Walmart battery with a 3 year full replacement warranty. Batteries that are sold with multi-year extended prorated warranty are nothing but a fine print loaded consumer rip-off perpetrated on gullible customers.
 
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: eljefino
You pay for convenience in having the battery van come to you.

The best deal you could pull off is a $40-50 coupon at advance auto, but IDK how you'd pay for that with a canadian credit card.


It wouldn't really matter if they took his credit card..how would he get the battery? BTW, the CAA battery is not bad. Not sure who makes them , but just ask them..


He'd pick it up in person like you or me then install it stateside in northern VT/NY in some anonymous parking lot, maybe even around the side/ back of the AA store.

That is, if they let him buy it across border online. I suppose he could plausibly load up a "green dot" mastercard with cash also. OP probably knows more about cross-border shopping.
laugh.gif


Though CAA works similarly to AAA who knows what their distribution is like. Also remember AAA is a number of independent agencies using the AAA name.
 
Originally Posted By: cashmoney
Get a Costco or Walmart battery with a 3 year full replacement warranty. Batteries that are sold with multi-year extended prorated warranty are nothing but a fine print loaded consumer rip-off perpetrated on gullible customers.


Costco is 42 month warranty on Interstate batteries.
 
To OP, I didn't know any OEM was making batteries. Hauled a lot of production auto parts to both Canadian and US assembly plants over the years and never saw an OEM battery production facility.

Just playing with you! The batteries that OEM's use are the same as any other on the market. Can't speak for Canada, but the U.S. you are limited to three manufacturer batteries... East Penn / Deka, Johnson Controls, and Exide. Every battery is made by one of them.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: eljefino
You pay for convenience in having the battery van come to you.

The best deal you could pull off is a $40-50 coupon at advance auto, but IDK how you'd pay for that with a canadian credit card.


It wouldn't really matter if they took his credit card..how would he get the battery? BTW, the CAA battery is not bad. Not sure who makes them , but just ask them..


He'd pick it up in person like you or me then install it stateside in northern VT/NY in some anonymous parking lot, maybe even around the side/ back of the AA store.

That is, if they let him buy it across border online. I suppose he could plausibly load up a "green dot" mastercard with cash also. OP probably knows more about cross-border shopping.
laugh.gif


Though CAA works similarly to AAA who knows what their distribution is like. Also remember AAA is a number of independent agencies using the AAA name.


So he's going to drive from Montreal to northern NY or VT to buy a battery at AAP? That would be 2-3 hours driving + toll & gas costs. Then if he has a problem he has to drive back for warranty? There nothing special about AAP batteries, and he can buy the same battery in Montreal. As far as credit cards go you suggest he get a green dot MC? All Canadian credit cards (MC, VISA, AMEX) can be used any where in the world, so why not in the US?
 
CAA batteries are made by Interstate. Very good quality, contrary to the uninformed opinion offered earlier in this thread.
 
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Interstate is a battery marketer, not a battery manufacturer.

Their flooded starting batteries are made by johnson controls, their deep cycles made by USbattery. not sure about their AGM's
 
Originally Posted By: PFP
CAA batteries are made by Interstate. Very good quality, contrary to the uninformed opinion offered earlier in this thread.


CAA batteries are actually made by East Penn. 6 years ago they were made by Exide.
 
Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
To OP, I didn't know any OEM was making batteries. Hauled a lot of production auto parts to both Canadian and US assembly plants over the years and never saw an OEM battery production facility.

Just playing with you! The batteries that OEM's use are the same as any other on the market. Can't speak for Canada, but the U.S. you are limited to three manufacturer batteries... East Penn / Deka, Johnson Controls, and Exide. Every battery is made by one of them.


Don't forget about Crown Battery Manufacturing to round out the big four...
 
Originally Posted By: cashmoney
Get a Costco or Walmart battery with a 3 year full replacement warranty. Batteries that are sold with multi-year extended prorated warranty are nothing but a fine print loaded consumer rip-off perpetrated on gullible customers.


+1 Though my preference here would be Costco. If it fails within warranty, simply bring it in no questions asked.

I bought a Walmart one in January 2009, they were open when my OEM battery failed, a short drive away, and were a JC battery like Costco. Price would have been close enough so that I would rather just change it in the evening instead of waiting for daytime and driving across town to Costco (no nearby Costco at the time). Three year full warranty.

In January 2012, it had corroded badly and failed. I didn't have my receipt, but the date code put me just at the three year mark, so I decided to try. Went to the local Walmart, the young guy on the counter had no clue what to do. The tire centre had just converted to a Mr. Lube recently. The Mr. Lube clerk, some rude girl who seemed to know it all, told the Walmart guy his manager won't allow it. He took her word and said they couldn't do anything.

Went to a different Walmart a little ways away. Guy was willing to exchange it for a new one, but it was a pain while we waited for manager authorization.

If it were a Costco battery, I would have been done in 15 minutes. The Walmart ordeal took over 2 hours between the two stores.
 
Or, buy from a battery professional. Why people buy automotive batteries from retail stores is beyond me. Dealing with a kid who has never owned a car, and 2 weeks ago was flipping burgers somewhere.

Most battery shops will carry more than one brand, and also different quality lines as well. Tell them you do you own work, and you want trade pricing. This is almost always less than it would cost retail at other places, but they don't take any "coupons"
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Or, buy from a battery professional. Why people buy automotive batteries from retail stores is beyond me. Dealing with a kid who has never owned a car, and 2 weeks ago was flipping burgers somewhere.


Because the average suburban soccer mom couldn't care less where her battery comes from and doesn't have time to seek out a "battery professional."
 
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