Lower Tier Interstate batteries @ Costco?

[y_p_w]

Lots here that I didn't know about Interstate, I thought that they were their own entity from concept to retail sale. That said, I've been going to the Interstate distributor in my area for years now, always ask for blems or refurbs. Blems always have lasted until I sell the car, the EconoPower refurbs are a dice roll though. I've had one in a car for the past 2 years, sat I started and unmaintained for a month and started right up, a different EconoPower bought the same week no such luck, died every other day. Yeah, I know, pretty useless post, unless anyone out there happens to be in a tight spot and a $35 battery (blem or refurb) sounds right. Plus a 90 day warranty on a refurb can keep you in refurbs until you find a blem lol

Interstate has always been a marketing and service company, and not a manufacturer. I'm not sure about their Costco line, but their regular line had the service aspect where they would rotate stock in/out and make sure that batteries were charged before they would go back into inventory. Battery freshness isn't as much of an issue if that's done that way.

 

[metroplex]

I bought all new Costco Interstates for my 3 vehicles a few months ago. One Group 65, and two Group 90/T5s. I had to buy a group 90/T5 for my 09 Cobalt SS whose original factory 2008 AC Delco battery exploded in the trunk, and went to Advance Auto to pickup a DieHard Gold 90/T5 for $160 after discount. I had great luck with Autocraft Gold but those are re-labeled as DH Gold now. It also looks like none of the battery manufacturers have anything beyond a 36-month replacement warranty, even the DieHard Gold.

Anyhow, the Costco Group 90/T5 looks like a Deka with individual caps for the cells. The JCI (now Clarios as JCI batteries was sold) Group 90/T5 did not have these. I had two old factory Motorcraft/Ford JCI Group 90/T5 as well as the AC Delco to compare.

The Costco Group 65 looks like a JCI/Clarios.

What I found was that not all Costcos stock every single battery size. It was explained to me by 3 Costcos that they carry batteries based on demand for that region. I went to the local Costco that catered primarily to Grosse Pointe but most people from Detroit/Eastpointe/Roseville would probably go there as well (lower income/less affluent communities) and they had hardly any common battery sizes in stock. I was able to grab only 1 Group 65. They had no Group 90/T5.

I went to the Costco at Madison Heights which serves a much larger swath of communities, and they were overflowing with Group 65, Group 34. They only had 1 Group 90/T5. I'll most likely never return to Madison Heights Costco because it is a PITA entering the parking lot, checking out, and leaving the parking lot. It's way too small of a parking lot setup and store for that number of people at any given time.

I then went to the Costco at Shelby Township off Hall Road and they had some Group 90/T5.

The Costco Group 65 / 90 batteries were $99.99 each. The DieHard Gold Group 90 was $159.99 at Advance Auto and they no longer accept the 30% coupons for batteries. That's a huge price difference. I'm going to see how well the Costco batteries fare, because it seems ALL of the major batteries only have a 3-year warranty anyhow.

 

[Donald]

I would doubt that Costco sells inferior Interstate batteries that are the same item or model number as an Interstate dealer. They might be same CCA and look the same but are they the same item or model number. I could see the warranty being up to Costco.

Buying an Interstate battery from Costco or a dealer is no guarantee of a great battery. They market them and have them made by a few suppliers. Use to be just JCI. Now a few. Maybe even Exide.

But Interstate has a reputation for selling above average batteries. I would still prefer an East Penn.

 

[Dave9]

I'm going to see how well the Costco batteries fare, because it seems ALL of the major batteries only have a 3-year warranty anyhow.

Don't forget about the possibility of an additional pro-rated warranty period. For example if it were 5 years, two years past the 3 yr mark, that equates to up to $40 further discount on a $100 battery.

 

[metroplex]

Don't forget about the possibility of an additional pro-rated warranty period. For example if it were 5 years, two years past the 3 yr mark, that equates to up to $40 further discount on a $100 battery.

That was my point, no one seems to offer a pro-rated warranty period anymore. DieHard Gold used to be 3-year full replacement, 100 month pro-rated for the past 25+ years. I've bought enough batteries to know this.

Not anymore! The same goes for other house brand "Gold" batteries. Everyone seems to be 3-year full replacement at the max. I paid $159.99 for my Diehard Gold Group 90/T5 from Advance Auto thinking it'd have a 100-month pro-rated. Nope. Same 3-year as the $99.99 Costco Interstate Group 90/T5. Good luck trying to beat Costco's Interstate prices - maybe Wal-Mart's yellow brand on-sale could match or beat it.

Just about 1 or 2 years ago, when Advanced Auto carried their AutoCraft Gold, those still had a 3-year / 100-month pro-rated. A friend that worked at Advanced Auto said the day that Diehard Gold became their brand (or that they stocked it), they just slapped stickers on the existing Autocraft Gold batteries.

I still see people on Facebook groups or forums saying to use the 30% coupon at Advance Auto blah blah blah blah. Not anymore. They offered at most a 10% discount now. This all changed within the past 1-2 years right around when they took over the Diehard brand of batteries and featured Bruce Willis phoning in his acting for the commercial as a very old John McLane who needed a Diehard Gold battery. LOL

 

[Dave9]

^ Hmm, just checked the Walmart listing for the last Everstart Maxx I bought and now, the pro-rated warranty statement is nowhere to be found, and they changed the stickers on them to read 3 year instead of 5. I guess it would be fraud to take the sticker off my old battery and put it on a new one, lol.

 

[metroplex]

^ Hmm, just checked the Walmart listing for the last Everstart Maxx I bought and now, the pro-rated warranty statement is nowhere to be found, and they changed the stickers on them to read 3 year instead of 5. I guess it would be fraud to take the sticker off my old battery and put it on a new one, lol.

It was a big shock to me. I looked at all of the usual places for batteries and everyone seems to max out at a 3-year full replacement with no mentioning of a pro-rated warranty. Diehard Gold used to have that 100 month pro-rated as far back as I can remember, but that disappeared. The last new battery I had bought was around 2019 from Advance Auto and back then they still took the 30% coupon and had the 100-month pro-rated. It must have changed very recently probably within the past year or so.

I am noticing that my Costco Interstate Group 65 on the 2018 Explorer doesn't keep a high state of charge according to the onboard battery monitor (access via FORScan and OBD2). With the original factory Motorcraft and normal driving, it would almost always stay at 98% which surprised me since my 2017 Fusion when regularly driven only maintains at around 75%-85%. Now with the Costco battery, the Group 65 would dip down to 75% to 80% SOC.

 

[Dave9]

^ Do you know if it needs calibrated for the larger battery size? When I put a group 65 in a '14 Explorer, I recall that it originally had a smaller factory battery, group 59 and even then it was a little on the low side of CCA rating for a group 59, then if their faux-intelligent charging system is somehow trying to guess how much it takes to top a group 59 battery off, could that be the issue? I've never checked battery charge state on it with Forscan but afaik it hasn't ever popped up the BMS battery conservation-whatever warning since the new battery was put in.

 

[metroplex]

I reset the BMS with the new battery install. The stock battery for the Explorer is a Group 65. I don't recall any D3/D4 vehicles coming with a smaller battery. My 2014 SHO was Group 65 as well. The stock Motorcraft Group 65 was 590 CCA or and the new Interstate is 850 CCA. I didn't see any options in FORScan to match that. The only options for Group 65 were the 20 - 590 CCA (w/o intelligent access), 21 -650 CCA, (w/ intelligent access) and 22 - 750 CCA (Police Interceptor).

Stock setting is 21 - for the 650CCA.

 

[Chris142]

The Batteries @ Costco have a different SKU than ones sold elsewhere. If another place tried to warranty one the SKU won't work for them.

 

[OilUzer]

Wal-Mart battery is same price as Costco and has 3 yr + 2 yr prorated warranty. Costco dropped their 42 months warranty to 3 yr (36 months).
My last battery came from Wal-Mart before that I bought from Costco.

 

[metroplex]

Good point, EverStart Maxx does have the 2 year pro-rated. I just know Costco is easier to deal with returns.