[Brand Choice] Automotive Batteries

[Alex]

Automotive Batteries

What is your preferred brand of automotive batteries and why?

Who is the supplier of that brand to you?

What are the battery series that are available in that brand, and what are the warranties?

Who manufactures your choice of battery?

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[Alex]

5 minutes ago, xrac said:

WE sell NAPA batteries manufactured in the USA by Johnson Controls. We use to sell Interstate but have had fewer warranties with the NAPA plus we get a better adjustment when we do need to warranty. 

If I remember correctly, Johnson Controls manufactures Interstate and I thought NAPA batteries were manufactured by East Penn. 🤔

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[OTPAuto]

This is one I'm curious to see more feedback on as well.  As a general rule, before opening my business I had VERY good luck with Advance batteries in my personal vehicles. Since opening my business, I've seen nothing but trouble with the Duralast batteries from Autozone, and thus far no issues with the Oreilly's batteries. 

[PherBag]

We use the mid line NAPA Legand 75 month batteries. They are sealed. Don't have many come back for warranty. Interstate I hear is difficult to get warranty and they need warranting often.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[carolinahigear]

9 hours ago, OTPAuto said:

This is one I'm curious to see more feedback on as well.  As a general rule, before opening my business I had VERY good luck with Advance batteries in my personal vehicles. Since opening my business, I've seen nothing but trouble with the Duralast batteries from Autozone, and thus far no issues with the Oreilly's batteries. 

The O'Reilly battery rep told me that East Penn makes their batteries. I stock Interstate batteries and often buy fast movers from Pep Boys (Champion and/or Bosch) for $69.95.

[OTPAuto]

2 minutes ago, carolinahigear said:

The O'Reilly battery rep told me that East Penn makes their batteries. I stock Interstate batteries and often buy fast movers from Pep Boys (Champion and/or Bosch) for $69.95.

Wow, I wish I could get a flat rate for batteries that cheap. The nearest Pep Boys to me is too far away to get anything from.

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[[email protected]]

I would like to resurrect this topic as I am wanting to stock batteries. So far interstate has their value line that is 62.50 across the board most batteries and more for the oddball stuff. I don't like the fact that they don't have any roadside assistance. Advance auto parts is too pricey. Worldpac and Cold Air Distributors have ACDelco and are very reasonable in their pricing and have roadside assistance but it is not a consignment program. You buy their batteries that you want to stock. 

What programs do you have regarding pricing, consignment, etc. What battery tester so you have that's cost effective. I'm thinking a Midtronics MDX-300 or whatever.

Also I think sometimes a vendor will include a battery tester with a printer.

[PherBag]

We use NAPA Legend batteries (75 month). They did the consignment deal when we started with them. 99% of their batteries are under $100.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Truett]

Have used the Delco brand batteries for the last 8 years. Very little problems with them and warranted well by my local vender Dust and Sons and Stonewheel. I have had nothing but problems with Interstate batteries and will NEVER install another one. I even used to stock them. Biggest pieces of crap sold and their warranty is junk. Have never been able to get them to warranty any of them even when they load test at 3 volts.

Really suggest you check out the Delco. Several different lines with different warranties so you can tailor the battery to the car and the customer. They do 18, 24, 36 month warranties that are full replacement not pro rated.

[bantar]

I'm selling Interstate right now, on consignment, and I've had no issues with warranty returns.   I wonder if the warranty issues noted above are from Distributors instead of Interstate directly.  Clearly, some of you have had warranty rejections whereas, I've had none.

Our warranty process:  We test the batteries and if they fail, the test results are attached, but many times they get destroyed by the acid and are unreadable.  The route drivers do not read the test results, nor do they retest the batteries when they pick them up.   They are placed on the truck in a compartment with all other battery cores from other retailers, so there's no distinguishing who's core is who's at the factory for later testing.   The warranty claim is processed on site by the driver.     Maybe they have different warranty solutions in different regions.    Can anyone comment on how their Interstate warranties are being processed?

My challenge with Interstate has been with stocking levels and their inability to hot-shot batteries in <24 hours.  If I don't have it in stock, then we source an AC Delco from a different supplier.   I've recently upped my inventory to solve my own shortages problem.   Currently, AC Delco is significantly higher, about $20 each, than it's Interstate peer (similar or (mostly) less warranty levels) and NAPA is about $25 each higher.     Yesterday, I invited both AC Delco (distributor) and NAPA to pitch their battery programs again.

 

[HPINAZ]

I use the Factory Motor Parts FVP brand. The Platinum batteries have a 30 month free replacement warranty. I am in AZ and even with the extreme heat they do not gas. It is a consignment program with a weekly truck visit plus they are hot shotted as needed. I have no complaints on the program or quality. 

[Topauto]

We also stock Delco  Batteries from Cold Air . Typically we stock the PS  series -30 month free replacement . The PG series has a 42 month free replacement and usually the cost is not that much more . In Florida batteries seem to go bad between 24 to 36 months . Which is why I usually do not give the customer an 18 month option . 

I try to educate the consumer on the benefits of a free replacement versus a pro rated warranty in the same time frame. They may save $10 or $20 up front with a cheaper battery from a big box store but when the battery fails - they get a prorated warranty coverage they just lost money.

We have never had a issue getting full coverage on the warranty. Actually, several times when it was the right thing to do for our customer we have gotten replacements even though the battery may be several months out of warranty . 

[BOBBYK]

We sell AC Delco batteries for the most part, and after they stopped having some of there batteries made in Korea the warranty problem went away. Most of our customer like the free replacement period and not the prorate. We had lots of problems with Interstate and warranty but that may have been the driver not the company but they still lost our business. I had to eat several batteries out of our own rental cars because the driver never had a replacement on the truck and I wouldn't wait for him to bring one later in the week.

[JimO]

On 9/19/2018 at 2:15 PM, bantar said:

I'm selling Interstate right now, on consignment, and I've had no issues with warranty returns.   I wonder if the warranty issues noted above are from Distributors instead of Interstate directly.  Clearly, some of you have had warranty rejections whereas, I've had none.

Our warranty process:  We test the batteries and if they fail, the test results are attached, but many times they get destroyed by the acid and are unreadable.  The route drivers do not read the test results, nor do they retest the batteries when they pick them up.   They are placed on the truck in a compartment with all other battery cores from other retailers, so there's no distinguishing who's core is who's at the factory for later testing.   The warranty claim is processed on site by the driver.     Maybe they have different warranty solutions in different regions.    Can anyone comment on how their Interstate warranties are being processed?

My challenge with Interstate has been with stocking levels and their inability to hot-shot batteries in <24 hours.  If I don't have it in stock, then we source an AC Delco from a different supplier.   I've recently upped my inventory to solve my own shortages problem.   Currently, AC Delco is significantly higher, about $20 each, than it's Interstate peer (similar or (mostly) less warranty levels) and NAPA is about $25 each higher.     Yesterday, I invited both AC Delco (distributor) and NAPA to pitch their battery programs again.

 

 I agree with bantar, our Interstate warranties are handled the same way. I have been stocking Interstate on consignment for about ten years and we have never had issues with pro-rating defects. Failure rate is no better and no worse than other batteries and our cost price has always been very competitive. We sell quite a few batteries to people who are not customers but they found us on the Interstate web site. Odd how so many people responded with such negative comments. I do think Interstate is behind times in not having the ability to interface with any shop management program. Life is easier selling a NAPA or CarQuest battery for that reason. As bantar indicated, hot-shot delivery is poor so that is when I elect to go the CarQuest or NAPA route with a reduced profit margin.

[xrac]

Premium Member Content 

This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

[stvstbsvc]

We had "issues" with Interstate about 5 years ago and said Goodby.  After handling Interstate for 10 years they switched servicing centers on us about the same time they went into Costco stores.  I felt that "cheapened" the product in my customer's minds.  And funny, about that same time the service went to pot and we started noticing quite a few more warranties.  We are a NAPA AutoCare and an AC Delco TSC so it was in my best interest to put in a rack of batteries (also on consignment) from both vendors.  Still very happy with both brands after 5 years - good product, good warranties (not that I have needed much!) and pricing I can work with.

[Guest]

We had Interstate. The prices went way up at the same time quality went down and credit on the warranties was like a shell game. We've been using worldpac batteries with almost no problems and 3 year full warranty. We're in central Texas so maybe different climates have different experiences.

[autoguy]

So almost a year later since the last reply by @Old and Tired , what is everyone using for batteries currently?

[Guest]

Same. We've had almost zero problems with worldpac batteries.

[autoguy]

On 9/13/2019 at 8:53 PM, Old and Tired said:

Same. We've had almost zero problems with worldpac batteries.

I had no idea worldpac had their own battery line

[risingsunmotors]

We've used interstate for at least 30+ years, no issues bad enough to consider switching.

[TheTrustedMechanic]

@[email protected] - Make sure your battery tester has a printer.  It seems so stupid but I have found that customers are far more likely to believe a piece of paper than they will their trusted auto repair professional.  I have a like my Midtronics MDX-350P (printer).  I bought a Snap-On (Midtronics) tester with a better, more graphic printout but I can't remember the model number.

[TheTrustedMechanic]

I used to stock Interstate batteries.  NAPA tried soliciting my business with a free battery rack with a 10 circuit maintainer if I changed.  Because I had been very happy with Interstate batteries I declined.  But not a month later warranties started coming back.  Within 2 months I had replaced no less than 10 Interstate batteries that were less than 3 years old, most were around 2 years old.  My final straw with Interstate was when the route driver told me that only one of the batteries was actually faulty, that two just weren't charged fully.  I knew that was B.S.  First their branded battery tester was nothing more than a Midtronics MDX-300 with a built in printer, my tester was the MDX-350P with printer, so it was the exact same test protocol.  Second one of the batteries he told me was good but not fully charged had been charged with my Snap-On computerized battery charger that has a programming mode.  I fully charged the battery overnight and left it disconnected from the van for about 6 hours before testing.  The battery tested bad.  When a battery tests bad, I always disconnect it and test it again right on the terminals or with lead test posts.  When Interstate wouldn't admit their failed batteries I decided to rid myself of the problem.  Thankfully my local NAPA jobber pulled some favors and got me the free rack with maintainer and put in NAPA Legend batteries.  I have had them in stock for more than 3 years, always sold NAPA batteries when I didn't have Interstate batteries in stock and I have had no more than 12 NAPA battery warranties in 14 years of business.  My only complaint is that the pro-rata warranty is ridiculous.  Many times by the 5th year (60 months into a 75 month warranty), the pro-rata cost for replacement is more than the wholesale cost from my local supplier.  That is my ONLY complaint but like I said, I have less than a 1% warranty rate.  Not so with Interstate.  I have had some NAPA Legend Batteries still test with 80% of the CCA rating after 8 years.

[Junior]

I want to bump up this old thread. I've been using Diehard from advance lately, I sell almost exclusively AGM batteries , lots of failures. Plus the price seems to keep going up. Interstate has a distributor right down the street, I might try them again but had a terrible amount of failures in my old shop back in 2016. Maybe its better now?

[Hands On]

3 hours ago, Junior said:

I want to bump up this old thread. I've been using Diehard from advance lately, I sell almost exclusively AGM batteries , lots of failures. Plus the price seems to keep going up. Interstate has a distributor right down the street, I might try them again but had a terrible amount of failures in my old shop back in 2016. Maybe its better now?

Most of the replies above answer your specific question, interstate = bad. I also use ACDelco as several others have mentioned. If I have a client call and they want to go buy a battery themselves, I tell them they should go to Napa or O Reilly's.