Re: Battery for 2000 Sonata

Not likely. It's pretty rare for a battery for last five years, let alone double that. The warranty is largely a marketing ploy. Sears knows that the battery will never last that long and they build the pro-rated warranty cost into the price. That's one reason why they cost more. They're also betting that you won't keep your car that long and the next owner will not attempt to use the warranty. While it certainly may be a better battery than their less expensive models, it may just be the same thing with a longer warranty and a higher price tag.

| > | Read the fine print. It's a pro-rated warranty. When the time | > comes that | > | you have to replace it, it's not worth much. | > | | >

| > Oh, I know that. But I bank on the fact that the battery will | > work pretty well (especially in my mild climate) to get close to | > its warranty end. The logic is pretty similar to Hyundai's: a | > manufacturer hates to shell out to handle a warranty claim. I | > learned with stereo equipment to search out products that offer | > an exceptional warranty. Nowadays, that means a reasonable period | > for _labor._ Back to the topic at hand, if a battery is warranted | > for ten years, I figure that it will serve me well for nine. | | Not likely. It's pretty rare for a battery for last five years, let | alone double that. The warranty is largely a marketing ploy. Sears knows | that the battery will never last that long and they build the pro-rated | warranty cost into the price. That's one reason why they cost more. | They're also betting that you won't keep your car that long and the next | owner will not attempt to use the warranty. While it certainly may be a | better battery than their less expensive models, it may just be the same | thing with a longer warranty and a higher price tag.

The Johnson Controls battery in my recently-departed Ford Aerostar has an 8-year warranty, and was still working perfectly for me in its 7th year. I bought it at Costco. I'll add that I live in a mild climate area where batteries are lightly loaded. If I lived in an area where it snows and battery current delivery squnches down to 30% in the winter, I might agree with you.

However, consider this point: Costco is the type of outfit that does not take manufacturer slight-of-hand like this lightly. I assure you that they do not want to have to handle a lot of disgusting, leaking, dangerous batteries brought in by customers if it's avoidable. They can ride herd on a supplier, even one as large and arrogant as Johnson Controls. In other words, if they're putting Johnson's warranty on a battery (labeled with a Costco brand), they're going to be yelling on Johnson's horn pretty loudly if those batteries don't come through. Johnson should understand this, since I have already read a pamphlet sent out to their suppliers by Johnson, that said, in essence, "You will make parts for us for 30% lower price and you will make them with no reduction in quality." ("You Will Do What We Tell You And You Will Like It!")

Too bad that my Aerostar was totalled beause it would have been interesting to see if the battery had fulfilled the entire warranty. On the other hand, the insurance money helped put me into this Sonata ("Money talks, nobody walks!").

Richard