Exide Sprinter Max battery sold by Home Depot failed at 2 years

[ProbeGT]

Stay away from Exide Sprinter Max batteries sold by Home Depot. My H8/Group 49 Failed exactly at 2 years young in my Jaguar which lives in the garage. Home Depot has a 3-year free replacement warranty but the HD employees and even the manager had no idea how to process the replacement. With help from someone on the phone, the store manager eventually figured it out and processed the replacement.

I've gone through many batteries in my cars, this was the shortest life. The previous Interstate battery lasted 6 years.

 

[Shel_B]

Stay away from Exide Sprinter Max batteries sold by Home Depot. My H8/Group 49 Failed exactly at 2 years young in my Jaguar which lives in the garage. Home Depot has a 3-year free replacement warranty but the HD employees and even the manager had no idea how to process the replacement. With help from someone on the phone, the store manager eventually figured it out and processed the replacement.

I've gone through many batteries in my cars, this was the shortest life. The previous Interstate battery lasted 6 years.

How often was the car driven during those two years? How long were the drives? Did you keep the battery on some sort of trickle charge during that time?

 

[ProbeGT]

About 50 miles every week plus about half a dozen long (200+ mile) trips / year. ~3.5k miles per year total. Pre-pandemic I averaged 5k/year. I have never used a trickle charger and never monitored battery voltage. Even so, all my batteries lasted at least 6 years. The car always started on 1st try until last week. I charged the battery overnight @ 6A, got it to 12.5V. Drove my daughter to college (200 mile trip), no issues. Next day after the trip, I had no crank and battery was down to 10V. Even after hours of charging, the battery would not turn the starter.

 

[FowVay]

And I never even knew Home Depot sold car batteries.

 

[Lubener]

I don't know why you are complaining, you got a new battery out of it. Things happen.

 

[mrsilv04]

A battery from a big-box hardware store. In a vehicle that is driven much less than average (and even less than that lately). No battery maintainer used. Issues with replacing it at the store, but it was replaced successfully.

Let's break this down.

Might now be at the point where a maintainer should be used. Previous usage was 5,000 miles a year, now at 3,500 miles a year. That's around 70% of what was the previous yearly usage. I have just one $30 battery maintainer that is over 20 years old, but move it from vehicle to vehicle (all are set up with pigtails) on a weekly basis. It takes a few minutes a week, and I know that everything will start when I want it to.

Has it been verified that there is no sort of parasitic draw? Things can change over time.

Also might try in the future, buying batteries from a vendor who has more 'customer service experience' with batteries, where the batteries might also be fresher. I buy mine from a farm supply store who sells in high volume (because of their low prices), and I highly doubt they would struggle in processing a warranty claim. Also, who knows how old the Home Depot battery was when you took it home. If my local HD sells batteries, then they're sitting in some dusty corner somewhere... and who knows how old they'd be.

 

[eljefino]

The Interstate in my camry sees the same service and is doing fine. It was dead flat when I bought the car, too. OPs expectations are not out of line.

 

[GSCJR]

At my local HD the batteries are dusty, over 3 years old, and some were even used, the last time I checked. Horrible selection too, 5 groups if you're lucky, the rest of the spots on the shelves are empty.

 

[walterjay]

I have seen batteries fail at two months. Nothing is perfect.

 

[atikovi]

Looks like $159 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Exide-S...g-Amps-BCI-Auto-Battery-SX-H8-L5-49/308488577 How much was an original battery from a Jaguar dealer? I just bought a Volvo H8 for $172 from my dealer to replace a Volvo battery dated from 2014. About 9 years is pretty good service, although, or maybe because it's been on a maintainer the last 5 years.

 

[Escape08]

OEM for JLR are Exide Batteries. I'm not sure who made these Exide batteries in UK or somewhere in Europe. Mine lasted only 4 years and it's an AGM.

 

[ProbeGT]

Also, who knows how old the Home Depot battery was when you took it home. If my local HD sells batteries, then they're sitting in some dusty corner somewhere... and who knows how old they'd be.

Has it been verified that there is no sort of parasitic draw? Things can change over time.

The 1st battery had a Nov 2020 sticker. I bought it in Dec 2020. I recall they had 3 on the shelf back then, the other 2 were older so of course I bought the freshest one available. Fast forward to now, they only had one on the shelf. Oct 2022 sticker. When I brought it home it read 12.2V. After 6 hours of charging @ 6A it now reads 12.6V, steady even under load. I checked for parasitic draw, none found. That said, the Jag takes 30 minutes to go sleep and draws 0.6A until it does. This is considered "normal." The car always did this.

I don't know why you are complaining, you got a new battery out of it. Things happen.

It's by far the shortest life I've ever gotten out of a car battery. Perhaps I was lucky all these years, getting 6-9 years out of every other battery.

Looks like $159 now

I paid $110 in Dec 2020. That's a 44.5% increase in exactly 2 years. I don't understand how the gov't/Fed get away with claiming 7% inflation.

 

[SpitFire6]

The 1st battery had a Nov 2020 sticker. I bought it in Dec 2020. I recall they had 3 on the shelf back then, the other 2 were older so of course I bought the freshest one available. Fast forward to now, they only had one on the shelf. Oct 2022 sticker. When I brought it home it read 12.2V. After 6 hours of charging @ 6A it now reads 12.6V, steady even under load. I checked for parasitic draw, none found. That said, the Jag takes 30 minutes to go sleep and draws 0.6A until it does. This is considered "normal." The car always did this.

It's by far the shortest life I've ever gotten out of a car battery. Perhaps I was lucky all these years, getting 6-9 years out of every other battery.

I paid $110 in Dec 2020. That's a 44.5% increase in exactly 2 years. I don't understand how the gov't/Fed get away with claiming 7% inflation.

Hi,
So you purchased a battery that had a rest voltage of 12.2v? Around 50% SOC?
Surprised it lasted so long. You should have returned it.
Surprised the seller replaced it. I would have not.
Cheers,
Iain.

 

[atikovi]

Surprised the seller replaced it. I would have not.

It's under warranty. The seller has to replace it. Not like they are paying for it.

 

[Tdbo]

I'm sure that that battery was about as fresh as a hotdog on the rollers at Speedway.

 

[Donald]

Anyone reading this forum knows to avoid Exide.

 

[Donald]

I'm sure that that battery was about as fresh as a hotdog on the rollers at Speedway.

There was a billboard put up by some doctors in Indianapolis "Eating a hot dog is as bad as smoking a cigarette. It's that bad for you". I have not had a hot dog since! At least a decade ago.

My doctor says walk right by the deli counter. Nothing good for you there.

 

[Tdbo]

There was a billboard put up by some doctors in Indianapolis "Eating a hot dog is as bad as smoking a cigarette. It's that bad for you". I have not had a hot dog since! At least a decade ago.

My doctor says walk right by the deli counter. Nothing good for you there.

Everything in moderation.

 

[Tdbo]

Anyone reading this forum knows to avoid Exide.

At least their auto batteries.
Have had good luck with their tractor batteries.
They seem to last longer.

 

[ProbeGT]

So you purchased a battery that had a rest voltage of 12.2v? Around 50% SOC?
Surprised it lasted so long. You should have returned it.
Surprised the seller replaced it. I would have not.

No, I did not purchase it. It was a free replacement for the 2-yr old failed battery. Last one on the shelf. 12.2V is not great but it was either that or nothing.
They store was obligated to give me the replacement under their own 3-year free replacement policy. Glad you don't work there.