I needed to replace the battery in my 1996 Ford Contour. It is over 5 years old and starting was slowing down as winter is approaching. The battery size is 96R. The current battery is a Motorcraft that I bought. Walmart near me does not carry this size. The specs for the 96R battery at Advance Auto, Auto Zone and Motorcraft are basically all the same for a 3 year free replacement battery. The cost at the Ford dealer for the Motorcraft is $170, Advance Auto Diehard is $220 and Auto Zone's Duralast is $215. I'm surprised that the Motorcraft at the Ford dealer is still the least expensive for the equivalent battery. In these 5+ years the price of batteries has really jumped higher. I believe I paid $105 for the same Motorcraft battery in 2018.
Motorcraft Dealer Battery Pricing
- Thread starter Whimsey
- Start date
Yes. Mine recently died in a parking lot. Jumped it to get it home. Replacement was $220. Last one I bought was less than half that amount. Just like everything else.....
A Ford Contour can take a group 47/H5 battery, a group 41 battery, possibly a group 48/H6 battery (if there's room). You aren't limited to the 96R battery.
Yeah. I couldn’t believe that batteries from advance auto ranged from $190-270 when I recently looked. Even walmart is way up. I now buy used batteries from the junkyard for $35 and return the old battery to the auto parts store for $10 credit. It’s pretty easy to date new batteries and with a 30 day warranty as long as it works fine for those 30 days and the plates look good inside chances are the battery will last a long time.
This is a reasonable price for an East Penn manufactured 96R battery if you happen to be a Sam's Club member.
Check Facebook Marketplace. Bought a few months old Walmart 121R for my Corolla for $50. That wasn't the size it calls for but fit just fine.
Check walmart in store, when my BIL needed a battery for his Fusion (same size?) WM had the 2-year one for $99. But it didn't show online so I got the NAPA version with a black friday deal, still paying more.
Walmart.com is good for most things at B&M walmarts, but NOT BATTERIES.
Walmart.com is good for most things at B&M walmarts, but NOT BATTERIES.
WalMart does stock a 96R.
EverStart Plus Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 96R 12 Volt, 590 CCA - Walmart.com
Tomorrow Buy EverStart Plus Lead Acid Automotive Battery, Group Size 96R 12 Volt, 590 CCA at Walmart.com
www.walmart.com
Yep.
I was on AAP today looking for a battery for a Mazda and its $220 after the core credit.
Dealerships know that they are competing with the parts houses on common stuff like filters and batteries, so go with them if they're the cheapest. All batteries sold in the U.S. are only made by a handful of manufacturers anyways.
On the farm, we tend to have the fewest issues with batteries made by Deka, so I'm partial to NAPA and O'Reilly.
On the farm, we tend to have the fewest issues with batteries made by Deka, so I'm partial to NAPA and O'Reilly.
For batteries that are clamped down from the top T5 is interchangeable with 96R. I looked up a video and they replaced a 40R battery which would be close in size to a T6, the 96R and 40R battery only have the bottom mounting flange on the front/back while the T batteries have them on all 4 sides and they are essentially the same as their equivalent H size just a little shorter, I don't know if the H sizes would fit based on the video I saw, doesn't look like there's a whole lot of extra threads on the mounting bracket studs to accomodate the taller H batteries.
So it was the battery after all
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I found out the same thing last year when I replaced the original 9 year old Motorcraft battery in my 2014 Mustang GT. I paid around $155 for a Motorcraft replacement from the dealer vs the $200 both of the local autoparts store wanted for their good batteries.
Actually, I have the old battery on a maintainer reconditioner for a month, and it's now testing good. May even swap it back in if I need another battery of that size for another car.So it was the battery after all
PSA...The East Penn Duracell batteries at Sam's Club will be $20 off this weekend (Dec. 1 -3, 2023). Therefore, this 96R with a non-prorated 3 yr. replacement warranty will only be $119.88.
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