replacement MAXX battery at Walmart

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Donald

Donald

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Walmart replaced a MAXX battery in my Jeep today when it failed after 34 months. They did not even test it as they had to jump it in the parking lot to get it into their service bay. Oddly they gave me a 36 month free replacement on the new MAXX battery. Could this be the start of eternal free batteries at Walmart for me? This one was just off the truck, not even on the shelf yet.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Walmart replaced a MAXX battery in my Jeep today when it failed after 34 months. They did not even test it as they had to jump it in the parking lot to get it into their service bay. Oddly they gave me a 36 month free replacement on the new MAXX battery. Could this be the start of eternal free batteries at Walmart for me? This one was just off the truck, not even on the shelf yet.

I would hope not (eternal free batteries)....who wants their battery fail every 24 to 36 months...and be stranded?

The OEM battery in my Focus lasted eight years....and I replaced it when it started turning over a little slower.

Replaced it with a Kirkland Brand (Costco) battry made by Johnson Controls.... for $68. Has a 3 year full repacement... and a 96 month pro-rated warranty.

Its hard to beat that price and warranty.....
_____________________________________________
03' Ford Focus (2.3L Duratec PZEV) / 98,800
Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 / Purolator PureOne / OCI: 8K +/-
 
Except for the fact not everywhere has a Costco to warranty the bat. Interstate and Walmart have the highest amount of places to warranty batteries. So no matter where your at you can get coverage. Can't say that for Costco

I live in AZ but moved to OK and had a costco battery. When it failed the closest Costco was in TX. Since I purchased an Interstate while in OK and had it warranted in AZ.

My brother truck came from TX and he had the interstate dealer in Suprise AZ warranty both of his 7.3 batteries just this past monday. No questions asked.

Batteries WILL fail. I sure want a warranty location nearby me when it happens
 
The one I bought from Wal-Mart last fall had "Johnson Controls Inc." stamped right on the label.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I know its been posted before, but how can one verify who actually made the Walmart battery?


In my neck of the woods, there's a few of each of the different batteries - last I looked.

A Johnson Controls (JCI) made battery will have two cell caps on it, each with 45* notched corners.

An Exide battery will have two cell caps on it as well, but theirs have a small radius instead.

The rarest is made by East Penn manufacturing and they have a completely smooth top and one little oval vent tube on each side.
 
OK this one must be a JCI as it has the notched corners. The old MAXX battery did not really have battery caps. The top of the battery was smooth. There was a flush piece of plastic on each side with a tab of plastic that was at the end of the battery. But I never took it off. Unsure if I could.

Walmart left a socket under the hood.
 
WalMarts is big enough to have batteries made to their specifications by whomever they chose. Just because it says Johnson controls on top mean nothing as to the construction inside.
 
If you look at the serial of the battery, who made it is glaringly obvious.
JCI batteries start with...JCI and Exide batteries begin with EXI.
Also, you only get one freebie out of the Warranty. That is why they have serials so they can get tracked.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Walmart replaced a MAXX battery in my Jeep today when it failed after 34 months. They did not even test it as they had to jump it in the parking lot to get it into their service bay. Oddly they gave me a 36 month free replacement on the new MAXX battery. Could this be the start of eternal free batteries at Walmart for me? This one was just off the truck, not even on the shelf yet.


That was not their policy when I turned my yellow "Maxx" in-- they punched in the old battery's date code in the new battery's warranty label, so as far as its status, it was already "three years old". This was when they still prorated, so, effectively, if the new battery made it a couple years its value was then peanuts.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Walmart replaced a MAXX battery in my Jeep today when it failed after 34 months. They did not even test it as they had to jump it in the parking lot to get it into their service bay. Oddly they gave me a 36 month free replacement on the new MAXX battery. Could this be the start of eternal free batteries at Walmart for me? This one was just off the truck, not even on the shelf yet.

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
If you look at the serial of the battery, who made it is glaringly obvious.
JCI batteries start with...JCI and Exide batteries begin with EXI.
Also, you only get one freebie out of the Warranty. That is why they have serials so they can get tracked.

???
OP got a new battery free and a new 36 month free replacement warranty on the new battery. If he should get only get one free replacement out of the original warranty, then what good is the new 36 month free replacement warranty on the new battery ?
 
I did ask the service guy if the replacement battery also had a 36 month free replacement and he said yes.

Walmart may track serial numbers but only within a store. If you go to another store, they cannot see the transaction.

With no receipt, they use the battery manufacture date as the purchase date.

I (this was someone elses idea) will make a copy of the receipt and keep it in the car, thus the thermal register paper does not fade in a hot car.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Donald
Walmart replaced a MAXX battery in my Jeep today when it failed after 34 months. They did not even test it as they had to jump it in the parking lot to get it into their service bay. Oddly they gave me a 36 month free replacement on the new MAXX battery. Could this be the start of eternal free batteries at Walmart for me? This one was just off the truck, not even on the shelf yet.

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
If you look at the serial of the battery, who made it is glaringly obvious.
JCI batteries start with...JCI and Exide batteries begin with EXI.
Also, you only get one freebie out of the Warranty. That is why they have serials so they can get tracked.

???
OP got a new battery free and a new 36 month free replacement warranty on the new battery. If he should get only get one free replacement out of the original warranty, then what good is the new 36 month free replacement warranty on the new battery ?

The old batteries are grandfathered on that aspect, IIRC. I mentioned that mainly for informational purposes.
And yes, they can get transactions from other stores. I once returned a laptop charger with receipt from a different store. They scanned the barcode at the bottom and the delay was only a couple seconds before it pulled the transaction up.
 
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The Exide/MAXX I had lasted 2yrs, leaked all over the place & tested bad. No receipt-no free replacment. I did get another Walmart Johnson Controls/Maxx
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Smokefan1977
Except for the fact not everywhere has a Costco to warranty the bat. Interstate and Walmart have the highest amount of places to warranty batteries. So no matter where your at you can get coverage. Can't say that for Costco

I live in AZ but moved to OK and had a costco battery. When it failed the closest Costco was in TX. Since I purchased an Interstate while in OK and had it warranted in AZ.

My brother truck came from TX and he had the interstate dealer in Suprise AZ warranty both of his 7.3 batteries just this past monday. No questions asked.

Batteries WILL fail. I sure want a warranty location nearby me when it happens

I would respond that... 80% of the population live near a Costco (within 20 miles or so).

Since Costco has the best rated batteries (Johnson Controls)....the best price ($68 for mine).....and one of the best warranties....purchase your next battery at Costco.

If your OK with paying $20 to $40 more...purchase at Walmart, AZ or O'Reillys....its your $$$.
 
The problem with buying battery at Costco or Sams Club or other membership chains is you must be a paying member at the time you claim warranty. Another problem, Costco stocks only high volume batteries, Costco doesn't have size 49 for my E430 nor size 27F for my LS400. WM doesn't have size 27F either.
 
The 12 states that dont have costco and the many with only 1 costco say it would be difficult. If your lucky enough to live in a place that has many costcos it might be an option. I have a costco 1.5 miles from my house and have 2 sams clubs within 5 miles, but I have 4 Walmarts within a stones throw including 2 super centers within 3 miles of me. Every podunk town has a walmart of somesort or atleast an Interstate dealer. I would hate to live 40 miles away from a place to get a warranty. The 1 hour drive to and from and the hassel is worth an extra 20 bux IMO
 
This new MAXX battery does indeed say Johnson Controls on it (needed glasses). The warranty claim at Walmart is receipt or they use the date code on the battery. For me its the same month/year. Also new MAXX battery does not have a month/year punch out. The old MAXX battery did.
 
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