I need a battery and like to know if anybody had experience with Pep Boys Bosch Premium battery. FWIW, Bosch changed the supplier to Exide, which has a marginal reliability rep in the past. The Bosch premium has a 3 yr/ 96 month warranty, same as the Duralast Gold and same price. The last Duralast I got is made by Johnson Controls.

 

Diehard or Interstate

 

Diehard Gold - yes, Diehard Weatherhandler - no. My problem with Sears is there battery tests do not diagnose all battery failures - and its the final word. In the past I had good experience with a Gold, but had two 1 year old Weatherhandlers that went bad. One in this Max and another in different car, both which would would lose their charge over a few days. Neither had excessive parasitic drain problem and both had new alternators with charging system OK. During the Sears test they would charge fine to 12.6 volts and past load test, but after they would die. No warranty replacement. Could be other big box stores are the same, though.

 

Interstate

Usually get upwards of 6+ years out of them too.

 

I like DieHards.

 

According to Consumer Reports, if you live in the North, the best batteries are Interstate and the the MAXX from Walmart. The MAXX is the best value for the money and comes with 3 year full replacement and 9 year pro rated warrenty.

They run about $72. I picked one up for my Jeep and Honda and they've been great.

The DieHard Gold is Number 5. I have it in my Max and it's seems really good. But I will probably buy a MAXX next time for the money.

 

I have a diehard gold batt in my maxima, about 8 years old now. i have had 0 issues with this battery, in fact the other night i was screwing around with the cd player and accidently left the ignition in the on position all night, of course the battery was dead as a doornail the next morning so i pulled the truck over, gave it a quick jump, let her run a while to charge it back up, no problems since(it started up fine this morning @17 degrees)

not to bad from a 8 year old battery..

 

I had a trak auto battery in my red van until it died (battery, not van) after trying to start it 30+ times in 0*f weather. Sadly it wouldn't take a charge anymore.

 

no,no,no, you want the OPTIMA red or yellow top. much better in the cold and for stereo hounds like me!!!!

 

Well i hate to say it but optimas are not as great as they used to be.

 

FWIW, I ended going with a Autozone Duralast Gold Group 24F size with 750 CCA and 125 RC. AZ as most other box stores, they try to sell the smaller Group 35 size with a lower 640 CCA and 100 RC. 2008 Consumer Reports rated the Duralast in the top two in 3 of 5 group sizes they tested. The Duralast was rated mid-pack in the group 24 size, but since it has the better specs than the Grp 34 I went for it. I could not locate a Interstate Megatron Plus or Walmart Auto close enough to me.

 

I have an Interstate that came with the car, been doing fine so far

 

Just so everyone knows you don't need a Walmart with an Auto center to get a Walmart battery. My walmart doesn't have a auto center, but has batteries on the shelf. You wnd up paying a $9 core chartge to take the battery and have to bring yours back for the refund.

I changed my wifes in the parking lot and had my $9 back 10 minutes later.

 

I had an exide battery and it killed my alternator..

 

I have a Bosch premium battery with the 36 month free replacement warranty. The battery is dead and the 3 year warranty is not up. Took it back to Pep Boys and they have changed their warranty policy. No receipt, shirt out of luck. Bought many batteries among other things at Pep Boys. Their electronic records were purged. Do not not expect any such thing as customer service from these folks. Good name going down the drain. Counter Guy could care less about me as a customer. Store Manager a decent guy, but still took the view of: we have our new policies and sorry, but not really. Pass on Pep Boys and the Bosch battery is no better than much more reasonable brands.

 

Just received a call from the local Pep Boys Store Manager. I wrote an email last night to Pep Boys Corp Customer Service explaining my situation. They will honor the warranty since the policy change occured after my original purchase date. I am impressed that Corporate linked with the store within 24 hours. How about that for a positive for Pep Boys?

 

Bought a Boch Premium Gold 1.5 years back for my 98 Jeep (which eats batteries).
It failed
Paid high price but was tickled pink when PB honored the warranty with a new battery (three year warranty). No additional fees. No Questions only presented my receipt.
Additionaly: The receipt was very fadded; barely ledgable.

I rate PB's: OUTSTANDING!!!

 

Most of the brands (Diehard, Everstart, Interstate, ProStart, Duralast, even Optima, etc.) are made by Johnson Controls, anyway

I would suspect Johnson Controls manufacturers alot of Bosch U.S. batteries as well (but still distributed by Bosch), but have no proof of that..

scottrpackard - PepBoys should still be the only place that will honor warranty exchanges without a receipt. What part of the country do you live in? I know in Texas this is still the policy (my brother is a PepBoys manager)

 

I have Nissan OEM stock battery. Still orginal... 8 years now. Still works great.

 

My 2002 VW TDI bug has had innumerable electrical problems due to terrible Bosch parts. After only 7 brake switches (replaced under warranty thank goodness, but a huge loss of time and safety risk) I'm still fighting Bosch. Ugh.

Now the fiasco is Pep Boys Bosch batteries, their part number 47-600B. Every failure results in a jump or a tow by AAA followed by a prolonged negotiation with Pep Boys getting them to honor the warranty. Eventually they do but it's always a fight. The first one lasted a bit over 36 months before failing in October 2010. The second one lasted 8 months until June 2011. The third one lasted 7 weeks until August 2011, when it broke in the desert in Nevada. Fortunately I was close to a Wal-Mart so I got it replaced with a Maxx. I'm finally off the Bosch treadmill of slow death by a thousand cuts.

I don't know which is worse, the crappy, unbelievably unreliable Bosch garbage, or the constant fights with Pep Boys to get them to honor the warranty, or the $16 installation fee that I pay each time, or the AAA usage, or losing a 1/2 day of vacation plus an extra $119 motel fee from dealing with yet another P.O.S. Bosch failure, this time in the desert.

Tomorrow I'll do yet another warranty exchange the third P.O.S. Bosch garbage battery and give it away on Craig's List with a full disclaimer of what a P.O.S. it is. Perhaps some poor soul needs a battery desperately enough that a few weeks of service will be worth the inconvenience of replacing it in a few weeks. I'm done with that trash. Good riddance.

 

I am the second owner of my Maxima and with it came with Bosch Premium battery. Which I have had no issues with since owning it for 3 years. Never failed me on a cold day, and always cranks without a hitch.