15 Worst Car Battery Brands To Avoid
All car batteries are not created equal. Top brands such as DieHard and Everstart are near the top in group sizes; however, they score lower in others. Poor car batteries get chided for premature failure and inconsistent performance.
The problem can be a bad cell or the battery keeps expiring. Other red flags for a possible bad battery are low cold-cranking amps (CCA) and a limited warranty period.
Our automotive team has created a list of the worst car batteries to avoid. Our list drew on consumer reports and automotive publications that assessed the durability and quality of car batteries available to the general public.
Everstart
Everstart is Walmart’s store brand. It is affordable, offers a wide variety of battery sizes, and uses mostly lead-acid batteries. Some buyers have complained that some of the batteries are unreliable, and drivers have reported issues with a short battery lifespan before they fail.
EverStart batteries are cheap; however, they are made with low-grade materials that impact performance. Their three-year warranty is in their favor.
Interstate
The distinctive green-topped battery, which has been made since 1952, is sold in many group sizes and can be found at independent shops, Interstate All Battery Centers, and Costco stores.
According to SlashGear, Interstate batteries are made through an assemblage of several manufacturers that share a branding. That arrangement might make it challenging to maintain consistency when different plants or factories produce the batteries.
Braille
Braille batteries, made in Sarasota, Florida, get the thumbs-up for their compact design and lightweight. Regarding performance, a customer who purchased the Braille battery complained that his car had problems starting just months after he bought a slightly used Braille battery.
Other customers have questioned the battery’s durability, reliability, and erratic dimming of headlights and dash lights.
AC Delco
AC Delco batteries can be bought from third-party retailers and General Motors. They come in a variety of sizes and offer a standard warranty of 18 to 48 months, depending on the price category.
Recent data regarding AC Delco batteries has not been kind to its reputation. Customer reviews chide the battery for inconsistent performance and shorter lifespans in certain models. Customers have also said the price of the AC Delco battery has soared in recent years while the quality has lacked consistency.
Optima Batteries
Once one of the premier car batteries around the globe, the reputation of Milwaukee-based Optima Batteries has slid in recent years. The batteries, made by Clarios LLC, once offered a performance improvement in various vehicles; however, now customers claim the battery has trouble holding its charge.
The battery’s high price irks customers, and what they say is bad customer service.
Exide
Exide Technologies makes the Exide battery, founded in 1888 before cars were on the road. Its headquarters are in Milton, Georgia. Besides cars, it provides batteries for industrial use. During World War II, it provided the batteries for wakeless torpedoes.
Though Exide has the battery pedigree, its reputation for car batteries has been tarnished. Exide batteries have declined in quality in recent years, and their failure rates have risen. Exide’s one-year warranty is among the shortest. The brand was also cited for violating environmental regulations.
DieHard Advanced Gold 50748
It doesn’t hurt when a hit movie starring Bruce Willis has the same name as your product. DieHard batteries are made by Clarios LLC and sold at various retailers, including Kmart, Sears, and Walmart. Even so, some consumers say the DieHard Advanced Gold 50748 doesn’t live up to its name.
A Consumer Reports test revealed that this DieHard model’s batteries expired much faster than competitors’ batteries, with some owners saying they died after just seven weeks.
LifePo4 Lithium Iron Phosphate
LifePo4 Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are better suited for electric vehicles or boats and not the best choice for internal combustion cars. The lithium iron phosphate materials don’t provide enough power to crank an internal combustion engine effectively, and the issue is more acute in colder temperatures.
These batteries are more expensive than others and are not easily found.
Duralast
Another well-known brand, Duralast batteries, is on the list. It is the house brand of Memphis, Tenn.-based auto parts giant AutoZone.
Though Duralast batteries are affordable, they get bad reviews for their brief lifespan, failure to sustain a charge, and inability to perform well in higher temperatures. They also rate lower against rivals in areas such as cold cranking amps and reserve capacity.
Kirkland
Kirkland Signature is the brand of price club Costco, whose world headquarters are in Issaquah, Washington, an eastern suburb of Seattle. The battery is considered lackluster in performance. Customers cited it for lower ratings for longevity, durability, and cold-weather performance.
Kirkland batteries also have high failure rates within the first 12 to 24 months.
SuperStart
SuperStart batteries are the exclusive product of O’Reilly Auto Parts stores, which have more than 6,000 stores and headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.
SuperStart batteries are less expensive than competitors’ models and are considered no-frills batteries. However, product reviews have dinged them for having a short lifespan. Tests also show the brand has below-average cold-cranking amps.
AutoCraft
The AutoCraft batteries are sold at Raleigh, North Carolina-based Advance Auto Parts stores, which was founded in 1932 and has almost 5,000 stores.
AutoCraft batteries may be easy on your wallet. However, they receive low ratings for their short life span (some drivers report the battery expiring after just one year), poor cold-cranking ability, and premature failure.
Summit
Summit batteries are the in-house brand for Summit Racing, based in Tallmadge, Ohio, and founded in 1968. It also provides more than 1 million stock replacement parts for cars and trucks.
Critics say Summit batteries don’t have high-end materials and engineering. Owners complain of short warranties, quick corrosion of the parts, and batteries requiring annual replacement to maintain automobile starting ability.
Bosch
Bosch, known for high-end auto electronics and parts, slips a bit regarding its batteries, according to critics. Independent tests awarded Bosch batteries average ratings for longevity and cold-cranking performance.
Some owners report an average lifespan for a battery of at most three years. On the plus side, its batteries have a higher average CCA than their peers, and Bosch does offer free roadside help for certain battery lines under warranty.
Duracell
Few battery brands are more widely known than Duracell, whose product is made by the East Penn Manufacturing Co. of Bowers, Pennsylvania. That doesn’t mean the car-buying public has not had problems with them.
Criticism has been leveled at Duracell’s batteries because they are difficult to charge properly. Some of the batteries in the line are expensive, and defects have been reported in the lineup. The plus side is that Duracell’s warranty has covered defects.
