What's the LONGEST (or Shortest) a car battery has lasted for you.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Just wondering-
My volvo xc70 is over 10 years and keeps on tickin' at this point. Usually they are long gone by now (for me anyway). Is that normal? What do you get?

[Noah930]

I had the original battery in a '95 Nissan that lasted about 9 years (half of that time in Boston, no less). But most recent batteries seem to last 2-3 years, regardless the manuf.

[dad911]

8+ years - 1990's Optima
1 year - 2000's Optima

[wdfifteen]

The factory battery in my Kubota only lasted about 3 years. I have a 6 volt Optima that is at least 15 years old that still functions.

[rwest]

My 2008 Toyota Yaris is on the original battery- parked outside all the time -MN winters

[VINMAN]

My vehicles get new batteries every two years.

My boat gets new ones every year. Not taking a chance 35miles offshore with bad batteries!


.

[wdfifteen]

I remember when tires lasted 12000 miles and batteries lasted 2 years. Do we live in great times or what?

[sand_man]

Interstate battery in my DD 930 lasted 8+ years (sold the car so not sure when/if it finally died).
Had a "new" Die-Hard last about 18 months in a VW Jetta.

[Gogar]

I had a Batteries Plus sealed battery in one of my bikes that lasted 1 season, even with a tender and everything. Thanks a lot, Obama!

[vonsmog]

I got 11 years out of the factory 12v battery in my Kubota diesel tractor! That is the best I have ever had.

[aschen]

The last bat in my 930 was around 12 years I think. It lived a charmed life though, it was the giant full sized one, it only had to crank over a 7.5 CR, and was basically never in the heat

My old subaru sti ate batteries every 18 months. I bought smaller ones and it had high underhood temps.

[SCadaddle]

Original Panasonic AGM battery in my 92 Miata finally gave it up in 2004.

[manbridge 74]

Originally Posted by dad911

8+ years - 1990's Optima
1 year - 2000's Optima

Same except my first optima went 14 yrs.

[porsche4life]

I recently got 30 months out of an energizer from sams. But it has a 36month warranty... So free battery. Did lots of sitting without a charge so no wonder it went tits up.

[Tobra]

My wife's truck seems to kill batteries. Alternator seems to be okay, but they last about I attribute it to the car sitting a lot. Original Panasonic battery lasted 3 years in the Integra. The Die Hard lasted about 8 years. 2nd replacement was going strong 6 years later when the car got killed by a minivan.

[Hugh R]

In 1971 I bought a Firestone "Forever" battery for my Aston Martin DB4. As long as I owned the car, and had the paper warranty they covered it "forever". I think I went through 7 or 8 batteries over the next 35 years. I'd go to a dealer, and they didn't recognize it, I had them call corporate and they'd say "Yeah, OK" I did the same with Midas mufflers I went through two sets of 2 carbon steel mufflers and finally they patterned up some stainless steel ones for me.

Oh, original question, I'm still on the original car battery that starts my 08 Camry Hybrid seven years later. The hybrid battery seems to work fine as well. I seem to get about 3 years out of a battery for the 911, but it sits way too much.

[Bill Douglas]

I got 8 months out of a battery that had a 3 year guarantee. I took it back to Supercheap Auto with a printout of it's failure details. They got very argumentative about replacing it. I said that's fine, write your name here on the small claims court document I had with me. WOW, was this chick angry. What with a queue of people laughing at her - I thought she was going to punch me. But I did get a replacement battery Next time I'll pay a bit more and buy a Panasonic brand car battery.

[Arizona_928]

Sealed motorcycle battery lasted only a month.
About two years is the norm for auto related.
My hmmwv has 11 year old military batteries Right now, and they hold a full charge...

[look 171]

My sealed Interstate batteries back in the late 80s to late 90s seem to last forever. I even bought them used due to lack of funds. My Optima seem to last only a year, but got another under warranty. That one's been in my wife's van for about 7-8 years now. It seems to ba a 4-6 year norm for us on the average.

[zelrik911]

[QUOTE=AZ_porschekid;8777468
My hmmwv has 11 year old military batteries Right now, and they hold a full charge...[/QUOTE]

In 1990 I worked with a guy who had previously worked elsewhere in a team designing & making a car battery that would last 'practically' forever.

They were successful, but when 'Marketing' found out about it, his team was disbanded & they were all gradually fired.

He said it could have been sold for about twice the cost of an ordinary battery. But now they make batteries with a built-in failure mode using the electric light globe as the example.