[flash]

for as long as i can remember (or at least as long as i could afford them) i have been an interstate battery fan and true believer.  they were just plain better batteries.

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">over the last couple of years, i had 2 of them fail prematurely, and have heard about a number of others.  still, i hung in there.

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">then, they closed a number of their locations.  still, i hung in there.

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">now, i have had a third battery fail.  this was an 84 month battery, and it failed in less than 48 months.  still, i was prepared to hang in there.

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">then i went to the nearest dealer.  i had them bring in a battery, as they did not stock it.  i was all prepared to turn mine in, get the prorated credit, and walk out with a new one.  

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">that was, until i found out they had changed their warranty policy (actually 3 times in the last 3 years).  

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">what i found was that i could not do anything without contacting interstate directly. the local retailer said that the prorated credit was nearly nil, and he wanted full list price.  by the time all of that was said and done, a brand new bosch from pep boys was less money, and came with a better warranty.  so, i left, expecting that i was going to buy the bosch the next day.

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">this morning i called interstate, and told them what had transpired.  i was assured that this was not the norm, nor their policy.  the battery had used 44 of its 84 months, so a new one should cost me $90, and not the $189 of a new one.  that's about what i figured it should be, so at least i was good there.  however, they had to call the regional distributor, contact the local dealer, and then i was going to have to go back there.

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">they called me back and told me it was all set, and they had "straightened out the dealer".  i get there, and there is still confusion over what he is supposed to do.  never, in 30 years of doing this stuff, have i ever had such a nightmare over something as simple as a battery warranty.

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<p style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue';color:rgb(35,35,35);">i went ahead and got the replacement, because $100 savings is $100 savings, but i'm pretty sure i won't be buying another interstate.

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[wildcat]

This is going to sound lame probably but I got mine from O'Rielly, and I had it for a year, and had run the battery down umpteen times, and it was pretty well beat, but it had a year left on the warranty and they gave me a new one, no charge.

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[flash]

i had never had issues before, and exchanges were simple.  over the last couple of years though, it has really changed, and not for the better.

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[ds968]

That's really discouraging news . On one hand, for $ 200 I have no problem changing the battery every year if I must, and without any prorate refund, but it's the principle of the matter that bugs me here .. It would be a pity if this is an institutionalized new m.o. at Intestate and not just a localized " fluke " .. And if it is widespread I fear they'll put themselves out of business quickly with that kind of business model ..

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[Mark]

After 30 years of using Interstate I switched to Bosch batteries a couple of years back due to issues with Interstate batteries dying early. I wish whoever made my truck's battery still made them like that since I killed the factory battery at 12 years old by letting the truck sit for 9 months.

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[ds968]

I've had very poor experiences with Bosch batteries , in two different cars. They have lasted half as long ( barely over 2 years ) as the Interstate ones ( I typically get about 4 years out of those ) so I went back to Interstate , but after seeing flash's post I'm on the fence about staying with that brand ..

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[flash]

i figure, as long as they are going to fail, i may as well have an easier time of the process.

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