The dealership wants $100 just to clean off some battery corrosion, and honestly, the battery’s pretty old anyway. A new one is $125 at Costco (Interstate brand), but the dealership wants over $300.
Is there any reason not to get it at Costco?
I don’t know much about cars, so I’d appreciate any advice!
Never go to a dealership for a battery! They mark it up like crazy—sometimes double or triple the price. Costco or Sam’s Club is totally fine. I’ve been getting batteries there for over 30 years for all kinds of vehicles—cars, boats, campers. They work great.
If you don’t want to install it yourself, they’ll usually do it, but you might have to wait a bit. Personally, I just bring in the old one to avoid the deposit, grab a new one, and swap it out myself. Takes about 10 minutes.
Also, for cleaning the terminals, just grab a battery post cleaner (a small wire brush) and some corrosion cleaner and protector spray. CRC makes good ones—“Battery Cleaner” and “Battery Terminal Protector.” These are cheap at auto parts stores. Treating the posts with the spray before connecting the new battery helps a lot. That’s what the dealer charges $100 for!
@Hollis
Exactly. Dealer prices for batteries are ridiculous. My wife’s car needed a new one—they wanted $350 for the battery and $40 for installation. The one at Costco had better specs (higher reserve capacity and CCA) and cost $125-$150. Even upgrading to AGM was only $150-$175.
@Hollis
Thanks so much for the info!
@Hollis
Is corrosion on battery terminals even a thing anymore? Haven’t seen it on mine in years.
Kellan said:
@Hollis
Is corrosion on battery terminals even a thing anymore? Haven’t seen it on mine in years.
Still an issue for me! Both my 2014 Mazda 6 and 3 get terrible corrosion. I have to clean them about every six months. But honestly, aside from that and regular maintenance, no problems with either car.
Kellan said:
@Hollis
Is corrosion on battery terminals even a thing anymore? Haven’t seen it on mine in years.
It can depend on where you live and how well the battery is maintained. But yeah, I’ve seen cars that couldn’t start because of corrosion. It’s quick and easy to prevent if you treat it properly.
If your car has start/stop tech, you’ll need an AGM battery instead of a regular lead-acid one. That’s probably why the dealer’s price is so much higher.
Sam said:
If your car has start/stop tech, you’ll need an AGM battery instead of a regular lead-acid one. That’s probably why the dealer’s price is so much higher.
Thanks for pointing that out! I don’t think my car has start/stop—no indicator lights or buttons that I can see. So I should be fine.
I put the cheapest Walmart battery in my old car. Installed it myself, and it lasted over 7 years without a single issue. Best $35 I ever spent.
Lyle said:
I put the cheapest Walmart battery in my old car. Installed it myself, and it lasted over 7 years without a single issue. Best $35 I ever spent.
It’s awesome when stuff like that works out better than expected!
Lyle said:
I put the cheapest Walmart battery in my old car. Installed it myself, and it lasted over 7 years without a single issue. Best $35 I ever spent.
I’ve had good luck with Walmart batteries too. Just put a higher-end one in my Mazda Speed3. Fingers crossed it holds up as well as the cheaper ones!
Most shops will clean battery terminals for free during routine maintenance. If your dealer quoted $100, they’re either ripping you off or trying to get you to go somewhere else. You could ask the service advisor to just be upfront next time.
Like others said, CRC battery cleaner and protector spray work great. You’ll spend maybe $25 at an auto store, and it only takes 10 minutes to clean even a badly corroded terminal. The 3-year warranty batteries are usually around $160 with a core exchange, and most shops won’t charge you for labor.
@Harley
Yeah, I’m here for a big maintenance service (60k miles) and spending quite a bit on other stuff. I even asked the service advisor to confirm the $100 charge—it’s really just for cleaning corrosion!
Costco and Sam’s Club are the best for car batteries. They’re just as good as dealer ones and way cheaper.