Never again Optima batteries

[JPXR]

Never again will I purchase an Optima battery.

Years ago I used to have them in all my vehicles and they would last 10-15 years and be abused.

I purchased an optima battery on Jan 6 2025 and it dies this weekend. I thought we were having an issue with our 4xe but found that the Optima has dies just over a year old. This past year I have had 3 others die either just before or after the warranty.

If this was isolated I would be ok with it but clearly quality has gone down hill. I can be stranded for much cheaper.

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[Pape]

Would you be having a parasitic draw perhaps?

 

[DaltonGang]

Nothing is as good as it use to be, it seems. I've tried all makes of batteries. Walmart Evermax seems to do the job just as well as the expensive ones, for much less. Every once in a while I have one that needs replacing before the warranty expires, but rarely. In 20+ years I've maybe had maybe 2 go bad within 2 years of purchase.
I remember, even in the 80's batteries lasted a long time. You just had to make sure to put distilled water in it every once in a while.

 

[whitechocolate]

The yellow top has a 3yr warranty, which is what a lot folks on here buy. Which did you purchase?

 

[IceBerg]

I prefer Optimas. They arent super expensive and are reliable. Should you have a problem they are very easy to exchange out at a number of retailers.

Ive been running Yellow Tops in everything for years and years.

 

[Tr4ckD4ys]

Never again will I purchase an Optima battery.

Years ago I used to have them in all my vehicles and they would last 10-15 years and be abused.

I purchased an optima battery on Jan 6 2025 and it dies this weekend. I thought we were having an issue with our 4xe but found that the Optima has dies just over a year old. This past year I have had 3 others die either just before or after the warranty.

If this was isolated I would be ok with it but clearly quality has gone down hill. I can be stranded for much cheaper.

I bet people are getting annoyed with me already when i say this: “In Germany we used to say…” … well this time what we were saying in Germany is that there is “Gebrauchsgüter” (Usage goods -> generally long life span and can be reconditioned) and “Verbrauchsgüter” (Goods to be used up -> a finite resource).

nowadays everything is a Verbrauchsgut. Otherwise how would we keep producing, selling and consuming more every year as needed by the manufacturers?

 

[txj2go]

Starting maybe 4 years ago I was reading that Optima quality had declined. Of course all batteries seem to have declined. I used to have good luck with Interstate but they typically lasted exactly 3 years. My local Firestone started selling Diehard instead. After a lot of research I bought X2 Power battery. Odyssey might be the last brand that supposedly has good quality, the X2 Power is rated the same. The X2 Power comes with 5 year free replacement warranty, the people in the stores tell me the batteries usually last 5 to 7 years. Mine lasted about 3 years, the second one lasted less than a year, I'm on the third one and they told me my warranty is now void. So I don't know what the answer is. I always carry cables and a Lithium jump starter. If a person is going to be out in places where they need to be self sufficient they need to take all the precautions. I also bought a battery tester and will test my battery before going on a trip. Any hiccup and I'll go buy a new battery, maybe a Die Hard, and watch it carefully. If a person wants maximum reliability then buy one of those kits that mounts 2 batteries under the hood and hope that gives you better odds.

 

[FF5Cobra]

Been running Optima blue top batteries for years in my R V deep cycle.
Blue tops in my race car and some daily drivers as Starter batteries
never had issues ?

I did replace battery in my truck 3 years ago with die hard brand. No issues.

as Pape mentioned. I would look at parasitic drain or charging Tate of altenator

 

[Atomic-Mouse]

I had two optima batteries in my 2005 GMC3500 that didn’t last a year. They wouldn’t warranty them because they said my truck must have a draw and I neglected the batteries by letting them sit dead too long. Which is total BS, I park the truck for winter but I do start it every few weeks to plow around it. So I went back to the original ACdelco batteries and it’s been about 8-9 years and they are just now showing signs of weakness with no changes to the truck or how it is parked for winter. The odd thing is that ACdelco and Optima are made by the same company. The last battery I bought was Odyssey for my JK, its been a few years now and so far no complaints

 

[Badunit]

I bought an Optima for my TJ probably 18 years or more ago. Can't recall if it was yellow or red. It lasted maybe 2 years. I decided it didn't match the hype and wasn't worth the money. Replaced it with a Diehard Gold that lasted 10 years and then another that is going strong at 6 years.

 

[Whaler27]

Never again will I purchase an Optima battery.

Years ago I used to have them in all my vehicles and they would last 10-15 years and be abused.

I purchased an optima battery on Jan 6 2025 and it dies this weekend. I thought we were having an issue with our 4xe but found that the Optima has dies just over a year old. This past year I have had 3 others die either just before or after the warranty.

If this was isolated I would be ok with it but clearly quality has gone down hill. I can be stranded for much cheaper.

Optima batteries were great when they were made In the USA. They were expensive, but great, and durable. Unfortunately, production moved to Mexico about twenty years ago and the quality of the batteries immediately went down hill.

Sadly, Optima has gone the way of Craftsman tools, all refrigerators, all washers, and driers, and hundreds of other products. We live in a disposable world.

 

[gato]

I'm on my third Wrangler. 2016 JK, 2021 JL, now 2026 JL. I don't want to jinx me, but kept the previous 2 for 5 years, and sold them with the original battery. And my Jeeps used to sit unused for weeks at a time since I used to travel a lot internationally for work. Harsh NE winters and all.

I say the batteries are incredibly good. The battery management of modern AGM batteries is also very good. Much, much, much better than what they used to be.

This notion that everything in the good old days was better is usually misplaced. Cars are better, batteries are better, tires are better, suspension is better, it is all generally better.

There is always going to be unusual quality escapes in anything. OEM batteries bought on Amazon (Delco, Mopar, etc) are usually the best and cheap. I see little reason to pay more for them.

 

[bd100]

Turn off engine start/stop if possible, and plug in the maintenance charger every now and then, especially if you usually take short drives.

 

[Pain Killer]

Never again will I purchase an Optima battery.

Years ago I used to have them in all my vehicles and they would last 10-15 years and be abused.

I purchased an optima battery on Jan 6 2025 and it dies this weekend. I thought we were having an issue with our 4xe but found that the Optima has dies just over a year old. This past year I have had 3 others die either just before or after the warranty.

If this was isolated I would be ok with it but clearly quality has gone down hill. I can be stranded for much cheaper.

I used to use Diehards and had no issues but for the last 15 years I have been using Motorcraft in all my vehicles(ford and Toyota). In my Fords I get four years and then change them out before they go out. The Toyota was a special case and it's gone. Nothing lasted more than two years in it except the last battery that is a Motorcraft. I work at a Ford dealership so when I need a new Battery for my JL, it will be a Motorcraft. Toyota batteries are the worst!

 

[jeepingib]

Optima used to be a boutique battery company, and the quality was phenomenal. But they sold the company to Johnson Controls, now Clarios, and the quality is not what it once was. Automotive batteries in general are largely made by only 3 companies with a few outliers. Clarios, East Penn, and Exide. With most companies having a battery made by them and then labeling it with their own branding. Clarios is by far the largest, most of the parts store batteries, as well as national retailers like Walmart and Costco. One of the smaller companies that has a good reputation is Odyssey. They are made by Enersys and have held quality at a higher standard comparatively.

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