Kane Dan
As vital are the battery specifications, so is the warranty since you do not know when it can fail.
An ideal option would be a battery with a minimum of 2 years, and Everstart batteries certainly fill the bill. But does all Walmart Everstart batteries have the same warranty?
EverStart batteries come with a minimum of one year and a maximum 3-year free replacement warranty depending on the battery that you choose, with the value line offering the least warranty.
Then again, the warranty depends on the variant you opt for your car.
For the Maxx range, however, after the free replacement period, Walmart offers a prorated additional 2 years warranty, in case it is dead within this period.
A point to remember is that you cannot claim the warranty on a whim. The service center employee tests the battery for defects, and if they can recharge the battery, they would do just that for free.
But if the battery is dead and would not charge, the employee would replace it for the same model or one of a similar value.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Walmart Battery And Their Warranty
EverStart Batteries by Walmart are primarily lead-acid batteries that are exclusive to the store. You should also be able to buy them online on Walmart and Amazon but nowhere else.
EverStart batteries come in three variants:
- EverStart Value
- EverStart Plus
- EverStart Maxx
The price of an EverStart battery is determined by its specifications. Most importantly, the cold-cranking amps, cranking amps, reserve capacity, etc.
Another one of its more influential factors is the Walmart car battery warranty. The warranty varies depending on the variant that you decide to buy.
- The EverStart Value battery has the least cold-cranking amps than the other variants and is a good option if you are looking for a cheap battery. It comes with a free replacement warranty for 1 year.
- The EverStart Plus battery is another good range from Walmart for which they offer a 2-year replacement warranty.
- The EverStart Maxx battery is the premium range from the store and has a lot of options if you are ready to spend some dollars on your car battery. And, as such, they come with a replacement warranty of 3 years.
A question I often get asked is about the prorated warranty for the EverStart Maxx variant.
Walmart initially offered such a warranty where after the three years of free replacement, you get an additional 2 years of extended warranty.
Here, if your battery dies in the warranty period, you get a new battery for a discounted rate depending on the time left.
What Is Special About The Prorated Warranty?
Walmart has a prorated warranty option for its EverStart Maxx range.
After the initial 3 years, if your battery fails within 5 years, you get the chance to replace the battery with an adjusted prorated amount.
It is a simple calculation that you can do yourselves. The formula is as below:
Walmart will add a sales tax to the amount you receive in the above calculation. With this in hand, you can easily calculate without being influenced to buy a new car battery.
The best part of it all is that the 5-year warranty starts anew with the new battery.
The prorated warranty has been under dispute in the online community recently. Few say that it is still in place while others allege that Walmart has discontinued it.
So, you might want to call your local store to verify the details before you walk in for a claim.
Walmart Car Battery Warranty Claim
Let me start by telling you, while the warranty process is the same for every store all over the country, how fast you get your warranty replaced depends on the employees.
If the employee you approach has the experience, he or she should be able to guide you through the process. If not, you might be in for a bit of stress.
Walmart makes its warranty claiming process pretty easy on the customers. You can claim your Walmart car battery warranty without receipt also, but you would need the purchase date.
If you manage to go to the same store where you bought the car, the process should be a breeze.
To start with, approach the customer care executive at the service desk in your local Walmart Auto Care Centre with the receipt.
Again here, I suggest you take a picture of the receipt or take a copy since these receipts do not retain their color for such a long time. Another option is to tape it to the body of the battery.
Alternatively, you can also pop in the store for a Walmart car battery warranty check with the serial number of the battery.
With this information in hand, the employee should be able to pull in records with your sale, including the purchase date.
Walmart doesn’t take you at face value when you claim that the battery is dead. They would like to check for it themselves.
So, once you bring your car to the Walmart Auto Service Center, they test your batteries if they recharge and hold a charge successfully. If that’s the case, they recharge your battery free of cost.
In case the battery is truly dead, and it no longer holds a charge, they will replace it with the same battery or one in a similar value as the original.
Here the warranty doesn’t reset and start again. It just continues with the remaining time.
For example, if you bought an EverStart Maxx battery in August 2020, the warranty ends by August 2024.
Any batteries replaced during that time period will also have their warranties end in August 2024.
When Does The Warranty Work?
In layman terms, when your battery dies within the warranty period, it comes into the picture. If your battery has a free replacement warranty, you get a new battery at no extra cost.
The new battery would be the same model as the one replaced or of a similar value or similar specifications.
But if the warranty is a maintenance warranty, you’d probably get your battery serviced and recharged.
Walmart also offers a prorated warranty for its EverStartMaxx range of batteries, where if your battery gives up in this period, you can get a discount on your new battery.
Any warranty in general, not just Walmart car battery, covers all damages that are beyond your control.
However, your warranty doesn’t cover all damages. Here is a list of issues that are not incorporated in your warranty.
- Leaking battery and corrosion in the leads
- The battery doesn’t charge to its maximum capacity
- Bulging of the battery case
- The battery doesn’t give enough power to crank your engine
- Any issues like a short circuit that damage the product during self-installation
- Damages incurred by the battery because of exposure to natural elements
- The battery was damaged due to an accident
- Impaired battery owing to mishandling by you or another person
While these are the general circumstances, it is not always so. The auto service center in the local Walmart has the discretion to accept your claim for a replacement or not.
In most cases, the Walmart employee would check the battery for charging issues. And then he/she tests if it can hold a charge for any period of time. If so, they will charge it at no extra cost.
When that’s not the case, and in the absence of foul play, Walmart replaces the battery for you.
But you do not get a separate warranty for the new battery. It holds the same warranty as to the battery it replaced.
Battery Return
Let’s consider the situation where you bought a new battery but do not want it for some reason. You can return the battery in this case, but the condition is that it should be new and not used at all.
According to the return policy by Walmart, you can return the EverStart battery within 90 days of the date of purchase.
If accepted, the form of refund relies on the method of payment, like cash, credit, debit, or sometimes store credit.
It also depends on whether you can produce the original receipt. You have a better chance of receiving your refund if you have the receipt in hand.
Let Walmart Help You
Though all the car batteries look the same, there are a few minor changes, depending on the vehicle you are buying it for. Hence, it is important to know the kind of battery compatible with your car.
Your owner’s manual can guide you in this regard. Go to the battery section, and you can find the preferred specifications and the group you should go for.
Do not panic if you no longer possess the manual. You can search online for guides to help you in this regard. The manufacturer’s website should also hold the details you need.
Walmart can also guide you in finding a battery with its battery finder. The Walmart battery finder is an online tool that helps you find the appropriate EverStart battery for your car.
How Important Is A Car Battery Warranty?
The battery is one of the most understated components in a car.
It helps to crank the engine when you start the car and not just that it also powers the headlights, heated seats, horns, and other accessories in your vehicle.
Like every other component in your automobile, it is also important that you incur that your battery is also under warranty.
Your car batteries specifically are not designed to last a lifetime, instead 4 years or so and sometimes not even that.
With the battery under warranty, you are covered when your batteries die early within the free replacement period. This helps to reduce the suddenly incurred maintenance cost.
Before you buy a car battery, make it a point to take time and research the car battery, especially the Walmart car battery warranty information.
EverStart Car Batteries – How Do They Fare?
Walmart might not even be on your radar when thinking about car batteries. But, did you know that they have an in-house battery brand, the EverStart Batteries?
Their line of batteries is manufactured by the famous battery firm, Johnson Controls. The same one that makes batteries for Optima, Duralast, DieHard, etc.
EverStart primarily makes the traditional lead-acid batteries encased in a sealed compartment with no chance of leakage.
They are quite affordable compared to the top brands in the market with enough CCA’s to take you through the freezing winter.
While they are great as starting batteries, if they can be high-performance ones, remains to be seen.
EverStart Value Batteries
The Value range from EverStart is your go-to if you are looking for a cheap battery lesser than $50.
With regards to performance, they are average compared to the others but definitely better than any other battery in this price range.
Considering the cold-cranking amps in the stock batteries are lesser than 500 CCA in most cases, the EverStart Value should fulfill the needs with a minimum at 525 CCA.
But this differs between batteries and can go higher too.
But if you are in a place where the climate dips below the freezing point too often, you might not want to go with this battery.
If you somewhere where it is hot all through the year like California, it can last you years as long as you keep it charged.
Coming to the warranty, they come with a 1-year free replacement warranty, which is commendable for the price range.
EverStart Plus Batteries
Another economic range from the EverStart batteries is their Plus variant.
Though they cost slightly more than the value batteries, they are definitely lesser than the ones in the market. Even with this price range, their specifications are nothing to laugh at.
With cold-cranking amps approximately 600 CCA, and a reserve capacity of 90 minutes, the Plus battery gives you enough power to crank your engine and can take you to the nearest safe place if your battery fails.
It is an ideal choice of battery no matter the climate, hot or cold.
The lead-acid battery is your perfect companion for long drives on the roads when your battery needs to be reliable and trustworthy.
With regards to warranty, they come with a 2-year warranty free replacement.
EverStart Maxx Batteries
Now, if you could not believe that there’s a top-notch product from Walmart, check out the EverSTart Maxx batteries.
With minimum cold-cranking amps of 650 CCA and more than 700 CCA for high-performance products, the Maxx range remains a favorite of many customers of the store.
This enables you to be on the road for a longer time in the cold weather without fear of being stranded.
Then, there is the reserve capacity of 90- minutes, an added bonus for the cold weather. The Maxx range of batteries can easily last for 5-6 years, which attributes to its popularity.
Coming to the warranty, the battery has a 3-year free replacement warranty and a 2 year prorated warranty, which has been discussed in detail above.
FAQs
Q1. How Long Do EverStart Car Batteries Last?
The battery manufacturing conglomerate, Johnson Controls, makes EverStart batteries exclusively for Walmart.
They also make the top battery brands like Optima, DieHard, etc. Hence there are questions if it is long-lasting. They can go for 4 years provided you take good care of it.
Q2. Can I Claim My Warranty Without A Receipt?
Yes, you can claim the warranty without a receipt. With the bill number or purchase date or even the battery serial number, the employees can do a Walmart car battery warranty lookup in their system.
Q3. Does Walmart EverStart Car Batteries Offer A Lifetime Warranty?
According to its manufacturer Johnson Controls, Walmart does not offer a lifetime warranty since the system can be misused by people looking to replace car batteries at no extra cost.
Conclusion
Walmart has an exclusive battery range, the EverStart batteries, which are available only in their stores.
They come in three variants: The EverStart Value, EverStart Plus, and EverStart Maxx. Each of these batteries come with a different warranty period.
The Value range has a one year warranty, Plus with 2 years and Maxx with 3 years.
Maxx also comes with a prorated warranty for 2 years, during which if your battery dies, you get a discount on your replacement battery and a new warranty as well.
Walmart’s car battery warranty claim is also a pretty easy process. You can use your original receipt or a copy of one for the claiming process.
Did you lose your receipt? Your purchase date will work, as well. As a part of the replacement process, the technicians check the battery and its charging system first.
Check my article contains more details on the warranty and the claim.
