“Is this the best battery?”
A car expert is urging his followers to buy car batteries from Walmart. That’s because, after buying a series of batteries at different auto parts stores, he found it was the best value when taking the warranty into account.
TikTok creator Thomas (@carsrme) posted a video with his car battery buying advice over the weekend.
“If you’re not buying your batteries from Walmart, you’re getting ripped off so bad,” he says to start the video. “I was able to pick this up today for $83 after tax, $79 before tax. Is this the best battery? No. But it’s a one-year battery warranty for $79.”
Thomas explains, “I put this battery in a little over a year ago. This was their cheap battery, and this one was $10 more than that one. This one only had a 90-day warranty. This one has a one-year warranty.”
In another one of his cars, he put a NAPA Auto Parts battery that cost approximately $220. Although it’s a much bigger unit, he says the EverStart battery is powering his other vehicle just fine.
In the caption, Thomas writes, “Walmart coming in clutch with the car batteries.”
The warranty on an EverStart Value battery is good for a year from the date of purchase. If you take it back in that timeframe, Walmart will replace it with another one for free. The EverStart Maxx, which is $139 before tax, comes with a three-year warranty.
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EverStart batteries are manufactured primarily by a US-based company called Clarios (previously known as Johnson Controls Power Solutions). Clarios is one of two US companies on TechSci Research’s list of the top auto battery manufacturers in the world.
In a Reddit post to r/AskaMechanic two years ago, a car owner said his nearly 10-year-old EverStart Maxx, manufactured by Johnson Controls, finally died. He asked whether he should replace it with another EverStart or change brands.
What Drivers Are Saying
“My cheapest Walmart battery (EverStart Value, which comes with only 1-year warranty), has been working for 5 years,” one person wrote. “Never gave me a problem.” Someone else said they’ve never had a problem swapping a battery out at Walmart.
Consumer advocate Clark Howard recommends both Costco and Walmart for car batteries based on price, warranty, and installation fee. However, Advance Auto Parts, NAPA, and AutoZone also made it on Howard’s list.
In the comments, viewers weighed in on buying car batteries from Walmart versus the average auto parts store.
“I agree,” wrote one viewer. “People want to clown on Walmart EverStart batteries, but the facts are there are only three battery makers in the United States. Chancers are that EverStart batteries are made right by the big name guys.”
“Walmart is the GOAT for car batteries these days,” agreed a second viewer.
“I don’t buy the cheapest one,” said a third person. “I’ve been using the mid-range Walmart batteries for years.”
Another person argued, “Costco has the best batteries with three-year full replacement warranty, so you get a new one and they don’t ask you too many questions.”
Motor1 reached out to Thomas via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We’ll update this if he responds.
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