'Just Saved $170': Man Takes Car Battery Back to Walmart. Then He's Shocked by What They Tell Him

Car batteries always seem to die at the worst possible time—like when you're already late for work or about to set off on a road trip. Then not only are you inconvenienced, but you’re sure to be out a chunk of cash for the battery replacement.

One truck owner found a workaround, showing that if you time your warranty claim just right, it can save you some real money.

Walmart Warranty Trick

In a trending video, Walmart customer Matthew (@matthew_garage) shared how he scored a free battery replacement with less than 24 hours to spare on his warranty.

Matthew had been running the same Walmart battery in his truck since December 2022. He explained that, since it came with a three-year warranty, the warranty was set to expire the very next day when the TikTok was filmed.

With cold weather settling in and his truck sitting idle, the battery had gone dead.

"I charged it. It still kinda sounded like it was slow, so I went ahead and brought it in because, again, I only had until tomorrow," he explained in the video.

The process was surprisingly simple. Walmart staff hooked the battery up to their testing machine, Matthew went shopping while they ran diagnostics, and they called him when the results came in.

Turns out, the battery was done for.

While Matthew didn’t have the original receipt or anything, and wasn’t sure he even bought it new from Walmart, they still honored the warranty.

"They don't ask any questions. They just said it was bad. Grabbed me a new one off the shelf, and now, hopefully, I'm good for a while."

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The replacement saved him $170, but there is one catch. The warranty doesn't restart with the new battery, so he won't get another three years of coverage. But for a free replacement that required nothing more than showing up with the old battery, that's still a win.

"Shoutout @Walmart for hooking it up," Matthew wrote in the caption.

People celebrated his good fortune in the comments.

“lol I just had a customer today who’s battery went bad 3 days after his warranty expired. He also bought in December 2022,” one person wrote.

“I went through 3 in the span of 2 months. It’s worth my time not to buy them from Walmart,” a person said.

Understanding Free Replacement vs. Prorated Warranties

According to Capital One, most battery warranties fall into two categories: free replacement and prorated replacement. 

Free replacement means the vendor swaps your defective battery for a new one at no charge during the coverage period.

Prorated replacement, however, requires you to pay a fee based on the battery's age and original price.

Matthew mentioned his warranty didn't restart with the new battery, which is standard practice. Most retailers issue replacement batteries with the remaining time left on the original warranty, not a brand-new coverage period.

Battery Warranty Coverage Levels

SlashGear reports that warranty coverage typically ranges from 24 to 60 months, depending on the brand and battery type. Premium batteries like Duralast ProPower AGM Elite and certain Optima models offer five-year free replacement warranties, while entry-level batteries might only get two years.

The average battery replacement costs $380, Consumer Affairs reports.

Most major retailers track warranties through databases rather than receipts. As long as the battery's manufacturer's date code is visible and it falls within the warranty window, many stores will honor the claim, even without proof of original purchase. The testing machine also does the heavy lifting, determining whether the battery genuinely failed or just needs a recharge.

Motor1 reached out to Matthew for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Walmart via email.

 

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