[toddj]

Okay i have a dumb car question....in late February I found out that my car needed to have the (short block) engine replaced on my car which is only 3 1/2 years old. They took the top part of the engine off so they could send pics to Hyundai to make sure it was covered by the Hyundai 100,000 mile warranty (which, thank God, it was.) So the car hasn't been started since late February. They got the engine in yesterday and put it in yesterday. However, they emailed me and said that the battery no longer holds a charge and said it was cost $360! to replace the battery. Should it be my responsibility to replace the battery or should it be theirs since i didn't have a problem with it before and they never started the car since late February? Also, this originally started in February with an oil change and in the list of items they checked, the battery was one that was checked as being ok.

 

[2009GLS]

Tough one because that is a lack of battery maintenance. They should have charged it from time to time or keep it trickle.


On the other hand - you have had this car for 4 years. Battery could be much older (production date). Hence, it could die... but it would not if it was daily driven.
I would say - get a new one and bring it to the dealer. Give them it and call it even.


If that does not work, have them jump the car and drive straight to Autozone or such to get a new battery in.


Or they might be playing you...

 

[gold_nugget]

$360 for a battery!?! Are they out of their flipp'n minds?!?


I agree with the above statement... Do NOT let them rape you for $360 for a battery when you could get a cheap Walmart battery for like $60 (although it may not be the best quality and longest lasting battery...) and bring it to them to install... Or just have them jump it off when you pick the car up and go straight to somewhere and buy a new battery yourself...

 

[CyprusCorner]

Batteries sitting for longer than a month should be on trickle chargers. A new battery can handle that sort of abuse, but an older battery won't. The bad battery is therefore both your fault (as it was old) and their fault (because they didn't keep it charged). You could try and pressure them into replacing it since they stated it was fine in February. If they don't, jump your car and just go buy a new one at Walmart or Costco for a third of that price.

 

[tenergy]

Also, this originally started in February with an oil change and in the list of items they checked, the battery was one that was checked as being ok.

Do you have their paperwork saying the battery was tested and ok? If so, then I would definitely fight them for a battery.

"When the car was brought here you tested the battery and it was fine -- show paperwork -- now that you've had the car sitting here in your care since February and you say the battery is no longer holding a charge, I feel that it was your responsibility to maintain the battery while you had the car in for service and now that it's bad you should replace it."

or something along those lines.

If you can't get them to go for it, you could try calling Hyundai corporate and see if they will get involved, or you could just chock it up to hey I would have needed a new battery soon anyways and just buy one. Do not buy theirs. Get a nice aftermarket battery that is nearly always better quality and always cheaper.

 

[camper]

at least you can leave the dead battery, call for tow truck, and get a new battery anywhere else