Does Walmart Replace Car Batteries? Yes, but you should know this - Rustyautos.com (2024)

Depending on the circ*mstances, shopping for a new car battery can be incredibly frustrating, but knowing where to shop for the best prices ahead of time can make a world of difference. Walmart’s range of cheaper alternatives can be a lifesaver, especially if you weren’t expecting to replace your battery or if you do not have a lot of money to invest, but many people have asked, “Does Walmart replace car batteries?”

Walmart Auto Care Centre will fit your car battery, and they will fit it for free if the battery is purchased in-store. If the battery is purchased from another store, Walmart charges a $10 fitting fee.

Replacing a car battery used to be a pretty straightforward job; modern cars are, unfortunately, a little more work. In this post, you’ll learn how to get your car battery fitted for free at Walmart, but you’ll also learn why a modern car needs some special procedures before and after fitting a new battery.

In this post, we’ll also cover Walmart battery brands, the diverse types of battery warranties that Walmart offers, and their returns policy.

Index

• Get Free Battery Fitting at Walmart
• Know This Before Fitting a New Battery
• What Battery Brands Does Walmart Sell?
• How Much Do Car Batteries Cost at Walmart?
• Can I Return a Car Battery to Walmart?
• How Long Is the Warranty for Walmart Batteries?
• What Is a Pro-rated Warranty?
• What Does a Walmart Battery Warranty Cover?
• How Do I Replace My Battery with Walmart?
• Other Helpful Car Battery Posts

How To Get Free Battery Fitting At Walmart

I love Walmart! Is there anything they don’t sell? While Walmart sells a massive range of car care products, it must be said unless your local Walmart store has an Auto Care Center attached, you won’t be able to avail of the great free fitting service they provide. You can check for your nearest Walmart Auto Care Center here.

So that said, how do you get Walmart to fit your car battery for free? – Simply buy your new car battery from them, and they’ll be happy to fit it FOC. Okay, but what if you already bought a new battery from another store, yep they’ll fit that too, but they’ll charge you a fee of $10.

I’ve been a mechanic for twenty-five years plus, and I can tell you without hesitation these Walmart prices are hard to beat. I think they represent amazing value for money, and the great deals don’t stop there; they offer a ton of other auto care services at knock-out prices. You can check out the complete list here.

Here’s a list of the battery services they offer and the prices.

You Should know This Before Fitting a New Battery

While back in the day, swapping out a car battery was a simple DIY chore. Not so with some modern cars; many aren’t so forgiving. While most older cars are easy to swap a battery, be mindful that a radio code may be required to reactivate the radio.

The issue with modern cars is they use a ton of control modules, many of which don’t like being powered down. A module’s main function is to manage a system, and to that, it must retain vital stored data.

Take, for example, your car’s HVAC system; flaps are used to funnel air to various zones of your car’s interior. The flap’s position is tracked carefully by the HVAC module; this, in turn, allows it to make fine adjustments to airflow, helping it manage cabin ventilation. Unhooking the battery on some cars causes the module to lose stored flap positions, often resulting in erratic or no heater control.

This is not the case with all modern vehicles, but certainly, the higher-end the vehicle is, the more likely you’ll run into issues powering down its modules. The problems range from the “Just irritating” to “You’ll need to get this fixed ASAP.”

Typical systems affected by disconnecting car battery include:

• Steering angle sensor
• Electric Windows
• Radio settings
• Transmission shift changes
• Throttle body settings

Typical symptoms of a car needing calibration after battery change include:

• Rough erratic idling
• Awkward transmission shifts
• Steering angle calibration dash warning
• ABS/Traction warning lights
• Erratic electric window actions
• Erratic HVAC control
• Lost radio settings
• Radio code required (older vehicles)

The easiest way to avoid these issues is to use a KAM tool; it temporarily supplies power to the vehicle’s modules through the diagnostic socket located under the driver’s dash. While the modules are powered up, it’s safe to remove and replace the battery.

What happens if you just go ahead and change the battery without using the KAM tool?

In most cases, driving the vehicle as normal will fix the irritations. The smart modules will eventually just relearn new values. However, some vehicles may require a date with the main dealer diagnostic system to calibrate the troublesome module.

There’s a second issue that needs to be addressed. Most modern cars use a battery control module to manage battery health. As a battery ages it requires higher voltage to charge; if the battery control module isn’t notified of the new battery installation, the module will likely overcharge the new battery, which will shorten its life.

Anyway, I covered this repair in greater detail in the post “Is it hard to change car battery?”

Okay, that’s all the housekeeping out of the way; let’s take a look at the batteries on offer at Walmart.

What Battery Brands Does Walmart Sell?

Walmart sells several affordable batteries in its service centers, and customers can shop for brands such as EverStart, ValuePower, and Optima.

• EverStart Batteries: One of the more popular brands sold in Walmart stores is EverStart. They are one of the more affordable options for people looking for high quality for a low-budget price.
• ValuePower: EverStart Value batteries, called ValuePower in some locations, are one of the cheaper battery options available at Walmart. However, they do not have as wide a range of options.
• Optima: These maintenance-free batteries are a bit more expensive than many of the other brands, but their unique Sprialcell and Pureflow technologies make them worth the price.

Depending on where you shop, you may find other battery brands as well, but the ones listed above are consistently sold throughout all Walmart locations.

How Much Do Car Batteries Cost at Walmart?

How much you will spend on a battery from Walmart will depend on the location from which you buy your battery and the type of battery your vehicle requires. However, the table below highlights the current average prices for Walmart car batteries in 2021.

Source: Walmart

Can I Return a Car Battery to Walmart?

Walmart will accept batteries returned within 90 days (about three months) of purchase if they are unused, faulty, or do not fit in the vehicle. Additionally, they should replace a car battery that is still under warranty. However, some conditions may apply.

Walmart has a 90-day automotive battery guarantee which allows shoppers to return a battery to any Walmart service center within 90 days of purchase if the battery tests bad, is unused, or does not fit the shopper’s vehicle correctly. Car batteries must be returned in-store, with a receipt, and are ineligible for returns or refunds via mail. After the 90-day period is up, shoppers must follow the terms of their warranty.

Although Walmart has a general policy to guide stores, not all stores follow these guidelines exactly. Some locations will allow a shopper to return an item without a receipt for in-store credit, and in some cases, outside of the 90-day period. Additionally, most locations reserve the right to deny a refund or return for any reason, so it’s always best to call the store you plan to visit prior to returning the object to ensure you’re not wasting a trip.

Note: Because receipts tend to fade over time, even if they are put away in a wallet, it’s a clever idea to write down any essential information from the receipt and store it, with the original copy, in your glove box. That way, even if the numbers fade, you will always have the information handy for your warranty or simply take a quick photo of it on your phone.

How Long Is the Warranty for Walmart Batteries?

The type of warranty coverage you have will depend on the battery, and since the warranty is included in the price, the more expensive the battery is, the better warranty it will have. Generally, Walmart batteries will follow the warrant schedule below:

Source: RepairClub & Walmart

Although OPTIMA batteries typically have a three-year warranty, we could not find any information about Walmart honoring the warranty. An outside company may handle it. If you plan to buy a brand other than EverStart from Walmart, it may be a good idea to ask for details surrounding the warranty and whether Walmart is the one that would supply the replacement.

What Is a Pro-rated Warranty?

Pro-rated warranties, also known as partial warranties, cover only part of the initial cost if the item becomes defective. The amount that is covered will depend on the age of the item when it becomes defective.

The pro-rated warranty extends the warranty of the EverStart Maxx battery by another two years. The battery will be replaced for free during the first three years. However, during the remaining two years, the shopper will have to pay a pro-rated fee for a replacement.

The fee is calculated by dividing the battery price by the number of months that it’s covered under warranty. The formula used to calculate the pro-rated fee for an EverStart Maxx battery is — Age of the battery (in months) divided by 60 times the new battery price.

For example, if you bought your battery three years ago and paid $150 dollars, it would cost you $77.50 to replace your battery under the pro-rated warranty.

What Does a Walmart Battery Warranty Cover?

According to DoNotPay, Walmart’s battery warranty covers:

• Leakage
• Corrosion
• Inability to charge
• Inability to start a car

It does not cover damage that is the fault of the customer, such as:

• Accidental damage
• Improper installation
• Misuse and abuse

How Do I Replace My Battery with Walmart?

If you have purchased a car battery from Walmart and it becomes defective while under warranty, you can follow these steps to claim your warranty:

1. Round up any documentation you have collected regarding the purchase of your battery. If you bought the item in-store, you would need your original receipt. If you purchased the item online, you would need a printout of your order confirmation or your order number.
2. It may be a good idea to call the store ahead of time and ask the service technician if there is anything else you need to have with you when you come in. This is especially true if you must travel a long distance to get to your local shop.
3. Visit your local service center. The technician will walk you through the process from here. They will test the battery, and if it will not hold a charge and has become defective at no fault of your own, they should issue and install a replacement at no cost.

Check out the link below for great deals on car batteries conveniently delivered to your door by Amazon.com.

Amazon Car Batteries

Other Helpful Car Battery Posts

Below you’ll find links to other battery-related posts, all located on this site. We’ve included troubleshooting battery issues like battery testing, finding parasitic battery drains, Alternator testing, and of course, a battery replacement post. We’ve also added some other battery-buying posts.

Battery Troubleshooting

Battery sparked now won’t start

Car battery drain

How hard to change car battery?

Car battey dead won’t unlock

Car won’t idle after flat battery

Unmarked battery terminals

Common battery issues and battery testing

Common alternator issues and alternator testing

Battery Buying

Are AC Delco Batteries good?

Does Walmart fix brakes?

Are Walmart batteries good?

O’Reilly’s vs. AutoZone batteries

Are cheap batteries worth it?