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Pep Boys - doesn't sell or warranty Bosch 12v battery anymore?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Prius_Gnome, Aug 16, 2021.

  1. Prius_Gnome

    Prius_Gnome Junior Member

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    Have any other members experienced something similar at Pep Boys recently?

    About 2 years ago, I bought the Bosch Platinum AGM S46B24R from Pep Boys. It has a 4 year free replacement warranty (i.e., not prorated).
    The battery won't hold a charge so I physically walked into my local Pep Boys, and the guy at the counter told me (I'm paraphrasing):
    • "They changed their battery warranty to only 1 year after Auto Plus bought them" - So it seems I wasn't grandfathered into the 4 year free replacement period that was in effect when I bought the battery? Can they even do that?
    • "They don't carry Bosch batteries anymore. They only have Champion." - So I told him that I'd take a Champion AGM battery as a replacement. But when he looked in their inventory system, he said that they don't sell any AGM batteries for a 2007 Prius. Is it even possible for an auto parts store to not sell a 12v battery for a Prius?

    My next steps
    1. If Pep Boys / Auto Plus won't honor the warranty, I'm hoping that Bosch will.
      S6 AGM Car Battery | Bosch Auto Parts
      I'll try giving them a call during the weekday (888-715-3616) and ask them if they will honor the warranty. But based on the Bosch website, there doesn't seem to be any auto parts stores that's a Bosch retailer (I only see auto repair shops), so I'm not sure how I'd physically get the replacement battery.
    2. If Bosch isn't helpful, do you think I can ask Pep Boys for cash or gift card in lieu of replacement battery?

     
    #1 Prius_Gnome, Aug 16, 2021
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Supply shortages of these batteries even at many Toyota dealers.
     
    #2 rjparker, Aug 16, 2021
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The warranty is from Bosch correct? Not pep boys. You would need to find a Bosch dealer or contact Bosch
     
    #3 JC91006, Aug 16, 2021
  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    upload_2021-8-15_23-41-48.png

    If you still have all the paperwork (including the original warranty statement, not the current one linked above), then it seems that an escalation up the management chain at the retail outlet is still in order, along with contacting the manufacturer's regional office.

    If the retail outlet does not have a suitable replacement, it is pretty much always an acceptable alternative for them to offer a refund of your purchase price.
     
    #4 fuzzy1, Aug 16, 2021
  5. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    #5 Another, Aug 16, 2021
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    attorney generals consumer affairs office, local news station/paper
     
    #6 bisco, Aug 16, 2021
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  7. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Man going straight to the top of the food chain. From 1 to 10, no in between
     
    #7 JC91006, Aug 16, 2021
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  8. Prius_Gnome

    Prius_Gnome Junior Member

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    Just to give everyone (and posterity) an update, I called up Bosch (888-715-3616) to explain my battery warranty situation. The representative asked for some information and said their battery warranty department would get back to me.
    • my Pep Boys Order # (or receipt if that applies to you)
    • Name
    • Phone #

    Update/Edit: The battery department called me back within 30 minutes and asked for my address. He mentioned that ideally, the retailer should have honored the warranty. He also mentioned that a physical receipt would have been better/easier than my online order confirmation email. I'll have to see what he's sending me in a few days (i.e., is it a replacement battery or just paperwork?).
     
    #8 Prius_Gnome, Aug 16, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2021
    bisco likes this.
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i can't believe bosch doesn't have any retailers anymore
     
    #9 bisco, Aug 16, 2021
  10. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Curious if you have an update on this. I also purchased one of these in September 14, 2019.. Clearly states 4 year free replacement warranty on the battery itself. Battery has failed, and won't hold over 11 volts. At least now I know why my car recently started beeping at me randomly after shutting off (hopefully it was this and not something else). As noted earlier, Pep Boys no longer does Bosch and the 2 PB stores near me closed the store operations section and only do tires and service now. I haven't started digging into it yet, as I'll likely just hop on down to NAPA and buy one tomorrow. But, if Bosch honors their warranty, I wouldn't object to a replacement.
     
    #10 TMR-JWAP, Nov 9, 2021
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2021
  11. Prius_Gnome

    Prius_Gnome Junior Member

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    Pep Boys
    Weird, I thought I posted my resolution. Anyway, the Bosch paperwork seemed to suggest they would honor the warranty if Pep Boys wouldn't. It seemed to suggest Bosch would reimburse me for a new battery that I would have to buy myself. But one of the things the Bosch paperwork asked for was a printout of the battery tester from Pep Boys (as evidence that the battery is dead). My Pep Boys said their battery tester printout functionality was *cou "broken" gh* so they couldn't give me a printout. Once I told them why I needed the printout, they immediately changed their tune and said they could provide me a Champion AGM battery as replacement. Since they didn't have any in stock, they said they would order it for me. After a week with NO Champion AGM battery being delivered to the store, I pointed to the Optima battery sitting on their shelf and just paid the extra $40 for it (they were selling Champion battery for $200 and Optima battery for $240).
    Sidenote- after getting home, I realized the Optima battery had SAE terminals instead of the Japanese pencil posts, which meant I had to go buy the learnaid kit and disassemble my whole battery setup. That was totally not worth the hassle, in my opinion. So whatever battery replacement you get, I would highly suggest you check for the correct terminal posts that will fit in your Prius.

    NAPA
    This may be a tangent, but I actually have a NAPA battery in my other Prius. I didn't like the fact that their battery doesn't have a "handle" which will make it unwieldy when installing or removing.
     
    #11 Prius_Gnome, Nov 10, 2021
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Maybe a smart charger is better than all this warranty run-around.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Nov 10, 2021
  13. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    My 2007 is my daily driver. Up until about 3 months ago, I was testing all my families car batteries monthly using an electronic tester. Unfortunately I lent it out over the summer, but nothing up to that point led me to suspect I had an imminent failure coming. There's no reason a brand new battery, or even a 2 year old battery, should need a charger when in a daily driver car. I'm pretty disappointed this battery barely lasted 2 years. In the big picture, I guess I really don't even care that much. Just another drop in the bucket of life. Considering our local Pep Boys ceased operation on the store side of the building, I figure it's probably going to be too much of a PITA to bother dealing with.
     
    #13 TMR-JWAP, Nov 10, 2021
  14. whodiini

    whodiini Junior Member

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    I purchased the Bosch on 2019 from Pep Boys and in the last month, it hasnt been holding a charge. So I went to the original Pep Boys dealer, which is just a service dept and no longer a parts store. I had my receipt. I requested a warranty replacement. They said they had to do a test for free, and once they did that, they replaced the battery for free with a Champion AGM. The vent tube for the Bosch fit into the Champion, but the original elbow from the Panasonic battery is too big. The only thing they didnt do was to block the vent cap on the other side, so I just ordered a cap from VW, part #: 000915506 for $1.70. So it was about as painless as it could be. They said that the new battery warranty starts on the day the Bosch was installed, so that means just another year on the warranty. If the Champion lasts 4 years, I will be a happy camper, paying $160 for an installed battery lasting 6-7 years.
     
    #14 whodiini, Mar 22, 2022
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