How Much Does It Cost To Replace Your Car’s 12-volt Battery?

One part common to nearly every vehicle, even electric vehicles, is the 12-volt battery under the hood powering your lights, window motors, seat motors, infotainment system, and even the ignition if you have an internal combustion vehicle. 12 V batteries will wear out over time, and part of car ownership is replacing that battery when its time comes.

We know you want an answer on the cost to replace a battery, so we won’t make you wait! The price for a mainstream vehicle’s 12 V battery replacement usually falls between $200 and $400.

As we proceed through our story, we are going to drop the 12 V and just use the term battery. If you are looking for the cost to replace an electric vehicle’s high-voltage battery, here is where you can find that answer.

Signs That You May Need a New Battery

The best way to find out you need a new battery is for your mechanic to say you need one following a battery check during routine maintenance. If the battery is older than 36 months, we suggest you take the mechanic’s advice and replace it.

Other signs of a dying battery are what you might expect. That dreaded clickety-clickety sound when you try to start the vehicle. Or worse, nothing at all. You may get a battery warning light on your dash, or you may not.

Most batteries die on the first very cold day of late fall. Batteries are able to operate better in mild temperatures. Just like the Car Talk staff! The saying goes, “It’s summer that kills the battery, and the funeral is held in early winter.” Or something like that. Who are we to argue with proverbs?

Is My Newish Car’s Battery Covered Under Warranty?

When you purchase a new vehicle, it usually comes with two warranties. The first is usually a 3 to 5-year “bumper to bumper warranty," and the second is a 5 to 10-year “powertrain warranty.” Read your owner’s manual on page one billion and fifty-six, and you may discover the battery is excluded from both of these warranties. It may have a one-year or some other duration. Automakers like to pretend your battery is not their problem. Even though no car will move without a properly operating battery.

Is My Car’s Battery Covered By the Warranty of the Old Battery?

Nearly every battery sold comes with an impressive warranty. If your car has had the battery replaced once before, it may have a warranty that is still in effect. These warranties may be prorated, meaning the full cost will not be covered. But, hey, any help is always welcome. Battery warranties can last as long as eight years.

Is There a Recall or Replacement Program Related to My Battery?

Premature battery failures are not uncommon. There is a Subaru battery reimbursement campaign underway now, and many other brands have extended warranties on the battery that was supplied with the new vehicle. If your relatively new vehicle has a battery problem, it is worth calling your dealer to ask if such a program is in effect for your model. If not, ask what the price is for a battery replacement and call a few other places as well.

Who Can Install a New Battery For Me?

You may get lucky and have a car that can be jump-started and run. If you do, call around your local area to see who can supply you with a new battery. If your car is not running, AAA is an ideal resource to help you.

“AAA members appreciate our battery service because we come to them. The majority of our battery service calls come from members whose batteries have died overnight—frequently on cold winter mornings, but some members take our advice to call for a battery service in the warmer months simply to test an aging battery and avoid getting stranded once the seasons change.”

• Mark Schieldrop, Senior Spokesperson / Public Affairs of AAA Northeast

If you are a AAA member, the company can often dispatch a mobile battery replacement vehicle and technician. AAA can replace your battery for you right in your driveway. We’ve done it and found AAA’s battery replacement cost to be fair. The service is unbeatable. AAA will even do some diagnostics on your vehicle to help determine if the battery was simply drained down accidentally or if it is indeed dead. The company will not replace any battery that is not in need of replacement. We find this to be a great policy that instills consumer trust.

Your local mechanic, any local dealership, and any local auto repair chain can also install a new battery for you.

DIY-Battery Replacement - Cash and Carry Battery Sales

Another way to replace a car battery is to do it yourself. There are local retailers who will sell you a charged battery ready for installation. They will often want your old battery as part of the deal. Batteries are made primarily from lead and sulfuric acid, so you must ensure they are properly returned or recycled.

Some retailers may even offer you help to change the battery on-site. Or not. There are endless “Tire and Battery” retailers across America who can help you if you want to carry a battery out. If you can make it to their location, most will put the battery in. NAPA offers online ordering and curbside pickup of your new battery, so you don’t have to lift it into and out of your shopping cart. AutoZone offers battery delivery to your door in some areas.

Batteries retail for as low as $100 and can rise higher in price. Don't buy more than you need. A “bigger” battery is not better. There are some new technologies available, such as absorbed glass matt (AGM) batteries, and perhaps you will find another type. Just get what your car had previously. The brand name means very little. There are really just a couple of large battery makers in America, and the brands are just retailers’ way of trying to differentiate themselves in your mind.

Battery Handling Tips

Since you are reading this, you may end up handling a battery. If you don’t know what you are doing - don’t go it alone. Get help. We suggest, first and foremost, that you remove any jewelry, particularly rings and any dangling metal bracelets or chains. You do not want to complete the circuit of a battery accidentally. It can result in serious burns. If neoprene gloves are available, use them.

There is just one nut holding each battery cable on, so changing a battery seems super simple. However, you need to clean the terminals and you should always secure the battery in its tray using the automaker's clamp method. We strongly suggest having someone with some knowledge of how a battery is changed to assist you.

One final warning - batteries are VERY heavy, and you can injure your back lifting one.

Where is My Battery Located Inside the Car?

Normally, the battery is under the hood, but in modern, sporty cars, luxury vehicles, and electric vehicles, the battery may be someplace else. The trunk, under a seat, who knows? Automakers move batteries around to make space and redistribute weight. Your manual will have the diagram.

About Jump Starting Vehicles

Jump-starting a vehicle can cause damage to the host vehicle providing the jump or to the vehicle accepting the charge. We suggest you don’t jump-start vehicles with another vehicle. Why risk it? Use a jump starter like the one in our image above. AAA, every other roadside assistance company, and every auto mechanic garage has one. Resist the urge to beg for help from strangers or friends. Get a pro to help you jump your car, and then immediately get the car fixed so you don’t need a subsequent jump.

If you find yourself in a vehicle-to-vehicle jump-starting scenario, place a cloth over the battery being jumped in case it explodes. Wear eye protection and have water on hand for eye flushing. Better yet, just don't do it.

You can download the AAA app to your phone and sign up in under five minutes. Help will be on the way before you say, “I’m glad I didn’t just fry four grand worth of vehicle electronics jump-starting my car.”

OK, you’ve decided to ignore our advice, and you’re going to try it with a set of old jumper cables from the trunk of your granddad’s old ‘69 Plymouth Fury III. Here is the Car Talk Guide to Jump Starting.

Read more on the topic of Owning a Car here.