Hello folks,

I purchased my 2013 ES350 CPO in 2015. In January 2018, I took it in for the 45k mile servicing. The battery failed a load test. From the service history: LOAD TEST BATTERY. BATTERY _FAIL OEM BATTERY_ TEST. While at the dealership, the gentleman told me that if I had come in a couple of months earlier, the battery replacement would have been covered under the factory warranty (which expired in September of 2017).

First of all, do batteries fail that quick? I don't ever recall changing a battery on my previous vehicles, which I had much longer than this one.

Next, it this something that is covered under the CPO warranty? I will likely hit my $50k sometime around the August 2018 expiration.

I've been trying to obtain the "Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Supplement" from Lexus for the past three months. Four times, Lexus has sent me a different document, which is my Certified Platinum Vehicle Service Agreement. I realize the two may be similar, but I'm getting infuriated at how long it is taking to get this one document.

Has anyone had any experience with this? I saw another forum post from 2010 which shows a cut/paste of the warranty supplement from back then, but I'm not sure how similar it still is today.

Finally, if I replace the battery on my own, any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

Batteries are not covered:

THESE ARE THE ITEMS NOT COVERED: Accessory Drive Belts; Batteries; Body Panels; Brake Linings, Pads and Shoes, Rotors and Drums; Bumpers; Carpet; Chrome; Clutch Friction Disc and Pressure Plate; Dash Cover and Pad; Door Fabric; Door Trim; Filters; Fluids; Glass (including Windshields); Headliner; Heating Hoses, Lines and Tubes; Hoses; Hybrid Vehicle Battery Pack; Hybrid Vehicle Battery Plug Assembly; Hybrid Vehicle Relay Assembly; Hybrid Vehicle Supply Battery Assembly; Interior and Exterior Trim and Moldings (including but not limited to: Ashtrays, Covers, Cup Holders, and Vents); Lamps, Light Assemblies/Housings, and Light Bulbs; Nuts, Bolts, Clips, Retainers, and Fasteners; Paint; Rust and Corrosion Damage; Seat Covers; Sheet Metals; Shiny Metals; Spark Plugs; Structural Framework and Welds; Tires; Vacuum Hoses, Lines and Tubes; Weather Stripping; Wheels and Rims; Windshield Wiper Blades (Rubber component); All interior and exterior cloth, leather, and stitching including convertible tops and/or vinyl tops including but not limited to: any vibration, deterioration, discoloration, disfigurement, warping, fading, staining, stretching, ripping, punctures, tearing, and/or scratches

https://www.sc.toyotafinancial.com/w...l_Brochure.pdf

 

Mike - thanks for the prompt reply! Again, there is some confusion (maybe it's on my part). But this looks to be the Vehicle Service Agreement (VSA), not the Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Supplement. The VSA is something I paid extra for, to cover me after my CPO Warranty expires. My CPO Warranty goes until 50k miles or August of 2018. My Platinum VSA goes until 100k miles or August of 2021. Each of these two things has a separate agreement number.

Again, I know the two may cover/exclude similar if not exactly the same things, but I still have not been able to get a copy of the CPO Warranty Supplement. Just before this post, I spoke to Lexus again, and this time they claim they are sending me the proper document...time will tell.

 

The other complicating factor is that Lexus changed their CPO warranty (I believe) soon after I purchased my vehicle. They went to the L/Certified which includes unlimited mileage, different time-triggers, and 20k miles/2-years worth of complementary maintenance, which I did not get. (L/Certified vs. Certified Pre-Owned).

 

Batteries can last from 2-3 years and on up to 10 years. The boss's Honda lasted only 3 years. My Lexus battery will be 6 in September. I have a '66 Corvette with a battery I bought in
2009. As far as replacement you can get an Interstate battery at Costco for about $78.00. Every bit as reliable as the battery that came with your Lexus. Put one in the Honda...

 

Another example of what a waste of money the CPO warranty really is. I can't believe they don't cover the battery.

This is why I'm not a fan of paying for extended warranties, there's always language there that let's them weasel out. I've seen this myself where something you would be sure that would be covered they have fine print getting out of it.

I would get a battery at Costco or WalMart, they're all about the same in my experience (almost all car batteries come from the same 2-3 companies), just about the warranty and price. Costco you can get one with a 3 year free replacement Interstate battery for around $100. Takes 5 minutes to replace.

 

Hello Pras... wanted to chime in and say I agree with BC here...and to be honest, there is just no way to know when a battery is going to fail. My 2013 ES came with a Panasonic battery.. I believe it's rated at 580 cranking amps... this past january I had the battery tested and the printout showed the battery at 330 cranking amps... so the battery was starting to fail, but you would have never known it by the way the car started... pushed the button and she fired up first time everytime... anyway I have gotten into the habit of changing out the batteries in my vehicles every 4 years... I put in an Interstate MTP-24F. It's an exact fit and has way more Ca's and CCA's then called for.. I believe it's 800 CCA's and 1000 CA's... I have the same battery in my 2010 4 runner... I'll be replacing it in Oct of this year.. As much as I like Interstate, I am also a big fan of East Penn's Deka batteries... They are made in the US and I had heard they test out higher than they are rated for.. I actually put a deka in my ztr mower last month and had them test it before I left.. It was rated at 410 amps and tested at 500... Also have a Deka in my boat... only problem I can see is if you had one and something went wrong with it, then it may be harder to find a deka dealer, as opposed to finding a die hard or interstate dealer... however I heard that batteries sold at Napa are made by east penn now, but I don't know if that's true or not.

Roland

 

As always, thank you everyone for the input! Alas, I have actually decided to sell this vehicle. My employer offers a company car plan that I was utilizing for 7 years. The past three years I figured I'd buy my own car (the ES) to see how it worked out. Economically, it just makes sense to go back to the company car plan.

I'll probably still buy a battery and pop it in as a courtesy to the next owner. Now begins the selling process...first time going through this so I'm not looking forward to it. Luckily, the car is almost immaculate and still under 50k miles.

Time to wipe away the tears as I part with the incredibly quiet cabin + Mark Levinson combo! On to a VW Passat R-Line...yay?