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Own 2016 F Sport with 85K mi - bought L Certified in July 2020 - it still has the original battery - received $50 off coupon from Lexus dealer - $150 after coupon - Questions : (1) Do batteries typically last 5 years? (2) Should I stick with Lexus brand or consider Interstate? (3) Is $150 a decent price
The OEM battery tends to last well beyond the 4yr/50k mile warranty. You'll know when its starting to fail as it won't crank as quickly when starting up.
If you can get the Lexus battery + install for under $200, I think its a great deal. Note: I paid $220 for the Optima Red top battery from Autozone and installed it myself.
I have a Base 2016 GS350 with about 49k miles and I am still running on the original battery. It did die on my once when I ran my stereo for a couple of hours without running the engine. But a couple of hours battery tender solved that problem and, 6 months later, the same battery cranks like a champ on first attempt. When the time comes, I will go to Costco and get the Interstate battery from there for 100 bucks. I will say, if you have Costco card, or someone can hook you up with their card, go with the Interstate. Their batteries are known for their quality and reliability and are literally half the price of the Lexus OEM. Also, I read somewhere that the GS comes with a Panasonic battery from the factory, but the Lexus OEM replacement is an Interstate Battery.
I personally would stick with the Lexus replacement battery. It fits the OE battery tray and comes with a good warranty. Plus, if there happens to be a problem during the change then Lexus will take care of it.
Make sure you let the car sit for at least 5 minutes if you recently turned the car off before removing the battery. Also make sure you remove the negative terminal first and install the negative terminal last.
I personally have disconnected my battery several times for mods and battery change and never had an issue. Some other member messed up their radio/head unit, probably from not letting systems fully power down or throwing on the positive terminal first or both at the same time.
I tend to like OEM batterys. They seem to last and I like the fact they fit the battery tray, cover, and any anchoring bracket hardware properly.
That said, when I've had to replace something with a non-OEM I've always used Interstate and they've been excellent. They've often seemed to fit the tray/bracket well also.
Back when Sears was Sears and there was one in pretty much any decent sized town my family always used Die Hard batteries.
150 is a good price, otherwise get the "best" standard option from any auto parts store. They all pretty much have the same cost, warranty, etc. 5 Years is standard, even if a battery isn't dead yet after that time it's common practice to replace it anyways. Don't waste your time with Optima unless you have a very specific reason or just want to spend more.
Most of the batteries at the stores are all made by the same parent company anyways so don't get caught up in brands. The only thing that changes is the sticker
Costco Interstate. Best price, best battery and by far best warranty.
By the way, car manufacturers don't make car batteries...
They may not stock one for your car, however.
I also tend to go with OEM. The times that I haven't are actually local battery shops that specialize in this area. A lot of the car clubs and PCA also used these shops in near me. Sadly, more and more of these good shops in my area are shutting down.
Own 2016 F Sport with 85K mi - bought L Certified in July 2020 - it still has the original battery - received $50 off coupon from Lexus dealer - $150 after coupon - Questions : (1) Do batteries typically last 5 years? (2) Should I stick with Lexus brand or consider Interstate? (3) Is $150 a decent price
I got a Lexus battery for less than $150 without a coupon. Is that price for them to install it too? I see no need to pay them to install a battery. All you need is a 10mm open end wrench and 5-10 minutes. You may find it easier to get the battery in and out by removing the hood support and that is easily done with a small flathead screwdriver.
I also replaced mine with a Costco Interstate battery as well. No issues, though it does not fit in the plastic container that the original battery had, so I just removed that container and it fit just fine.
As far as battery life, it depends where you live. Heat tends to weaken batteries. If you live in a hot zone like AZ, you might get 2.5 to 3 years, southern states like GA or LA you may get 3.5 to 4.5 years and northern areas like MI or WI it may last up to 7 years.
Definitely prefer the OEM replacement due to warranty and fit and finish. I have used many Walmart EverStart Maxx on the van but didn't have any issues. It lasted about 5 years.