Optima Batteries - safe to buy yet?

[hawk_sixsix]

I see lots of posts about the sharp decline in quality control of Optima batteries around the time they moved manufacturing to Mexico.

Can anyone vouch for them that they've gotten back on track, or are they still to be avoided?

 

[winkosmosis]

I think the best option is just to avoid them and go with DieHard Platinum (made by Odyssey)

 

[Darky]

Have you searched and actually read some of the threads that come up? Some have had Optima's PR guy chime in and admit the decline but also explain what happened and how they're fixing it.

 

[HaleYes]

Have you searched and actually read some of the threads that come up? Some have had Optima's PR guy chime in and admit the decline but also explain what happened and how they're fixing it.

Interesting.......I'd like to see what he had to say. I've been running a Red Top for several years with no problems. I even totally drained it (my fault) and it bounced right back after a "low and slow" charge.

I'll look those threads up sometime.

 

[winkosmosis]

Have you searched and actually read some of the threads that come up? Some have had Optima's PR guy chime in and admit the decline but also explain what happened and how they're fixing it.

A guy who works for Optima is a member of Expedition Portal and he was saying they're improving etc. Well that sure doesn't help the people who have gotten stranded does it? And it definitely doesn't help the ones who have been told to drive 4 hours to have the battery tested before they'll replace it.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33581

Optima doesn't deserve to be in business after screwing people, no matter how much they're "improving". My XJ has an old Optima, and I put one in my dad's WJ in 2007, and one in my Miata last year, but there is no way I'd buy one now that I know about their shenanigans.

Why risk dying of starvation or hypothermia alone in the boonies just so you can "give them a second chance"? If the PR guy likes his job so much, why didn't he do something during the 2 years or whatever that they put out inferior products from Mexico?

 

[xcm]

woah there drama train, put on the brakes.

ive been runing my mexican optima for the last 4 years ive had my xj, my only electrical problems arise from leaving my headlights on.

literally, the rest of my crew, (3 xj's, and 1 mj) are all mexican optima's.
.... no problems. i trust my optima. if you're soo worried about being stranded, and missing american idol. dont leave the house at all.

so cut the drama train.

 

[winkosmosis]

Go ahead, keep buying inferior products, and that's exactly what you'll get.

No reason not to go with Odyssey (Sears)

 

[xcm]

at least 4 years of quality service, never being stranded, and thousands of cold starts? sounds good to me

im not here saying optima is the coolest thing sinse sliced bread, your the one completely bashing a product.

quit being a drama queen.

 

[HaleYes]

Insert drama lama here. (I can't get to photobucket @ work )

 

[Darky]

A guy who works for Optima is a member of Expedition Portal and he was saying they're improving etc. Well that sure doesn't help the people who have gotten stranded does it? And it definitely doesn't help the ones who have been told to drive 4 hours to have the battery tested before they'll replace it.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33581

Optima doesn't deserve to be in business after screwing people, no matter how much they're "improving". My XJ has an old Optima, and I put one in my dad's WJ in 2007, and one in my Miata last year, but there is no way I'd buy one now that I know about their shenanigans.

Why risk dying of starvation or hypothermia alone in the boonies just so you can "give them a second chance"? If the PR guy likes his job so much, why didn't he do something during the 2 years or whatever that they put out inferior products from Mexico?

If they hit a snag and have fixed it, what's going to leave someone stranded? If you buy a battery that came after the problems, you have no problem, right? And I'm pretty sure the PR guy has nothing to do with actual production...He just passes the word to all of us as he's informed by the other areas of the company.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Costco 1000ca battery FTW!

 

[kujito]

Why risk dying of starvation or hypothermia alone in the boonies just so you can "give them a second chance"?

If this happens to you because of a dead battery, then chances are that you were woefully unprepared for your little voyage.

1. You shouldn't be that far out in the boonies alone without at least a means to communicate or having left notice of your appx. destination and return date.
2. If you are going to be out in the boonies (alone or not), you should have at least some basic emergency supplies (extra clothes/blankets, food, WATER, map) and/or the ability to improvise (water purification).
3. Just sell your rig and go watch some more TV.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

How can we identify the "problem" versions of the Optima?

My red top (probably 5+ years old) has finally shit the bed and I want to buy a new one...... but I'd rather not get stuck with the problem one.

Anyone?

 

[Boatwrench]

How can we identify the "problem" versions of the Optima?

My red top (probably 5+ years old) has finally shit the bed and I want to buy a new one...... but I'd rather not get stuck with the problem one.

Anyone?

x2.

and I have been stationed on Maui...there are no boonies in Maui. Hypothermia, yes, but no boonies you could not walk out of.

 

[hawk_sixsix]

How can we identify the "problem" versions of the Optima?

My red top (probably 5+ years old) has finally shit the bed and I want to buy a new one...... but I'd rather not get stuck with the problem one.

Anyone?

Good post; exactly what I'm asking. Are the "problem" versions finally behind them, or is everything post-Mexico-move "problem" versions to date? Can anyone tell me, "I bought a Red/Yellow-Top 6/8/10 months ago and have zero problems"?

 

[xcm]

yeah, mine is about 3-4 years old, and the 3 others i mentioned earlier were all bought between then and now. so, yeah, i can absolutely say that, x4.

before i bought mine, i read about the 'problems' and bought one anyways. i think they moved production to mexico about 5 years or so ago?

i really think people hate on optima's the same way people hate on ipod's. they want to be differant than the perceived 'herd', whatever. ipod's are great.

its only a battery, buy whichever one you like the best.

im not saying the optima is the best battery ever, and will give you 10hp. all im saying is, what winkosmosis said about it being a ticking time bomb, is straight up bullshit. any battery can, and every battery WILL eventually fail... your saying optima's fail prematurely, or randomly?? or what?, ive yet to hear a why, how, or even a who, of anyone who's had a failure. get over it. haters be hatin.

 

[HaleYes]

I'm not registered on Expedition Portal. Perhaps someone that is can ask the optima dude.
I'd like to know how to ID the junkers too.

 

[OverlandZJ]

How can we identify the "problem" versions of the Optima?

My red top (probably 5+ years old) has finally shit the bed and I want to buy a new one...... but I'd rather not get stuck with the problem one.

Anyone?

I think it's right on the sticker.. Made in Mexico.

 

[JRW7072009]

At work we sell a lot of Optima's. I do fell the after they moved there quality went down a little but when you moved a giant plant like Optima things are going to hit a few bumps or rough spots.

I have not had a return or a single complaint on an Optima for quite a while, I just bought a new Yellow top about a month ago and so did 2 guys I work with and all of ours work great. All three of us wheel our Jeeps and they both run there winch off there Optima with no problems.

We sell on average 3 to 5 Optimas a week and all with no issues.

I feel Optima is still a good battery and will continue to buy Optima's.

 

[NickDanger_XJ]

I work with Interstate Batteries, and we are a big Optima dealer since Johnson Controls owns Optima.

I have a redtop manufactured in December '08 in my Chevelle that has worked perfect. I bought it brand new.

My Xj has an '08 red top as well, but I didn't buy it new. I picked it up somewhere as a supposed core, charged it, took it for myself and it's worked perfectly.


As far as dating a battery, find the date code on it. Theres a few variations. Should either be stamped into the top and can be faint and sometimes kind of hard to find. Usually in the corner area though. If it says some like 8LAF, then it was manufactured December of '08. You just need to pay attention to the first two, a number and letter. The number indicates year, and the letter coresponds with the month. L is the 12th letter of alphabet, therefore L indicates December

The other kind that Optima used to use is a Julian date code, and it's stamped into the side. If you looks on the side of the battery and it says 7145, that means it was manufactures on the 145th day of 2007.

I don't know when the plant changes occured and all that, but it seems like a lot of the Optima's I warranty are from around '07 - '08ish. However, you also have to remember a lot of customers who buy them don't know how to charge them. AGM batteries require a different method of charging then a regular lead acid. But, if a customer doesn't know that and it doesn't work out for them, they bring it back claiming 3 yr free replacement. Store obviously obliges to customer which is where we come in because we gotta take care of our customer.

Last couple of side notes: Date codes like 7145 or L7 Could also indicate a year of 1997, so use judgement, if the battery looks ancient, then it's probably older then 2007. Also, the letter/number date code works for all your batteries, it's a universal type thing.


Hopefully that wall o' text was helpful to somebody