Well, for what it's worth, I have had excellent luck with Walmart's EverStart Maxx line, which is their top of the line house brand. I routinely get way more than the 3 years for which they're under warranty. The one and only time I had any issue with one of them all I had to do was present my receipt, they tested the battery and quickly determined it had gone wonky, and they put in a new one.

One of the reasons I've stuck with this line is they've been reasonably priced, way more than reasonably reliable and long-lived, and on the single occasion I had an issue there was no fight whatsoever about replacement under warranty (and I have had other brands over the years where one had to fight tooth and nail to finally get a replacement under warranty when it was clearly warranted).

 

Three year warranty withe no hassle. I replaced a 24F Maxx that had been in service almost nine years because I didn't want my wife to be stranded if battery should fail. No telling how much longer that battery would have continued to function. I think the Maxx is a good choice.

 

I've always used batteries from Autozone. Have had several last over 8 years with no problems.

Have never heard of or seen and battery made by the company you posted. Looks to me like they do a lot of industrial supply. Can't even see what they make or sell without having a sales rep call you. IDK might have a consumer division but can't tell by their website.

Seems to me the hunk of lead that was OEM in your car lasted a long time. Longer than probably 80% of other users.

 

Have never heard of or seen and battery made by the company you posted. Looks to me like they do a lot of industrial supply. Can't even see what they make or sell without having a sales rep call you. IDK might have a consumer division but can't tell by their website.

Deka does, indeed, have a consumer division. Both my shops can provide a battery for my car, and Amazon has some on their site.

Amazon.com : deka battery

 

Yea.
Wally World’s NeverStart Max batteries.
I’ve been using them for years.
They last and they are less expensive than other batteries.
Check the date stamp on the new batteries and get the freshest one.

 

Costco

 

I went with a yellow top. No complaints.

 

Costco, Sams, Walmart, AAA seem to be the most widely used. In addition to pref/no hassle replacements/etc, convenience. If you can get the battery out/DIY, Costco. Walmart can replace for you. AAA anytime anywhere service with cost about 23 more than costco/walmart. We were in situation on a roadtrip once when we had Costco battery... Costco was closed that day. And Walmart near there. AAA to rescue. So somewhat the choice and when mention of "getting stuck" also depends on your situation...

Also Walmart has some 24-hr locations too. As for "brand" so far each has lasted about/close to what it says (3y, 5y, etc). Anything more than that is usually a bonus or waiting to go out.

 

Here in Canada, the CAA, equivalent to AAA, will come to your home and supply and replace your battery with a 6 year replacement warranty. Over the years I have used their sevices. I have never had to replace a CAA battery. They last forever.

 

I've had good luck with Costco batteries (they now have Interstate batteries) and AutoZone Duralast Gold batteries as well. I usually get 7-8 years out of them. My truck (diesel) takes 2 65-series 850 CCA batteries and it's not easy on them. The Avalon now has an Interstate from Costco. Cheers!

 

Costco ( Kirkland Battery ) in my XRS........and a Yellow Top in my Suzuki Grand Vitara..........and no problems what so ever..................so ill back them up.

 

Moreover, Costco batteries are not prorated. That means if it fails during the warranty period they replace it with a new one. Other retailers they deduct the number of months used on the battery and you pay the difference.

 

This is a very informative test of car batteries:

 

Over the years I've had the best luck with the Interstate brand. Since I'm a Costco member I get them there. Quite a bit cheaper than some of the other local shops. I've also used Walmart Maxx batteries with decent success. Outside of a battery for my diesel (uses two) from O'Reilly's most of the batteries I've gotten have gone well past warranty.

 

Just a head's up, some of the newer Toyotas use H5 batteries/Group 47 because of the electronics that they have. Costco has one in their catalog, but was told by the tire department that they were out of stock nationwide. If they don't carry them, Walmart and even Sam's Club have them...and the better thing is that they will install them (Walmart if they have a Tire Center, some stores don't have one but they all sell batteries).

 

Walmart has changed supplier, at least for the 24F. You can no longer open the caps over the cells and add water. Kept the 3 year replacement period, but dropped the extra 2 year of pro rata. Dropped the CCA from 750 to 700. But they haven't updated the online info. Apparently there is no translatable burned in date code on the battery to determine when it was actually produced.

 

The battery in my 2011 Camry is the original hunk of lead that came with the car when new. It still seems to be working well, but a check by a tech suggests that it's getting towards the end of its life.
I want to start looking for a replacement before it gets to the point where it won't start the engine.

I want a good quality battery that can provide a long life. I don't want to replace a battery every two years or so. Two shops that I trust recommended a Deka battery.

Home page

www.dekamotivepower.com

Any suggestions for batteries, any thoughts on the Deka? Thanks!

I will give you a little bit of inside information on battery brands. Brands are nothing more than a sticker. Literally. I am in the industry and have witnessed batteries “rebranded” when a supplier has had a line change. Pretend you are a large parts chain and you buy batteries from Joe Blow. Then Mike Smith comes along with a better deal for you and you take on his line. Joe Blow won’t take back your inventory, so Mike Smith gives you, (or applies himself) a bunch of stickers that go over the battery that Joe Blow’s sold you. It happens all the time. Big companies get stuck with hundreds, or thousands of batteries between what’s in their Warehouses and stores and just resticker them.

It’s not just about rebranding. Most batteries in the US are made by a few major producers. Johnson Controls is the big boy. They make batteries for some of the biggest suppliers out there.

Battery technology is more important than brand. AGM batteries are the best designs , by far. Many times when we go to look up a battery needed for a specific vehicle, we see that it requires, is recommended for use, or an AGM was originally installed.

I use AGM batteries in everything. What is everything? My cars, SUV, ATV’s, lawn tractor, power washer, generator... Even my garage door opener has a battery built into it in the event of a power failure. Guess what kind it is?

Buy the technology (AGM) , the better warranty and shop the price. The brand doesn’t matter any where near as much.

 

I will give you a little bit of inside information on battery brands. Brands are nothing more than a sticker. Literally. I am in the industry and have witnessed batteries “rebranded” when a supplier has had a line change.

This doesn't come as a shock to me in any way. It's been true of vast swaths of the automobile parts industry for decades now.

Much like virtually every department store in the United States is actually owned by The May Company, and the gasoline available under every brand is produced by a select few refineries owned by "the major oil companies," most parts are produced by a select few producers, to spec, and branded accordingly. In the case of things like batteries, that sometimes involves using specifically colored case as well as the stickers, but "the guts" are precisely the same for various different brands.

The international supply chain for all auto parts has worked this way for at least half of my lifetime of almost 60 years.

 

I have been happy with Optima Yellow top batteries and they work well if I have to jump someone with a dead battery. However I have been looking at these new Li-ion batteries hitting the market, basically like a tesla battery only the size of a normal car battery instead of using a traditional or AGM battery but they are really expensive right now.

 

The battery in my 2011 Camry is the original hunk of lead that came with the car when new. It still seems to be working well, but a check by a tech suggests that it's getting towards the end of its life.
I want to start looking for a replacement before it gets to the point where it won't start the engine.

I want a good quality battery that can provide a long life. I don't want to replace a battery every two years or so. Two shops that I trust recommended a Deka battery.

Home page

www.dekamotivepower.com

Any suggestions for batteries, any thoughts on the Deka? Thanks!

I think this video provides a lot of useful information and tests several batteries:

 

Buy the technology (AGM) , the better warranty and shop the price. The brand doesn’t matter any where near as much.

I'll second that. Been using AGM batteries for years now. Got 'em in 5 out of 6 cars in the stable, just waiting for the last lead-acid battery to give up to have a clean sweep. One battery is 14 years old, but is connected to a maintainer. The next is 8 years old, is not on a maintainer, and is in a car that sits outside year-round. Not showing any signs of giving up yet. That battery is Sears Die Hard, but the case looks like the same case as an Odyssey (not the Honda minivan) model. I believe Advance Auto parts has that brand now. AGM also seems to have a much lower rate of corrosion on battery terminals and trays. Less venting, I imagine.

If you want more peace of mind, you can get one of those lithium jump start battery packs. Like this one. NOCO and Halo are pretty good manufacturers. My wife keeps one in her car just in case, but has never needed it. Although I used it "once" to start my mom's car with it (the car was carbureted and carb was dry at the time). I say "once" because it took approx 8 -10 crank cycles to get fuel back into the float bowl to start the car (1.8 liter engine). Pretty impressive considering the size of the battery pack.

 

The battery in my 2011 Camry is the original hunk of lead that came with the car when new. It still seems to be working well, but a check by a tech suggests that it's getting towards the end of its life.
I want to start looking for a replacement before it gets to the point where it won't start the engine.

I want a good quality battery that can provide a long life. I don't want to replace a battery every two years or so. Two shops that I trust recommended a Deka battery.

Home page

www.dekamotivepower.com

Any suggestions for batteries, any thoughts on the Deka? Thanks!

I usually go with Interstate Batteries from Costco.

 

The battery in my 2011 Camry is the original hunk of lead that came with the car when new. It still seems to be working well, but a check by a tech suggests that it's getting towards the end of its life.
I want to start looking for a replacement before it gets to the point where it won't start the engine.

I want a good quality battery that can provide a long life. I don't want to replace a battery every two years or so. Two shops that I trust recommended a Deka battery.

Home page

www.dekamotivepower.com

Any suggestions for batteries, any thoughts on the Deka? Thanks!

Costco, if problems, returns are so easy!

 

International from Costco. Hard to argue quality and price.

 

The battery in my 2011 Camry is the original hunk of lead that came with the car when new. It still seems to be working well, but a check by a tech suggests that it's getting towards the end of its life.
I want to start looking for a replacement before it gets to the point where it won't start the engine.

I want a good quality battery that can provide a long life. I don't want to replace a battery every two years or so. Two shops that I trust recommended a Deka battery.

Home page

www.dekamotivepower.com

Any suggestions for batteries, any thoughts on the Deka? Thanks!

Interstate, Sam’s, or one from AAA.

 

What follows is not meant, in any way, to be critical of anyone who's contributed to this topic.

This topic demonstrates, pretty clearly, that "best" is always a matter of opinion and largely, if not entirely, subjective. On a group I moderate that's completely unrelated to automobiles, but is related to software, I have the rule:

Please avoid, “What is the best . . .?,” topics, because what qualifies as “best” is entirely subjective. If you know you have specific needs then asking, “What {insert program type here} has the following features . . .,” is much more descriptive. If you want to know what programs people like for a specific task, asking, “What’s your favorite . . . and why?,” is far more likely to get you the details you want to have.

The principle translates very well to virtually any venue. Asking about something that has the specific characteristics, features, etc., that you're seeking will get more focused (and, in my opinion, more useful) answers.

 

What follows is not meant, in any way, to be critical of anyone who's contributed to this topic.

This topic demonstrates, pretty clearly, that "best" is always a matter of opinion and largely, if not entirely, subjective. On a group I moderate that's completely unrelated to automobiles, but is related to software, I have the rule:

Please avoid, “What is the best . . .?,” topics, because what qualifies as “best” is entirely subjective. If you know you have specific needs then asking, “What {insert program type here} has the following features . . .,” is much more descriptive. If you want to know what programs people like for a specific task, asking, “What’s your favorite . . . and why?,” is far more likely to get you the details you want to have.

The principle translates very well to virtually any venue. Asking about something that has the specific characteristics, features, etc., that you're seeking will get more focused (and, in my opinion, more useful) answers.

I agree ... I hadn't thought about my request in the terms you described, but you're absolutely correct. As I read through this thread I started to feel I was not getting the results I wanted, so let me put my request into a different context.

I am looking for a long-lasting, high-quality. dependable battery that will work well with the standard electronics in my 2011 Camry. I am not interested in a cheap battery, but one that is a good value. I'd like to get many years of use from it, not two, three, or four years, nor do I want to run to various stores on any kind of frequent basis to claim a warranty. What battery, or type of battery, can I depend on to provide that kind of service?

One or two people have mentioned AGM batteries ... those are like the Optima if I understand correctly. Do they have a better life expectancy than the more typical lead-acid batteries? Are they more durable? Will they work in my car?

Are there any other types of batteries that should be considered?

 

One more vote for the Walmart Everstart Max. I've bought many of these and they never fail. I've used them two at a time in the marine version in boats I've owned. I used to go to Advance Auto because they do a free install but their prices have skyrocketed. Walmart will do a free install if they have an auto shop in that particular store. The price is amazing!💰

 

The battery in my 2011 Camry is the original hunk of lead that came with the car when new. It still seems to be working well, but a check by a tech suggests that it's getting towards the end of its life.
I want to start looking for a replacement before it gets to the point where it won't start the engine.

I want a good quality battery that can provide a long life. I don't want to replace a battery every two years or so. Two shops that I trust recommended a Deka battery.

Home page

www.dekamotivepower.com

Any suggestions for batteries, any thoughts on the Deka? Thanks!

My suggestion from working at a Toyota dealership for over 13 years would of course be a Toyota battery from the dealer. The price is reasonable and quality is top of the line, not sure about your local dealer but mine had it's battery's delivered regularly from a Interstate battery truck with Toyota branded battery's in it. Whatever you do decide to do just don't forget to install the red and green battery acid corrosion washers to the terminals or you'll be sorry. Very rarely did I ever have a battery warranty claim on a Toyota replacement battery.

 

Consumer Reports agrees with John1960 ! . . .and I have had every brand from Optima Red Top to ElCheapo (neither are my recommendation) - I wholeheartedly AGREE with John 1960

SHOP for the best price AGM battery - and when a deal is found BUY IT!

. . .and CONGRATS on milking that original battery out for so many years - WHY on Earth does the ORIGINAL battery last 3 times longer than ANY we can buy?!

 

WHY on Earth does the ORIGINAL battery last 3 times longer than ANY we can buy?!

Because, in most cases, it doesn't. There are outliers on the bell curve of service life for any given service item, including batteries. While it's great if you happen to have milked that much life out of one of them, that certainly should not be considered the norm. If it were, way more people would be reporting that "lead-acid battery brand X" consistently has an unusually long life.

Short version: this person lucked out with this particular battery.