Batteries covered under MaxCare (3/36 done)?

[Darel]

Just trying to plan ahead here....

I'm at about 40,000 miles, so the 3/36 is up, but I have MaxCare to 125k. I expect soon enough that I'll have to replace the batteries - haven't had any issues yet but I'm sure I will soon, batteries are kind of a routine maintenance thing. Just really expensive in our trucks having to replace both.

Just because I don't feel like wading through ages of fine print - does MaxCare cover the batteries if they go out? I realize this is like asking if they cover oil changes but hey, you never know.

Not looking to reinvent the wheel here, I'm fine with the stock setup, just want to know if I have to pay for it, because if so I might just buy the batteries and have them on hand, rather than getting stuck when they finally go.
Thanks!

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[Andy29847]

What does your dash voltmeter read on the road after 15-30 minutes of driving?

What does your dash voltmeter read in the morning with the ignition switch in run, but the engine not started.

With the dash voltmeter displayed, the ignition in run, but the engine not started, put your foot on the brake and crank the engine while watching the voltmeter. How low does it go?

I have 2-2020 Jeeps. On one of them, the batteries went bad at 34,000 miles. Bad meaning the dash showed stop/start not working/battery charging. My dealer eventually replace both batteries, but it took several visits and a couple of dealer screw ups before that happened.

On my other Jeep (a JT), I started getting the same message as above, stop/start not working/battery charging. I disconnected the auxiliary battery (using the jumperless disconnect method), charged the battery, and all was well for a few months. Last week, while communicating with another owner about their battery problems, I suggested the tests above. I went out and tested my JT to have a baseline to compare too. I knew that my JT, with just the original main battery connected, would begin charging at 14.4v and work it's way down to 13.9v during a drive. I was surprised that the morning test in run with the engine off showed only 12.1v. I was really surprised that the crank test caused the voltage to go down to 11.1v. I decided to replace this battery myself. I replaced it even though everything was working because I was concerned about battery capacity if I had to use my winch. I bought and installed an Everstart H7 AGM battery at Walmart (850CCA and a 4 year warranty). The single new battery has more cold cranking amps than the 2 stock batteries.

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[OVERLORD]

Just trying to plan ahead here....

I'm at about 40,000 miles, so the 3/36 is up, but I have MaxCare to 125k. I expect soon enough that I'll have to replace the batteries - haven't had any issues yet but I'm sure I will soon, batteries are kind of a routine maintenance thing. Just really expensive in our trucks having to replace both.

Just because I don't feel like wading through ages of fine print - does MaxCare cover the batteries if they go out? I realize this is like asking if they cover oil changes but hey, you never know.

Not looking to reinvent the wheel here, I'm fine with the stock setup, just want to know if I have to pay for it, because if so I might just buy the batteries and have them on hand, rather than getting stuck when they finally go.
Thanks!

I had the same issue, with the same coverage. Dealership told me batteries are not covered, and are a routine maintenance item.

 

[kahuna357]

I read the fine print on my Maxcare and batteries are only covered 3 yrs / 36000 miles from date of purchase.

 

[Hootbro]

Batteries are not covered. You really need to look at the MaxCare contract terms. It really is not a true warranty extension like the manufacturers warranty but a service contract.

One big thing that is missed by many with the MaxCare is that if you have any type of suspension lift, that is a separate rider contract that has to be purchased.

 

[Andy29847]

I had the same issue, with the same coverage. Dealership told me batteries are not covered, and are a routine maintenance item.

your dealer was wrong.

https://www.chrysler-factory-warranty.com/mopar-battery-warranty/

 

[kahuna357]

One big thing that is missed by many with the MaxCare is that if you have any type of suspension lift, that is a separate rider contract that has to be purchased.

I missed that part, thanks because I was considering a small lift.

 

[Hootbro]

I missed that part, thanks because I was considering a small lift.

You may have to research it more because it may only cover a Mopar lift installed by a dealer.

I just remember a thread either here or on the JL side where this issue came up and someone was denied a coverage under their MaxCare policy and having a lift and a separate rider policy was required.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I wish these companies that sell those contracts would stop calling them "warranty" - I don't care if it's MOPAR, Ox, Carshield, or wecovereverything.
It's a service contract. It's not a warranty as only the manufacturer themselves can technically "warrant" anything.
The other stuff is a service contract "we promise to take care of this stuff if it breaks in exchange for one arm, one leg and your first born"
It's sort of insurance in a way - they have actuaries that assess the risks of certain things breaking or wearing out vs. what it costs to fix them. It's insurance more than anything.
You are buying an insurance policy against things breaking.
The maker of the stuff promises that it's not defective in materials or workmanship and warrants it to be so.
Even such policies sold through the dealership or MOPAR or Jeep themselves - it's done through a separate arm of the company and administered as such.

 

[OVERLORD]

your dealer was wrong.

https://www.chrysler-factory-warranty.com/mopar-battery-warranty/

It says in your article ...............


When you purchase a new vehicle, the battery is covered for 3 year OR up to 36,000 miles with the manufacturer warranty.

If you’ve purchased a Mopar Extended Warranty ,although the Maximum Care Warranty covers 5,000+ components, it does NOT cover the battery.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

GM original batteries are also 3/36,000 from when the vehicle is bought.
IF you buy a battery, it's likely to only have a 2 to 4 year warranty.
They aren't going to cover batteries in "extended warranties" or service contracts - they are too subject to abuse, misuse, etc. and it just makes sense they are treated more like wear items, commodities, not part of the vehicle proper.

 

[Charles 236]

I wish these companies that sell those contracts would stop calling them "warranty" - I don't care if it's MOPAR, Ox, Carshield, or wecovereverything.
It's a service contract. It's not a warranty as only the manufacturer themselves can technically "warrant" anything.
The other stuff is a service contract "we promise to take care of this stuff if it breaks in exchange for one arm, one leg and your first born"
It's sort of insurance in a way - they have actuaries that assess the risks of certain things breaking or wearing out vs. what it costs to fix them. It's insurance more than anything.
You are buying an insurance policy against things breaking.
The maker of the stuff promises that it's not defective in materials or workmanship and warrants it to be so.
Even such policies sold through the dealership or MOPAR or Jeep themselves - it's done through a separate arm of the company and administered as such.

Thank you for spelling this out. I have always made it a point not to buy a "extended warranty", which you nailed on the head. It IS only an insurance policy on the vehicle systems, and so much fine print that hides what isn't covered. I always tell people not to spend the money, better to just save the money in case something does fail. People often don't stop to think about it, if failures were as common as the warranty companies like to claim, there would be no profit in selling warranty extensions.

 

[HooliganActual]

FAIR WARNING: Incoming pseudo-rant

After the rigamarole that I went through on my first battery replacement with this Gladiator, here is my $0.02 USD for anyone that will listen. I would hope to save you a little bit of time and effort.

I'll start by saying that I've been driving for over 40 years. In that time, I've owned a fair number of vehicles, the majority of them were Jeeps. I have never looked to have a battery replaced under warranty...in my head, I viewed them as wear parts and just assumed that a warranty wouldn't cover it (unless it stopped working immediately after taking possession of the vehicle).

When my 2020 Gladiator suffered it's first battery failure, I believe that the auxiliary battery died and drug down the main battery. This ultimately left me stranded off grid in the middle of nowhere. Because of this set of circumstances, I did what I've never done in my life and tried to get new batteries at a dealership in the first town I was able to make it out to. I got quite the runaround from the service department related to what had to happen in order to get my batteries replaced under the initial warranty; but suffice it to say they a) needed my vehicle in the shop which wasn't possible without towing it out of the back country and b) they needed it for several hours in order to do testing (charging/discharging/etc) to have the proper documentation needed to submit to MOPAR for their warranty reimbursement.

So there are a lot more details but I think that lays the groundwork for what I'm about to advise:

For anyone with a newish Gladiator (or any vehicle for that matter) that is still under warranty, I know you have a shiny warranty and I applaud anyone that wants to get as much out of what they have paid for as they can. But if your battery is bad, save yourself the time and hassle of taking it to the dealership to leverage the warranty and just go to one of the big parts houses (AutoZone, Advanced Auto, Oreillys or whatever) and buy the replacement battery from them. Yes, I know you are out a few hundred dollars in doing so, but you'll now have a battery that you can walk into that same parts store within the next 3 years (or whatever length warranty they offer) and have them replace it over the counter for free, no questions asked. You will save yourself so much time and effort doing this over trying to get the battery(ies) replaced under warranty at the dealership.​

An even further interesting note, you can actually buy the replacement batteries from the dealerships parts counter and get the same warranty that the parts house will give you. I know this because one of the batteries I replaced I had to buy from the dealership and the Parts Counter guy said "Stick that receipt in your glove box and if it fails within 3 years bring that in to any Parts desk and it will be replaced for free, no questions asked."

I recently replaced the battery on my wife's 2018 JKUR (obviously out of warranty) and all totaled from opening the hood, pulling the battery, driving to AutoZone 2 blocks away, reinstalling battery and closing the hood I had maybe 45 minutes invested. The dealership will have your vehicle all day...just a hassle.

Cheers

 

[ShadowsPapa]

 

[Andy29847]

It says in your article ...............


When you purchase a new vehicle, the battery is covered for 3 year OR up to 36,000 miles with the manufacturer warranty.

If you’ve purchased a Mopar Extended Warranty ,although the Maximum Care Warranty covers 5,000+ components, it does NOT cover the battery.

This is written just before the part of the article you shared: " If you purchase a Mopar Battery from a Mopar parts department or a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram dealership, the warranty is a 3 year replacement warranty. "


We I visited my dealer for the 4th time with battery issues, I knew a lot more about the systems in my Jeep and I was prepared to be demanding. What I was thinking about was going to one really good battery and deleting the auxiliary. My dealer offered to me the opportunity to purchase a battery from somewhere lese and they would refund my cost. The only catch was that I would have to handle any further battery problems with the place where I bought the battery. He also said that if I accepted the 2 new Mopar batteries, the new batteries would be covered for 3 more years. The sentence in the article shared above seems to support what he said, i.e., new batteries from Mopar come with a 3 year warranty, regardless of the vehicle warranty.

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