Features of the national warranty for a car battery

The modern battery market is saturated with models from various companies in a variety of price segments. Moreover, the quality of the batteries and the technologies implemented in them are practically the same. Most models of various brands are made on similar equipment and it is quite difficult to surprise the buyer. In such conditions, manufacturers resort to various tricks to attract buyers to their product. One of these tricks is providing a guarantee. Nowadays you can find car batteries with a warranty of 2, 3 and even 4 years. But is it worth believing these promises and what does this guarantee actually provide? Let’s try to understand this material.

The meaning of a warranty for any goods or services is the manufacturer’s guarantee for its product or services. The manufacturer takes responsibility for the fact that the offered product complies with the stated standards and regulatory requirements. If it does not meet the declared characteristics, the manufacturer undertakes to replace the product or restore all regulated parameters.

A guarantee is a certain incentive to purchase a particular product. After all, when choosing a product, any person wants the product to meet the stated parameters. For our money, we want to get goods or services that correspond to our idea of ​​quality. The warranty, including for car batteries, is designed to give confidence in the decent quality of the products offered.

However, this point should be immediately clear. In the case of car batteries, the warranty is given specifically for the detection of defects during production. Only in this case, after the examination, can you count on a replacement battery or a refund. The warranty does not cover battery wear and tear. If, with a 2-year warranty, you were able to “roll out” the battery in 1 year, then no one will exchange it under warranty. Sellers and the manufacturer will simply refer to battery wear. This is important because most conflicts with battery sellers occur on this basis.

What does the law say?

Conflict situations when returning car batteries under warranty arise very often. The buyer, seller and manufacturer are human and do not want to miss out on their benefits. Therefore, when resolving conflicts, consumers have to defend their rights by turning to Russian legislation. Specifically, to the federal law on consumer protection. It makes no sense to quote the text of this law here. It will be more interesting for the reader to know some excerpts with explanations. In particular, article 18 of this law is interesting, which establishes the rights of the consumer in the event of detection of product defects.

If such defects in a car battery are detected (unless, of course, they were previously declared by the seller), the buyer has the right to the following actions:

• Demand that the product be replaced with a similar one;
• Demand replacement with a product of a different model, taking into account the amount already paid;
• Demand free elimination of product defects;
• May refuse the purchase and demand a refund of the amount paid. In this case, the buyer is obliged to return the defective product to the seller.

Separately, it is worth noting that the buyer may demand compensation for losses that were caused to him as a result of the sale of low-quality goods. The deadlines for compensation of losses are established by the same federal law.

The fifth paragraph of Article 18 is of interest. In particular, it states that a refusal to satisfy the buyer’s demands cannot be caused by his lack of a receipt or other documents confirming the fact of purchasing the goods. The manufacturer, dealers and authorized services must accept the defective product and have it checked for product quality. At the same time, the law gives the consumer the right to participate in this verification.

If a disagreement arises regarding the quality of a product, the manufacturer or seller is obliged to organize an examination at their own expense. But, if the defects arise for reasons for which the manufacturer is not responsible, the costs of the examination must be paid by the buyer.

Warranty features for batteries

As already mentioned, the manufacturer provides a guarantee only for manufacturing defects that were missed at the inspection stage. All such defects in car batteries are detected within the first six months of operation. Taking into account the fact that the buyer did not immediately begin to use the car battery, this period can be extended to a year. This is the maximum for identifying manufacturing defects. In our opinion, the warranty on a car battery should be 1 year so as not to mislead people.

But manufacturing companies use a variety of tricks and tricks to sell their batteries. It is now common practice to offer a 2 or 3 year warranty. Some companies, trying to stand out, even offer 4 years. But this is nothing more than a marketing ploy. No one really provides warranty obligations for such a period. Even if the battery fails in the third year of operation with a 3-year warranty, you will be refused to fulfill your obligations. After the examination, they will simply say that the battery is worn out or was used incorrectly. After all, the warranty for a car battery only implies the absence of manufacturing defects during the stated period.

Battery failure due to reasons not related to a manufacturing defect is not covered by the warranty. And all these reasons are hidden under the phrases “battery wear” and “improper operation.” Many buyers of car batteries do not even know anything about these reasons and the proper use of batteries. They naively believe that when a warranty is announced for a period of 3 years, the manufacturer is obliged to replace the battery with it during this time, regardless of the cause of the breakdown. But this is not true at all.

If the battery fails due to natural wear and tear, then it will be waiting for you.

Battery defects covered by warranty

So, what defects in a car battery are covered by the warranty? Mainly these are open circuits and short circuits. Let's take a closer look at them.

Circuit break. The plates in the battery banks are assembled into blocks, which are secured by bridges. A block in a water bank is connected to a block of opposite polarity in another bank using special connections. The outer bridges are connected to the terminals on the battery cover. In production, it happens that joints become coated with oxide and during welding do not fuse into a single whole, but only set slightly. During operation, a large starter current passes through these connections. This is where heating and further oxidation occurs. As a result, after some time a break occurs. As a rule, this defect makes itself felt during the first six months of operation. In this case, the battery completely fails and this situation is definitely covered by the warranty.

Short circuit. This is another case that falls under warranty. On a production line, when assembling batteries, a block of plates may fall unevenly and the plate with a sharp angle will tear the adjacent separator. A short circuit occurs where the damage occurs. This manufacturing defect can also occur for other reasons. For example, some manufacturers save on separators between the plates and instead of a margin of 5 millimeters, make it 2 mm. In this case, the slightest displacement during assembly leads to a short circuit. Incorrect adjustment of equipment during the manufacture of an envelope separator can lead to the same consequences.

A short circuit is a manufacturing defect. It should appear almost immediately after the start of operation and is covered by the warranty. In this case, the battery does not die completely, but its starting power is significantly reduced. A short circuit in a jar can be determined by the low density of the electrolyte in it. During the charging process of a car battery, the density of the electrolyte in the short-circuited bank does not increase or increases very slowly. When the battery is discharged by starting current, the electrolyte in this bank actively boils. After the examination, the manufacturer is obliged to replace such a battery under warranty. Although cunning manufacturers and sellers may well claim that the envelope was punctured as a result of vibration due to your fault due to driving on bad roads.

You can name a number of less common manufacturing defects that are covered by the warranty. For example, unformed active mass or breaks in some electrodes in the blocks from the bridge. With such defects, the car battery continues to work, but loses its starting power. In theory, all this is covered under warranty. But again, here the manufacturer can simply make a verdict about improper operation of the car battery. And it will be quite difficult for a non-specialist in this field to understand the fairness of such a decision. Factory defects can also include leakage of electrolyte through the connections of the battery case. Of course, there should be no mechanical damage to the battery. Then this case falls under warranty.

Cases when the battery is not covered by warranty

All manufacturers stipulate in advance the conditions under which they will not accept defective car batteries under warranty. Unfortunately, this is not regulated by law, but only by internal documents of certain companies. So, you can find out the specific conditions for delivery under warranty from the battery manufacturer. But we can outline the main points when a car battery is not covered by a warranty:

• If the warranty card (invoice of the selling company) is missing or damaged;
• Battery explosion when the electrical circuit is intact;
• Presentation of the battery for warranty without electrolyte;
• Violated ;
• Mechanical damage and melting;
• The color of the electrolyte is steel-gray or brown;
• The voltage at the battery terminals is less than 12 volts;
• Operating a car battery in violation of the instructions;
• The voltage in the vehicle's on-board network does not correspond to the permissible voltage or the electrical equipment is faulty;
• Using the battery for purposes other than its intended purpose;
• Carrying out unqualified maintenance;
• The battery was stored and used poorly charged;
• Low electrolyte density due to battery discharge;
• Freezing of the electrolyte due to low density, which is caused by low charge.

As you can see, there are situations when it is impossible to objectively determine why the breakdown occurred. For example, the electrolyte has frozen. If it freezes due to low battery charge, that’s one thing. What if it was filled with such density? Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see the sale of new batteries, which in a charged state have an electrolyte density of 1.18-1.2 g/cubic meter. cm. Let's say you bought it in the warm season. Everything was fine until the cold weather set in and the electrolyte froze. And the manufacturer will state that your battery was used when it was discharged. It turns out that you need to check the density of the electrolyte when purchasing in a store?

The manufacturer does not always manage to monitor the quality of each unit of its product. In case of such technical control errors, there is a guarantee, thanks to which the defective item can be exchanged for a similar one, only without structural defects. What is the warranty case when it comes to car batteries? The warranty for the battery applies, according to GOST 2008, to the following factory faults of the battery:

Lack of sealing of the lid

If there is no visible damage on the cover, but wet dirt is visible on the sides, at the junction with the housings, it is worth checking whether the battery cover is securely fastened. To do this, you need to tilt the battery 45 degrees. Electrolyte is leaking, which means the battery is defective and must be replaced.

Lack of sealing of cans

Each battery consists of 6 two-volt cells, which are separated from each other by sealed plastic plates. If the walls of two separate cans from the factory leak for some reason, they essentially form a single large can. The voltage at the terminals drops to 10 V and the battery “does not pull.”

Short circuit

A battery short-circuit can also occur due to long-term service, when the active mass falls off and the separator is damaged. However, down conductors can be short-circuited during assembly. Then the voltage at the battery terminals will be more than 1.5 V lower than expected. You can find out that one of the cans is closed using a hydrometer. The electrolyte density in it will be less than 1.15. If you put a battery with a short circuit on charge, active gas evolution will begin in the defective bank.

Open circuit

The battery contains six cells. If electrical conductivity between one of the pairs disappears, a “break” occurs - a sharp increase in resistance in the circuit under load. Simply put, a battery with a break, when checked with a voltmeter, will show normal voltage at the terminals. But the load fork will bring the defect to clean water. A load of 0.2 A sharply reduces the voltage in the network (less than 5 V).

As we see, sellers are not lying at all when they say that warranty helps replace defective goods. And, alas, damage to goods due to negligence and/or ignorance does not apply to marriage. So, the short service life of a product, especially one that depends on the serviceability of the vehicle systems and the directness of the driver’s hands, is not always a characteristic of its quality.

Therefore, first of all, you need to honestly and without emotion determine whether your battery really falls under the warranty case. If not, then don’t even try: unscrupulous sellers may begin to “dynamize” a real defective case, but definitely no one will accept a battery that was split due to the negligence of the buyer.

If you are convinced that the battery was faulty from the very moment of purchase, follow this plan:

1. If you are still not sure whether the battery was damaged during use or was defective from the factory, it can be diagnosed at a large dealership. It is important that the center has the widest possible range of batteries from different brands, in which case its employees will not be interested in deceiving you and passing it off as a damaged item. It is best to buy a battery at the same dealership in order to achieve fairness under the warranty. Official dealers are willing to accommodate the client halfway, given that dealer agreements most often stipulate that the cost of replacing defective batteries is borne by the manufacturer. However, you should not personally bring a ruined battery to official dealers: representatives of experienced companies will easily reveal the deception and look at you, to put it mildly, with disapproval.
2. If you are completely confident in the marriage, and the seller continues to “go into unconsciousness,” you should make a formal complaint. The report must indicate the transparency of the electrolyte, its density in each jar, the voltage at the terminals and the date of production of the battery. It is necessary that the expert opinion be issued by a competing organization. It is important that the dealer you entrust to carry out the examination does not work together with your offenders. Often, the same Russian battery brands on the shelves talk about such implicit partnerships.

If the result does not appear within a week, you must file a claim in the magistrate’s court. Representatives of the store that sold you the defective product will try to hush up the matter if the battery is indeed subject to replacement under warranty. After all, if paperwork begins, the negligent dealer will have to pay a state fee and a fine for failure to resolve the dispute out of court.

If in 2019 you wondered whether it is possible to return the battery back to the seller after purchase (to a store or an individual) and get money, read the article and find out in what cases it is possible to make a return and how to do it.

Important!

Please pay attention to the following:

• This article discusses the possibility of returning only a new product (battery) that was purchased in an offline store (from an official representative, a commercial organization or an individual entrepreneur), if the product was purchased in an online store, then read;
• the battery is of poor quality (defective), if the breakdown was not your fault, you can almost always return it within 10 years from the date of purchase;
• if the battery is a large item, there are specifics when returning it, which can be found at;
• if the product is a means of navigation and communication and has a touch screen, then when returning such a product of inadequate quality, the rules set out in the following rules apply;
• If the defective product is intended for cooking and is not electrical, then when returning it, the rules set out in the following rules apply:
• If the defective product is a photo-video accessory and has a digital control unit, then when returning it, the rules set out by us apply.

So, you purchased, but now you want to return the battery and need to return it. Now you need to decide on the following.

More 90% Free

The battery you bought turned out to be of poor quality for a variety of reasons, for example:

• factory defect of the battery (breakdown as a result of a manufacturing defect, poorly functioning product);
• defective coating - the paint has burst or cracked, there has been a scratch;
• individual parts and elements are faulty;
• defects of a different nature that do not allow the use of the product to the extent necessary, etc.

The battery you purchased is in good working order, but you did not like it due to some characteristics., For example:

• I didn’t like the color of the battery, its shape or dimensions;
• not satisfied with its design or the design of individual elements;
• its size, color or configuration, etc. did not fit.

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The following circumstances are of fundamental importance when returning a battery:

• Is there a warranty for the battery?
• if the warranty period is established, whether it has expired;
• whether the service life is set for the battery;
• If the service life is set, whether it has expired.

Returning a battery with defects during the warranty period

Important!

The type of defect and its significance in this case does not matter - you have the right to return the battery with any defects that arose through no fault of yours, if the warranty period has not yet expired.

The return period for the battery in this case is during the warranty period | .

Refund period

The refund period for a battery of inadequate quality, for which the warranty period has not expired, is 10 days from the date of submission of the claim | .

• to the seller– an organization, regardless of its organizational and legal form, as well as an individual entrepreneur selling goods to consumers under a sales contract | ;
• – persons authorized by the manufacturer (seller) to accept and satisfy consumer requirements regarding goods of inadequate quality | .

• general passport ();
• battery purchase and sale agreement (if available);
• sales or cash receipt, non-cash payment receipt, other document certifying the fact and terms of purchase.

Important!

The absence of a cash or sales receipt or other document certifying the fact and conditions of the purchase of the battery in this case is not a basis for refusing to satisfy requests for a refund | .

If the battery has a warranty period, the seller (authorized person) is responsible for defects in the battery unless he proves that they occurred:

• after handing over the battery to the consumer;
• due to consumer violation of the rules for use, storage or transportation of goods, actions of third parties or force majeure.

Thus, the circumstances of the occurrence of defects are proved by the seller (authorized person) | .

In most cases, in order to return the battery back to the seller (authorized person), only your verbal request is required. Many sellers are customer-oriented enough to check for obvious defective goods on the spot and immediately return your money.

If this does not happen, go to Step 2.

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Algorithm of actions in the case when the seller (authorized person) does not agree to an undisputed refund of money

If, after checking the quality of the product, the seller (authorized person) believes that the cause of the battery defects is the consumer, then he (the seller) is obliged to conduct an examination of the battery. Detailed information about the examination can be found on our website.

• The period for conducting the examination is 10 days from the date of presentation of the request.
• The examination is carried out at the expense of the seller (other authorized person).
• The consumer has the right to be present during the examination.

If the consumer does not agree with the expert conclusion, he has the right to challenge it in court.

Important!

if, as a result of the examination of the goods, it is established that its defects arose due to circumstances for which the seller (authorized person) is not responsible, the consumer is obliged to reimburse him for the costs of conducting the examination, as well as the associated costs of storing and transporting the goods | .

Step 4 | Going to court

Step 6 | Receiving the money

• The refund period is 10 days from the date of submission of the claim | ;
• when returning the amount paid to the buyer, the seller (authorized person) does not have the right to withhold from it the amount by which the value of the goods has decreased due to full or partial use of the goods, loss of marketability or similar circumstances | ;
• the buyer has the right to demand compensation for the difference between the price of the battery at the time of purchase and the price at the time of return | ;
• if the battery was purchased through a consumer credit (loan), the seller is obliged to return the amount of money paid to the consumer, as well as reimburse the interest and other payments paid by the consumer under the consumer credit (loan) agreement | .

Step 7 | Returning a defective battery

If you refuse to execute the battery purchase and sale agreement, the seller (authorized person) has the right to demand that you return the faulty battery if it was not provided earlier.

The costs of returning the battery are borne by the seller (authorized person) | .

Return of a defective battery after the expiration of the warranty period (including when the warranty was not established), but within 2 years from the date of purchase

You can return the battery even if the warranty period has already expired or has not been established.

If any deficiencies are discovered, you have the right to:

• refuse to fulfill the purchase and sale agreement and demand a refund of the amount paid for the battery | ;
• demand compensation for the difference between the price of the battery established by the contract and the price of the corresponding product at the time of satisfaction of the claim | ;
• demand full compensation for losses caused by the sale of a battery of inadequate quality | .

Important!

The type of defect and its significance do not matter in this case - you have the right to return the battery with any defects that arose before the goods were transferred to the consumer or for reasons that arose before that moment.

Period during which you can return the product

The return period for the battery in this case is 2 years from the date of transfer | .

Refund period

The refund period for a battery of inadequate quality for which the warranty period has expired (or if the warranty has not been established) is 10 days from the date of submission of the claim | .

Who can make a claim?

A demand for refusal to fulfill the contract and return of the paid amount can be made:

• to the seller– an organization, regardless of its organizational and legal form, as well as an individual entrepreneur selling goods to consumers under a sales contract – clause 2 of Art. 18 PDO;
• authorized organization or authorized individual entrepreneur– persons authorized by the manufacturer (seller) to accept and satisfy consumer requirements regarding goods of inadequate quality - clause. 2 tbsp. 18 PDO.

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In addition, you can return a battery of inadequate quality and demand a refund of the amount paid from:

Documents you need to have with you when making a claim

Who proves the circumstances of the occurrence of defects?

The burden of proof lies with the consumer; he must prove that the battery's defects arose before it was transferred to the consumer or for reasons that arose before that moment | And .

Algorithm of actions in the case when the seller (authorized person) agrees to an undisputed refund

Step 1 | negotiations with the seller (authorized person)

The first step is to contact the store where you purchased the battery or any other official representative with an explanation of the reason for the defect and an offer for a refund.

Not very often, but it happens that the seller (authorized person) in this case agrees to return the money even after a verbal demand.

Step 2 | Filing a claim (application) for cancellation of the purchase and sale agreement and return of the paid amount

Step 3 | Returning a defective battery

If you refuse to fulfill the battery purchase and sale agreement, the seller (authorized person) has the right to demand that you return the faulty battery.

The costs of returning the battery are borne by the seller (authorized person) | .

Step 4 | Getting money for a low-quality battery

When receiving money, please consider the following:

• The refund period is 10 days from the date of submission of the claim | ;
• when returning the amount paid to the buyer, the seller (authorized person) does not have the right to withhold from it the amount by which the value of the goods has decreased due to full or partial use of the goods, loss of marketability or similar circumstances | ;
• the buyer has the right to demand compensation for the difference between the price of the battery at the time of purchase and the price at the time of return | ;
• if the battery was purchased through a consumer credit (loan), the seller is obliged to return the amount of money paid to the consumer, as well as reimburse the interest and other payments paid by the consumer under the consumer credit (loan) agreement | .

Algorithm of actions in the case when the store does not agree to an undisputed refund

Step 1 | Filing a claim (application) for cancellation of the purchase and sale agreement and return of the paid amount

Step 2 | Checking the battery quality

seller (authorized person) has the right check the quality of the battery. Quality control is carried out according to the rules set out in, in which you will find more detailed information.

• The period for quality control is 10 days from the date of submission of the request.
• Quality control is carried out at the expense of the seller (other authorized person).
• The consumer has the right to participate in checking the quality of the battery.

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If the seller (authorized person) does not want to carry out a quality check, you should proceed to Step 3.

Step 3 | Battery examination

If the seller (authorized person) believes that the cause of battery defects is the consumer, then the consumer is obliged to conduct an examination of the battery in order to establish that the battery defects arose before its transfer to the consumer or for reasons that arose before that moment | .

Important!

If the examination establishes that the defects of the battery arose before its transfer to the consumer or for reasons that arose before this moment, the authorized person is obliged to return the money paid for the examination | .

Detailed information about the examination can be found on our website.

Step 4 | Going to court

If the seller (authorized person) does not satisfy your demands pre-trial, you must go to court. Going to court requires legal qualifications, so to conduct a case in court, we recommend turning to professionals.

Step 5 | Enforcement of a court decision

If the seller (authorized person) does not want to voluntarily comply with the court decision, you have the right to choose:

• contact the Federal Bailiff Service of the Russian Federation, which is entrusted with the functions of enforcing judicial acts;
• send the writ of execution to the bank in which the seller (authorized person) has an account.

Step 6 | Returning a defective battery

If you refuse to fulfill the battery purchase and sale agreement, the seller (authorized person) has the right to demand that you return the faulty battery.

The costs of returning the battery are borne by the seller (authorized person) | .

Step 7 | Receiving the money

When receiving money out of court, the following should be considered:

• The refund period is 10 days from the date of submission of the claim | ;
• when returning the amount paid to the buyer, the seller (authorized person) does not have the right to withhold from it the amount by which the value of the goods has decreased due to full or partial use of the goods, loss of marketability or similar circumstances | ;
• the buyer has the right to demand compensation for the difference between the price of the battery at the time of purchase and the price at the time of return | ;
• if the battery was purchased through a consumer credit (loan), the seller is obliged to return the amount of money paid to the consumer, as well as reimburse the interest and other payments paid by the consumer under the consumer credit (loan) agreement | .

In the event of a refund of the amount paid for the battery in court:

• the amount of recovery is established in a court decision;
• the period and procedure for return are regulated by the legislation on enforcement proceedings.

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Returning the battery after 2 years from the date of purchase

You can return the battery after 2 years from the date of purchase if the following conditions are met.

Period during which you can return the product

Battery return period in this case | :

• during the service life specified for the battery;
• within 10 years from the date of transfer of the goods – If the service life is not established.

Refund period

The refund period for a battery of inadequate quality after 2 years from the date of purchase is 10 days from the date of filing the claim | .

Who can make a claim?

A refund request can be made:

• to the manufacturer- manufacturer of goods for sale to consumers | ;
• authorized organization or authorized individual entrepreneur- persons authorized by the manufacturer (seller) to accept and satisfy consumer requirements regarding goods of inadequate quality | ;
• importer– an organization that imports goods for their subsequent sale on the territory of the Russian Federation | .

Documents you need to have with you when making a claim

Who proves the circumstances of the occurrence of defects?

The burden of proof lies with the consumer; he must prove that the battery's defects arose before it was transferred to the consumer or for reasons that arose before that moment | .

Today there are a large number of car batteries of various manufacturers and brands on sale. Technologically, they are almost no different from each other. To distinguish their product from others, manufacturers and dealers try to stand out by the length of the warranty period for batteries, which does not always correspond to what is stated. In order not to be fooled by a tempting offer and not get into trouble, you need to know what guarantees are provided for car batteries by law. It is official documents that sellers will rely on when making a decision about non-working equipment.

A warranty is the dealer’s obligation to repair or replace equipment with manufacturing defects during the warranty period. If for some reason the product does not meet generally established criteria, the manufacturer undertakes to repair or replace it.

As for car batteries, the warranty is provided solely for the elimination of manufacturing defects. Only in this case can you hope to replace the unit or get a refund. True, this is preceded by an examination. But if the battery wears out, you shouldn’t even think about a warranty, even if, for example, you “killed” it in a year, and it has a warranty for two. In the vast majority of cases, the seller will simply refer to wear and tear of the battery, and this case is not covered by the warranty.

Does the new car warranty cover the battery?

Car enthusiasts often wonder if the car is new, is there a warranty on the battery? Yes, if the car is new, then the return and repair obligations also apply to its components. At the same time, the terms of service are the same as when purchasing a new battery.

Battery maintenance, as is known, takes place in service centers. However, most people go to the store or salon where they bought the car. If the car is under warranty, then most dealers will carry out all the necessary actions without any problems, because defective products are subject to return, repair or exchange. Reputable companies therefore care about their reputation. For them, replacing a couple of such components is a trifle.

But returning the battery to a small store or salon can cause a lot of protests and problems. Sellers can intelligently point out to you that your defect was caused by improper use. However, it is not so easy to convince them. Usually it comes down to “raised talk”. There's no point in getting to that point. Just take your battery for examination to an independent service center or specialized service station. What's the use of this? You will receive a true assessment of the condition of your battery. Based on this, decide whether it can be returned under warranty.

How to return a battery under warranty?

Returning a battery under warranty usually causes a lot of conflicts. Neither the manufacturer nor the seller wants to lose the money they earn. Because of this, ordinary people often have to resort to extreme measures by contacting the competent authorities and defending their demands. Federal consumer rights law states that if manufacturing defects are discovered, the consumer may return the product to the place of sale.

In the case of car batteries, the buyer has the following rights:

• replace the defective unit with the same one, but of high quality;
• replace the battery under warranty with a different model while taking into account the cost;
• demand elimination of defects;
• return the defective product for a refund.

If the battery does not meet any parameters, then within 14 days the buyer can return the product to the seller, even if it is in good condition.

It should be remembered that according to the same law, if you have lost the warranty card for the product and cannot provide it to the seller, he must still check its quality.

To summarize, it should be noted once again that replacing a battery under a car warranty is only possible if an examination establishes that it was initially defective.

How long does a car battery warranty last?

As mentioned above, the manufacturer provides a guarantee exclusively for defects resulting from production and undetected by technical control. In most cases, such problems are identified within six months of work. If the car owner does not start using the purchased unit immediately, the period can be doubled. The total is one year. This is how long it seems to us that the battery warranty should last.

But you are unlikely to find at least one company that indicates such a warranty period for its product. This is due to the marketing policies of manufacturers seeking to sell their products. More often figures appear in two, three and even four years. All this is just an advertising game designed to distinguish your product from others. Even if the warranty period for the battery is specified at three years, if you contact the service center during this period of time, they will refuse to carry out warranty repairs or maintenance. They will simply conduct an examination and indicate whether the battery is worn out or misused. And you won’t be able to prove anything, since there will be no manufacturing defects on the battery.

Malfunctions and defects of batteries eliminated under warranty

What kind of damage is covered by the battery warranty? There are two undeniable cases: open circuit and short circuit. Let's take a closer look at them.

Circuit break. The internal cells of the car battery are connected to a terminal on the battery cover. During the assembly process, these connections may not be welded firmly, but only slightly stuck. When using a battery, strong voltage passes through these pathways, oxidizing and thinning them. After a certain time they break off. As a result, the battery is completely disconnected. This damage is subject to repair under warranty.

Short circuit. Occurs due to a small gap between the plates. The defect manifests itself as a significant decrease in battery power. It constantly discharges. Another sign of a short circuit is boiling of the electrolyte during charging in the jar where it occurred. If this manufacturing defect is discovered, you can return the battery or replace it with a new one. As you wish.

Less common defects include:

• unformed active mass;
• breaks of some electrodes in blocks from the bridge;
• leakage of electrolyte through the connections of the battery case (in the absence of mechanical damage).

These defects are also covered by warranty, but you will most likely have to fight with the dealer, who may attribute these malfunctions to breakdowns that arose during operation.

Battery examination under warranty

What to do if the seller refuses to provide warranty service? First of all, you need to make sure that this is a manufacturing defect. To do this, you need to conduct an examination of the battery.

The battery is submitted for examination along with a fully completed warranty card and the owner’s comments, oral or written (the latter option is preferred), regarding the mode of use and the problem that has arisen.

The examination takes place in several stages:

1. Verification of the warranty card data with the information on the device labels.
2. Inspect the device for mechanical damage.
3. The following indicators are measured (if there are stoppers on the lids of the cans):

• Density, temperature, electrolyte level;
• Transparency of the electrolyte in each jar;
• Condition of ventilation holes.

1. If there are no plugs, the indicator is removed and the level of density and EMF in this bank is measured.
2. Based on the results obtained, a decision is made: charge the battery or open it to check for damage.
3. After removing it from charging, you should determine by touch whether one of the poles has become hot. This indicates damage.
4. After opening the battery, a conclusion is made about its condition.

The examination takes no more than two weeks.

What to do after receiving the results of the examination

Having received the results of the examination, if a manufacturing defect is confirmed, you can safely go to the dealer and demand that the battery be replaced under warranty. Most sellers will accommodate your request. Otherwise, you can go to the magistrate's court, you have documentary evidence of the violation. The case will be reviewed within 14 days. But it is unlikely that it will come to this: the seller will not want to pay both the court fee and the fine for violation of warranty obligations.

Sample warranty card

You see in front of you a sample of a correctly completed warranty card. The most important data is written in it by hand:

• name and model of the product;
• date of purchase;
• guarantee period;
• expiration date of the warranty period;
• Name of the organization;
• surname and signature of the seller.

Below are all warranty obligations and a list of work related to warranty service for the product. This is the form you should receive the form in the store.

In this article we tried to describe the main aspects of battery warranty service. We hope that the information we provide will help you navigate correctly if a similar situation arises. Describe your experience with battery return. Is the game worth the candle, or is it easier to buy a new battery?

According to statistics, one in 50 batteries is defective and must be replaced. Moreover, replacing such a battery should take place without unnecessary headaches for the buyer. In practice, especially if you bought the battery from a little-known company, you may have to go to court. We will analyze in detail what needs to be done if you suspect that the purchased battery is defective.

How to identify a defective battery

According to GOST R 53165-2008 (note that the latest one is, and not from 2002 or even from 1986), 4 types of manufacturing defects (defects) in the production of rechargeable batteries are recognized:

1. Short circuit in one of the cans. During the battery production process, violations are allowed that lead to a short circuit after several days of battery operation. In such batteries, the voltage is either zero and the voltage is close to zero, or is 1.5 V less than required. To identify such a defect, it is necessary to measure the density in all cans with a hydrometer, if in one of the cans the density differs significantly (more than 0.10) from the density in other banks, the probability of marriage is high. The second option to check is to charge the battery. If a short circuit occurs in the jar, then it will immediately begin to release abundant gases. Not to be confused with caused by improper use.

2. Open circuit in the battery. Any battery for a passenger car consists of 6 small batteries (cans) assembled in series, each with a voltage of 2 volts. The situation when the energy conductivity between the banks disappears is called a “break” by experts. A break is determined very simply, but for this you need a load fork. Without a load, the load plug shows the battery voltage is normal, more than 13V, but with a current load of more than 200 mA, the voltage drops significantly (less than 5V). The reason for this trick lies in the fact that the electrolyte itself is a current conductor and, as long as there is no load, it easily conducts current, but when resistance appears, the electrolyte (unlike a whole lead conductor) is unable to cope with it, and therefore the voltage falls a lot.

3. Leaking from under the cover. If your battery is often dirty on the sides and the dirt is wet, pay attention to the tightness of the top cover. Despite the fact that this type of marriage is already approaching zero, it still occurs. To check for such a defect, just take a battery with a normal electrolyte level, tilt it 45 degrees and see if the electrolyte is oozing. Please note that the battery and its cover must be without visible mechanical damage, otherwise there is a high probability that the nature of the malfunction is an operational defect (for example, the seal was broken when the battery was forcibly removed from the car).

4. Lack of tightness of inter-element connections. The cans are separated from each other by a plate, and if the plate between the cans is broken, then the two cans will form one large one, so the battery will consist not of six 2-volt batteries, but of five, and its nominal voltage will not be 12V, but 10V (we are talking about nominal, not actual voltage).

What to do if the store refuses to replace the battery under warranty

If the store refuses to replace your battery under warranty, we suggest you use the following algorithm, which has some pitfalls.

1. Determine whether you actually have a defect or is it an operational defect and service workers are already looking at you askance? You can identify the problem by reading the types of defects above, or have the battery diagnosed by specialists. Remember, battery specialists are companies that have been trading in them for more than 10 years and have an assortment of more than 300 batteries in stock. Your car's official dealer or auto parts store is not suitable for this role. Unsuitable. Contact a specialized independent company, preferably one that does not sell your brand of battery, because... It may well be that this company is a dealer of these batteries in your area, and the seller who sold it to you will be their customer. In this case, the results of the examination may not be in your favor, because this dealer will eventually have to replace this battery. In general, a reputable company will replace factory defects without any problems, because under the terms of the dealer agreement, the plant also replaces factory defects without any problems and, as a result, it is not the seller who bears the costs due to the defect, but the manufacturer. Ideally, try to buy the battery from an authorized exclusive dealer. As practice shows, large dealers value their reputation and can accommodate their clients halfway so as not to spoil their karma. The main thing to remember is that you shouldn’t go too far, consumer extremism will be discovered quickly, and the attitude towards you will change sharply from the state of “ready to help and sort it out” to the state of “go away, even if it’s to court and don’t come back.”

2. If you are 100% sure of the defect, but the seller still refuses, write an official complaint. Moreover, when handing over the battery to the seller, hand it over through an act in which you indicate that the electrolyte is transparent, there is no external damage to the battery, indicate the density in each bank, the voltage on the battery and the date of manufacture of the battery. Insist on expertise from a competing organization (just make sure that they do not cooperate, pay attention to a similar range of domestic batteries). When accepting a claim, the seller must indicate in its copy that it has been accepted.

3. After a week, go to the magistrate's court - it will determine who is actually right. If the seller understands that he is wrong, he is unlikely to bring the matter to court, because... In addition to the state duty, you will have to pay a fine to the court for failure to resolve the problem pre-trial.

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