Prorated vs Non-Prorated Car Battery Warranty
If you are looking to buy a car battery, you may have come across the terms of prorated warranty and non-prorated warranty. Let’s take a look at what these two terms mean.
Non-Prorated
A non-prorated warranty protects against any battery defects, and you will get a free replacement if you have issues. With a non-prorated warranty, you get full protection. You don’t have to pay for the repair or replacement. With a non-prorated car battery warranty, if your car battery fails to hold a charge during the free replacement warranty period, it will be replaced for free.Prorated
With a prorated warranty, you must pay for some of the replacement battery’s cost. The battery manufacturer will cover part of the cost of the defective battery. If you have a prorated warranty, you will be reimbursed for the remaining portion if your car battery fails during the warranty period. For example, if a prorated battery with a 5-year warranty fails in 2.5 years, you will be refunded only 50% of the purchase price. Sometimes, the reimbursement can only be applied to your next replacement battery.Non-prorated then Prorated
Manufacturers divide warranties into non-prorated and prorated terms. Some car batteries may start with a non-prorated warranty for the first 1, 2, 3, or 5 years, referred to as the free replacement period. If your battery fails during this time, you should get a free replacement battery. After that, the battery warranty switches to prorated. You will only be partially reimbursed if your car battery dies and no longer holds a charge.Example
Let’s say you buy a battery that has a 6-year warranty. First, two years have a free replacement. After that, it is prorated. After the free replacement warranty (non-prorated) is up, you are now on the prorated period.
If your battery fails during:
Year 3 – You will be only refunded 75 % of the battery value.
Year 4 – You will be refunded 50% of the battery value.
Year 5 – You will be refunded 25% of the battery value.
Year 6 – After year 6, you will not get a refund.
