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 cost of the repair or replacement.

With a non-prorated car battery warranty, should your car battery fail to hold a charge during the free replacement warranty period, your battery 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 defective battery cost.

If you have a prorated warranty, should your car battery fail during the warranty period, you will be reimbursed for the remaining portion. 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 will divide a warranty 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; this is 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.

What does a Battery with a Limited Warranty mean?

A limited battery warranty will cover only certain circumstances and a limited time.  The whole battery industry is going away from prorated battery warranties.

Now you will find 1, 2,3,4 years for free replacement and no warranty (prorated) after that.

We hope you find the Prorated vs Non-Prorated Car Battery Warranty guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your vehicle.