[Original]

Hi, this is my first time posting on this thread.

I bought a 2017 Kia Optima EX (although inside the driver door frame it was manufactured in October 2016) and I love it as my first car. I got a free battery check at my usual mechanic and he said the battery is excellent, this was July 2019. I got my 45K service done today and the guy told me my battery health was 0 and I needed to get it replaced, it'll cost me $309 for the battery itself. I haven't had issues except recently it got cold and it took about a good 5 seconds for my car to start after be left outside overnight.

Should I be concerned about my battery at all?

 

[Turbonut]

Have seen batteries last a long time, well past the 3 year old mark, but then again have seen batteries fail within that period, so guess one must always be concerned with a 3 year old battery.
Doesn't make much sense that the battery tested 0 and car still operating fine, so If a local parts store e.g. AutoZone is available, have them test the battery.

Although not the perfect way to test the battery, but if you have a multimeter, check the voltage after the car has been sitting, and look for @12.5/12.6 volts.

 

[KingFatty]

I just replaced my battery. It's totally doable yourself. You'll save $200.

As others pointed out, the battery can degrade quickly, so it's possible both of your estimates were correct. Maybe you can still make your existing battery last through winter, but it's inconvenient if it dies when you are out and about.

But because it takes 5 minutes to install, and it's less than $100 for a new one, why not just get a 3rd opinion from the local auto parts store to confirm the old one is bad, and install the new one yourself? You just need a socket wrench.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Maxx-Lead-Acid-Automotive-Battery-Group-124R/49988386

Another thought is to get a trickle charger and use it each night on the old battery, might help it survive a little longer because being fully charged helps it degrade less in the cold.

 

[mooney201]

I have a 2012 Ford Powerstroke Diesel with two batteries. I just replaced them last week. They were the stock batteries that came with our pickup in 2012 when I purchased it. They were 7 years old. They were working fine, but cold weather will kill a weak battery, and since they were 7 years old, I replaced them. A shop will put a load on the battery to see if it needs replaced. We have a 2019 Kia Optima, so I have not looked to see what needs to be done to remove and replace the original one. Hopefully it will last close to the time our Motorcraft batteries lasted. Remember some vehicles electronics need to have power while replacing the battery. Our Corvette took two weeks of driving it around after I replace the battery so it would pass smog. You can do it at home if you have a battery tender attached to the cables while you remove and replace the battery, so power is supplied to the computer Some vehicles are more critical about needing power to the computer than others. I don't know about the KIA.

 

[COS-16SXL]

IF New Bty requd .... I look for discounts / coupons and order online (often a Discount condition) / Chk -- Pickup at Store -- where they Install it Free. Core Chg on 1st Invoice is Refunded at Install at store.
Adv Auto ALSO puts a Bkup battery inline while they remove old battery and car doesn't know battery old Bty is removed / saves Re-Sets of things. ASK if your store can do that.

I'm confused about the 124 Batteries and the Auto Shops defaulting to the $$$ bigger capacity H6/7 ($195 @ AdvAuto) batteries when I entered your '17 EX on Adv Auto. Can believe 124 OK for EX but I got H6 for SX-L.... Get good advice & pursue as desired. More electronics on cars now is the bigger battery Excuse.........

25% Off Advance Auto via this link

https://www.retailmenot.com/view/shop.advanceautoparts.com

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

 

[Turbonut]

I have a 2012 Ford Powerstroke Diesel with two batteries. I just replaced them last week. They were the stock batteries that came with our pickup in 2012 when I purchased it. They were 7 years old. They were working fine, but cold weather will kill a weak battery, and since they were 7 years old, I replaced them. A shop will put a load on the battery to see if it needs replaced. We have a 2019 Kia Optima, so I have not looked to see what needs to be done to remove and replace the original one. Hopefully it will last close to the time our Motorcraft batteries lasted. Remember some vehicles electronics need to have power while replacing the battery. Our Corvette took two weeks of driving it around after I replace the battery so it would pass smog. You can do it at home if you have a battery tender attached to the cables while you remove and replace the battery, so power is supplied to the computer Some vehicles are more critical about needing power to the computer than others. I don't know about the KIA.

Good point. Best to have store use memory saver in OBDII port to save settings when changing battery. I've had a memory saver for years, but most won't shell out $100 for a unit used infrequently.
Just an FYI-Had a DieHard in one of my cars 14 years before it went out.

 

[Kebber]

I finally just replaced what I think was the original battery in my '13 EX Tech/Nav, with just about 90K miles, to be honest I've known the battery was going for more than a year but figured I'd milk it for all it was worth. One day last week it started just fine when I went to work but I had no sound coming from the radio, radio on, nav worked, but no music. During lunch tried the radio reset which I've done before to no avail, figured I look into it later when I got home, started just fine when I left work. Got home started messing around, with car "on" pulling amp plugs, checking fuses and stuff to see if I could get some tunes playing, after about 1/2 hour I tried starting the car, nothing hardly even a click.

Decided it was time to get a new battery, trip to walmart and $100 later put the new batter in and whala! Everything is fine now, music and all.

Long story short when the battery has died on me before the electronics really get really flaky on these cars, strange things start happening, if you have an older battery and are having electrical anomalies you may save some time and aggravation by looking into the battery being the culprit first.

 

[johnnykmac]

Hi, this is my first time posting on this thread.

I bought a 2017 Kia Optima EX (although inside the driver door frame it was manufactured in October 2016) and I love it as my first car. I got a free battery check at my usual mechanic and he said the battery is excellent, this was July 2019. I got my 45K service done today and the guy told me my battery health was 0 and I needed to get it replaced, it'll cost me $309 for the battery itself. I haven't had issues except recently it got cold and it took about a good 5 seconds for my car to start after be left outside overnight.

Should I be concerned about my battery at all?

i have a battery tester and it says my battery is fine , when i took my car in for scheduled maintenance the guy said the battery was LOW

 

[tonester]

Just an FYI-Had a DieHard in one of my cars 14 years before it went out.

You must have had an original DieHard cuz they sure don't make DieHards as good as they used to. LOL in my case mine was a "DieEasy" cuz I had to invoke the battery warranty on two separate occasions--once after the battery went bad in less than a year, the other after 2 years. And no, my vehicle did not cause the premature failures of both batteries, as I have since put in a Duralast after the replacement for the second failed battery eventually died after a little over 3 years--it is still going strong and has lasted longer than the first two DieEasy batteries did combined.

 

[RoadGlide]

The guy who did your 45K service is ripping you off charging you $309 for the battery. If he'll do that, he's probably ripping you for the service as well. Ditch him.

 

[elp_jc]

Your battery may very well be on its way out OP. Your car sat for a long time at the dealer, just like mine (5+ months). When I tried to test drive my car, battery was dead. I had to go back the day after. Tried to get the battery replaced when I bought the car 2-2/3 years ago, but dealer refused. I expected to crap out sooner than normal. I always charge my vehicle batteries every week, and the Optima one is getting low very quickly. Battery warranty is 3 years (probably pro-rated), but I'll replace it myself. My car has an AGM battery, and will replace it with the same kind, so it'll cost close to $200 (I'll get a Duralast Platinum from AutoZone). But it's worth the difference IMO. No more risk of leaks, and they last longer than wet-cells, especially when installed inside the engine compartment. Oh, another tip is to fully charge the battery before installing it; you extend its life significantly. That's why I remove the battery myself, go exchange it with a new one, fully charge it, then install it. Good luck.

 

[Turbonut]

You must have had an original DieHard cuz they sure don't make DieHards as good as they used to. LOL in my case mine was a "DieEasy" cuz I had to invoke the battery warranty on two separate occasions--once after the battery went bad in less than a year, the other after 2 years. And no, my vehicle did not cause the premature failures of both batteries, as I have since put in a Duralast after the replacement for the second failed battery eventually died after a little over 3 years--it is still going strong and has lasted longer than the first two DieEasy batteries did combined.

Funny you should mention the demise of the DieHard battery. Many, and I mean many years ago was at a battery factory, and when the line was running, same battery box/construction, but all they did was change the decals to signify the different names. Everybody wants to sell cheap products, expect to collect a lot of money, forget quality.

Here's one. Needed a battery for the '05 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi I'm going to sell, and didn't want to spend a lot of money, so my son mentioned going to the Interstate distribution center and get one of their "economy" batteries. Hard to believe, but took the old battery there and the fellow brought out the same size new economy battery, went to pay and the son was right $40.
Couldn't believe it, brought it home, did an install and it's been fine since July, fires right up, no hesitation. With the snow on the ground probably a great time to sell the Jeep as it has Quadra-trac.

 

[TurboRev]

I'd get a third opinion OP. But it does sound like the dealer may be trying to get over on you. You can find a battery at cheaper places if it does need to be replaced though.

 

[rodhotter]

when a car is not driven or only locally you battery can die a slow death. get a decent multi purpose charger + use it. dont see your location but if in a cold area it takes longer to charge as the battery must heat up first. many chargers check your battery status via lights on it. either way having a good charger is good for your lifetime + many vehicles + cheaper than just driving to charge the battery which must be done on the highway, not local put-put which can discharge it if many electricals are in use! as noted STEALERS are the MOST costly place to deal with, DIY is best if possible!