Original Battery Life - Gen 3 Tundra

My 2017 SR5 battery died this week after 25 months, 3600 miles. Truck is garage kept with Battery Tender constantly on the battery.

Happened this way. I took the wife shopping. The truck started as usual with the usual quick spin-up and start, like 1-2 seconds. Drove into town, dropped the wife at the supermarket, and drove over to the onsite station for a tank of gas. After gassing up, the truck started the same, drove back over to the market to wait for the wife. Loaded the groceries, and again, the truck started quickly as usual. Drove back home and pulled up to the back door to unload the groceries.

Put the groceries away and went back out to put the truck in the garage. Slow clicking (from the dash?), no start. Put on a regular charger, and turned switch on to fast charge (30 amp)/start (50 amp). Tried the key, nothing but rapid clicking. Turned switch to slow charge (10 amp) and left charger on for two hours. After the two hours, voltmeter on battery poles showed 14.7 volts with the charger running. Tried again, and nothing but fast clicking. Measure voltage again (charger off), 11.3 volts.

I conclude that, totally unexpectedly, it has a dead cell due to its refusal to take a charge. Conveniently, it died in my driveway, at my back door. I am expecting delivery of my new Northstar AGM 27F Tuesday.

I suspect Toyota batteries, prior to say 2015, were of higher quality/longer life. I wanted to poll the history of Tundra battery life from the Gen 3 owners.

Mods, if this has already been done, please delete this thread

 

Bought my 16 in 11-15, still going strong. Sometimes sits for up to 13 days if we do not need to go to town.

 

Southern Climes kill batteries faster than Northern. Apples to apples.

 

My ‘17 battery went after 23 months and 32k miles. Went to start it one morning after leaving it outside in the winter overnight in sub 0 temperatures and had nothing, replaced under warranty due to bad cells.

 

Sub'd for future reference

 

Come on...You Gen 3 guys can do better than NINE VOTES!! Gimme a little help here.

So far, a slight hint of expected life frequency around 18-24 months, and also at 42-48 months, but sample is way too small to make any conclusions.

 

I bought my 2017 new from the dealer in December of 2016. It is still in the truck and still going. My mark is 3 years 0 months. So I want it to get to this December. Therefore I can't really cast a vote in the poll. I've finally convinced/taught my wife to NOT start the Tundra with the air conditioner on. This, I'm hoping, will get me to 3 years. Then I'll replace it.

 

Bought mine March 2017 and with 22k miles it did exactly like yours last month.

 

Tundra oem battery = junk
Worst battery I've ever owned!

 

Twelve votes so far. Three votes are definitely 2017 owners with batteries failing between 23 and 27 months. Allowing for lot time before sale, that probably represents service lives of 25 to 29 months. Beginning to see a pattern compared to previous model years.

Those Gen 3 batteries lasting longer are still surviving 2017, or earlier model years. But, it's clear...if owners aren't having problems, they aren't voting in the poll. Thanks for your survivor input.

As a younger guy, I would have said push it until the battery failed if a battery made it to 36 months. But, not anymore. I'm thinking your plan makes sense. Being stranded away from home would be an inconvenient and unprofitable annoyance, and a very unfamiliar feeling for Toyota owners.

 

Interstate batteries have had a good rep for decades, but I've never owned one. Pretty much all battery production in the US has now been consolidated into two or three companies. Johnson Controls, maker of 2017 Toyota batteries, recently sold out to another company (due to warranty claims?).

A lot of guys here are hyped on the Northstar AGM battery below (there have been eight group buys).

NORTHSTAR Pure Lead Automotive Group 27F Battery NSB-AGM27F

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M4H48MS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Northstar is pricey (3X Wally Wurl) but has a four year warranty, and they blow Toyota battery specs away (930 CCA vs. 730? CCA). Since the sudden failure caught me with my pants down, I had to order mine for full price. It arrives today.

 

About 22 months and 40k. No warning at all. Tacomas at less gave me some warning. Plenty of volts but dead cell. Would not even power dash lights. Backed up to pull boat out and 1/2 later nothing.

 

@JohnLakeman I tried to get in on the group buy but when my battery took a dump I needed one asap. I ended up with a Napa battery for $105 with a 5 year warranty.

 

Northstar is not an inexpensive option, and it takes a week to get one. So, if you use your truck daily, you are forced to get a battery locally.

NAPA has definitely bested WW on price and warranty. I didn't know anyone even offered a five year battery anymore. My experience has been that battery warranties are typically pro-rated such that putting more money into the same POS battery is stupid. That's why I'm not bothering Toyota with this one...I figure it'll just be more inconvenience later. I'm hoping I won't need to test out the Northstar warranty.

 

I didn’t realize that Bosch (my current battery) has a pretty good pro-rating until my 36 month Bosch expired about a month after during its 37th month last fall. I drove the truck up to the auto store and the guy checked the computer and says that I get another new battery at no charge and will be the same at the end of the next 36 month expiry. Free battery for life?

 

I run an electric pump off mine with the truck turned off, inflating up to 14 Paddleboards up to about 14 psi each, very often, 10k on it, no troubles yet.

 

Almost 73k miles, stock battery, stock brakes and pads.

 

Side bar....just for reference only. I replaced my original OEM battery on my 07 in late 2014. 7 years old. There was a date sticker on the battery. Made by John Controls. Seems Toyota was using beefier batteries early on. Out...

 

Had my 2017 SR5 about 20 months and ~20k miles. No problems yet so I can't vote. I'll be going with a dual battery setup within the next couple months.

 

I have a 2015 tundra trd pro, still original battery. Still chugging along its 5 years old now...

 

Nice. Be sure to go back to that same place, and try to talk to the same guy if it happens again.

You know, maybe the feds have stopped them from using that pro-rating scam, and that's why battery warranties are generally shorter term now...idk. After that first enlightening of my youth, I just quit considering battery warranties altogether and bought the best I could get on other peoples experience.

All manufacturers (and not just batteries) use statistics to design warranties to end just short of the expected service life. If you collect any value (forget pro-rating) off a warranty, it's an anomaly...the manufacturer really expected it to last longer than it did.

 

My premise exactly. It's either that, or the EPA rules continue to stiffen and make a good product difficult to manufacture.

 

@JohnLakeman Why do you keep your battery on a tender?

 

We don't use the truck that often. It can easily be two weeks between uses.

Are you thinking the constant use of a tender may contribute to a short life problem? I was leaning in the other direction...by using the Battery Tender to constantly prop it up, I may have made it last longer than it should have.

The only thing that may be a concern is immediately after driving the truck, connecting the Battery Tender it will automatically begin a charge cycle until the electronics figures out the battery is already at full charge. It then quickly tapers to "fully charged" signal. This may take an hour or less.

 

Yes, I wouldn’t use a tender unless it was for long periods of time. My truck sits for 2 week periods all the time. Occasionally 3 weeks. Sounds like you drive your truck just enough to maybe not need a tender, especially if you get a new northstar battery.

 

My current truck is only a year old so I don't have any experience with the Tundra's battery, but in Florida I have never had any battery last more than 3 years. I have done the cheap Silver to the upgraded Gold or Platinum style batteries from Walmart or Advance Auto Parts etc., and I don't think the upgraded batteries lasted any longer than the cheaper ones. With 3 cars and 3-year life span I am used to budget a battery per year on average.

 

My cousin has a 07 he just recently changed his original battery.

 

The X2 in a group 27 is the same as the NorthStar. It has a year longer warranty.
It can be ordered online and picked up in a local store for 10% off.
Sometimes a $30 rebate is offered as well.
These can be stacked.

 

It's Aliveeuh!!!

FedEx delivered about 4:30, installed, measured voltage across poles @ 12.6V, turned the key and it started right up.
Finally, back in the garage.

 

Just went out to fire up the Tundra and the battery is dead. 2.5 years, 70k miles.