Talk to Optima

I'm going to try & be nice. But it's hard when you shell out $175.00 for a yellow top that lasts a month.

To be fair- Optima used to make a damn good battery. Had a few red tops & they worked great for years. 2-3 years ago- they went to hell- right around the time they went to Mexico.
The big seller was that they were USA made. Guess that doesn't mean shit to Optima now, only the bottom line. Oops, I promised I'd be good.
What I noticed is- when production went south, prices didn't go down! It's still a damn expensive battery! And... Made in Mexico! There's a selling point for you.
And don't give me that shit about the EPA & having to move south because of them. There are still batteries being sold that ARE USA made.

Ok- here's my complaint.
If by chance you discharge one of these batteries to nothing- heaven help you.
Unless you happen to carry a specific no load charger in your car (I'm in a roadster!) you are screwed! Lets look at it this way. You are on your way to a show 2,000 miles from home. Everything on your car is tip-top. You pull into a no-tell motel on the outskirts of nowhere to spend the night. You forgot to turn off something- lets say the fuel pump .
Get up the next day, go out to start the car & it's dead as a doornail.
You have jumper cables but you might as well throw those away because it won't save your battery. Lets say you jump the battery from gomer's tow truck & it starts up. Alt shows it's charging (but it's not). You drive on & the wife wants to stop & see that largest ball of tin foil 200 miles away. You pull in & turn off the key. But to make sure, you try & re-start the car and......... nothing! You are no better off than this morning, just 200 miles further along on your trip. So- you call the local AAA number & they show up to charge your brand spankin new battery. He doesn't possess a fancy no load charger, he has the big box charger. They try everything. Boost, slow, 10 amp, 2 amp, trickle. Nothing works. Now if you are smart- and happen to have a spare battery- you could have charged it w/ the Optima so it's sees a load. But you didn't know that. Bottom line- wound up buying a lead battery at a gas station & not a problem the rest of the trip.

Facts.
1) A battery that requires a special no load charger is of no use to me.
2) A battery that has to have a trickle charger hooked up to it constantly is of no use to me.
3) A battery Made in Mexico is of no use to me.
4) A company with the worst tech support, PR & people skills is of no use to me.
5) A battery that costs a buck seventy five- better last longer than I own the car. If it's lasts a month, it's no use to me.


Would I use another Optima? After the BS lecture I got from Cam Douglass (send him the battery & he'll bring it back from the dead- yea right, that works on a road trip)- I wouldn't run it if they gave it to me.

 

Make them better than the autozone duralast,and i may think of buying another.Both my new optimas failed to hold a charge if i let them sit with cables unhooked for a month they would be severly discharged,very pleased with my johnson controls duralast though.Might do so research on these toohttp://www.tempestbatteries.com/html/tgseries.html

 

Google "Optima Battery problems"
1,850,000 hits.

Every car forum I'm on has threads (for years) bitching about the Optima.
Now years later, they want to find out why people aren't buying. They have a hell of a mountain to climb IMO.

 

I've ran them in several of my rides w/ no problems. There a must in my desert truck, other batteries break down with all the abuse, not the Optima. Good stuff in my opinion, until I start having problems Im a believer! Thanks Optima. The thing that sucks about the internet is you never here possitive you'll only hear the negatives. Out of the millions?? they've sold you only hear about the small percentage of complaints not the large percentage of happy customers. As far as being made in America, What is anymore?

 

Ya rog!!!!

 

Junk
Will never ever use one again.
I,d rather have a battery that holds a charge for less money.

 

I had a buddy that ran an 'old' yellow top mounted on its' side worked fine until he sold the rig (5+ years ago)
I always mounted mine in a conventional manner. 1st red top lasted 3 years. Its replacement not 1 year. Nobody will warranty them, and on a trail ride out of state the redtop shit to bed. I went to walmart, bought a 59$ battery, and the rig with that battery has been in 2 races, and upside down more times than I can remember. Will startup right now.
Shit- I can RUIN 4 walmart batteries thru neglect and misapplication before I can touch the replacement of a "Redherring" top.

Does it count if I use the JUNK redtop to hold down a tarp over some tires?
Ya' want it back?

 

Glad I found this thread - was looking at them for my 57 & 63 T-Birds. Not now! Thanks to everyone who posted their problems so I can avoid one.

 

Well Jangle I give you credit. Rocky must of pounded the living hell out of you as a kid. You are one tough sumbitch. Or you just went back for more to show him.

You asked so here you go. Old one still running almost 11 years I think. And it is/has been abused so it should not work. (getting older can't remember how old actually but it lasted longer than my marriage)

Tried a newer one a few years ago in my coupe. I took out the little undersized working junker pos lead acid "Crapola" tm battery that was in it and set it on the floor. Upgrade and more power. That fine new peice of crap lasted about 6 months. Put old reliable 6 plus year old previous one sitting on floor back in fired up and went to Pistons and Paint unhindered but pissed off.

Then I (dumbass) tried to take it back to store of purchase for refund/replace...Sir you ruined it...your car is not charging...you need...we cannot replace it. Tried to speak with someone above no dice. Long story short, store no longer gets my business and neither does Optima.

I know just a little about charging systems and I know my junk worked.

Funny thing too is a HAMBer bought my piece of reliable junk coupe with the same exact pos battery that I bought car with as well the exact same pos starting/charging/electical system that was deemed bad by store and fine Optima representative.

Now being in the heavy truck business and having say of what does and does not get purchased. Do I recommend Optima at my fleet clients? Umm no.

Have you lost business in multiple quantities of 3-4 batteries per power unit? Umm oh yeah. Lots.

Some, I stress some, of the sales/service/management people in that company need a damn good boot to the door.

Having been in the vehicle industry for a good portion of my life. I saw one of your fine folks telling one of the top awarded technicians in the country he doesn't know what he was doing. Really? He still works at the fleet and you don't have their business anymore.

That just blew my mind and my confidence in the, product, personnel, and company as a whole.


Now what can you do?
1) Make and offering to our folks here like they ask a traditional case.
2) Don't tell a good portion of your clients "they are wrong". Even though some are most aren't.
3) Explain to us in very plain english why it cost more a bunch more today that it did originally. Something here does not make sense.
4) Honor what you put out or don't bother anymore.
5) Get someone inside that place to stand up, take some heat and admit they completely have poked the pooch in the whole deal. Start mking things right. Stand behind what you sell. Quit making excuses. Make it like you used to...

Hell send me your number if you need more LOL.

Good luck boy and I hope you put on the armored shorts this morning.

 

I have been using Optima batteries for years but something has changed in the past couple of years. They do not last like they once did. Although they replace them I am dissapointed.

 

I'm in a bind. My ride came to me with two 6V Optimas,side by side dual
voltage system.Car is a 1949 Hudson with a Twin-H flathead 6cyl. 6V
Optimas are wired in series. Starting,charging,ignition,lights,etc all 12 V
except for a couple circuits that tap off the one battery for 6V power
(heater fan,overdrive circuit,clock,and radio. Strange I know but has
worked flawlessly since I got it.Now with 10+ year old batteries it is to the
point that the batteries are marginal.I've pushed the batteries well beyond
there useful life just because of the fear of buying premium $ replacements
that now have a bad rep. Guess I'll just have to get off my ass and put
some dropping resistors in the 6V circuits so I can run a conventional
battery. NO way am I going back with Optimas at this point.

So long Optima,you had a great product and then went and F'ed it up.

 

Had a red top in my dually for about 7 years. It was great. Next one I bought sucked. New they are made in Mexico - forget that. Quality went to crap, price went up, Americans lost their jobs.

No "Hecho en Mexico" for me. I bought an Interstate made in America, by Americans.

 

We have a Red top in a race car that has lasted for 7 or 8 seasons...I have tried a couple of the newer ones and both failed to hold a charge for more than 6 months...

But.....my big gripe with batteries is this..........WHY IN THE HELL IS THERE A CORE CHARGE FOR A NEW ONE?

New parts should NOT have a core charge...re man or re built, yes, I understand that one fine.........but core charge for NEW..my ass.

Mark

 

Never owned an Optima battery. Wanted to buy one but couldn't because they don't fit any thing correctly. Did not buy and and now glad I didn't. I have a 3 bay shop and service lots of personal and fleet vehicles. I used to buy Exide then they bought some other company and there customer service got bad and they never showed up to service my stock. I replaced them with Interstate. Over the years I have had to warranty a few but not many. MY route driver/owner as picked up a few and replaced them with no grief. One time he said I will just take it back and charge it and sell it used. I asked why he said that. He told me as some of you know that some battery's cant be charged with out hooking it to another battery for load. I said I did not know that and to leave it and I would try it because I did not want him to replace something that was not bad. He told me not to worry about it. I have since then bought a new Snap On charger that will charge these battery's with no problem. The Interstate battery's have gone up in price but they stand behind them and that is what matters.

 

I bought a yellow top 2 years ago. I keep a battery tender on it all the time. So far so good..
I don't know why the battery tender always shows charging though, but the car always starts up.

 

I put a redtop in a 34 ford several years ago. Took it back after a month and put a real battery in no more problems.

I bought one for my 64 ford and it never held a charge.

never will buy one again.

 

I have red tops in both my current rods----one for 5 years and one for 2 years. I've never had a problem. The guys I know who have, generally get in a hurry on a recharge and create their own problems. I am thinking of buying one for the 48 chevy truck I am building for the wife this Winter. The only issue is the run up in price since I bought the first one. They have become a little pricey. I can go to the local parts store and buy a 4-5 year guarentee battery for about a third of the Optima cost.

 

Mine's a 6 year old yellow top, It's been a very reliable battery, priced one a few months back for the truck im building and was shocked at how much they have gone up. Reading all the problems everyone on here is having with them and the fact that they are not made in the States anymore, I won't buy another. I thought when you guys manufactured your goods in Mexico it was to make them cost less to the consumers, we all know the quality suffers. Why did your quality detiorate, and your prices increase so much? Sounds like you send your best DUMBASS TECHS & P.R. people to our big events.....not to smart.... Adios senior Optima!

 

I bought a red top years ago,lasted fine no problems, bought another one for the daily driver lasted SIX FRIHGGIN MONTHS!! there is nothing wrong with the electrical system on the car, i tested it, the battery was junk. I took it back to the chain store where I bought it, and they won't warranty them anymore. They said way too many come back and they are going to sell out of the brand to get rid of them. so al that dam money for a boat anchor. I'm going with the odyssey from now on, much lighter much better battery, tons of positive comments on them. they need to take a lesson from them. I don't want any more el mexicano batterittos. I paid a fortune for that battery then had to pay to dispose of the dam thing.

 

I've used Optima batteries for a long time now.... no major issues....
Red top and yellow tops....

I did have a yellow top I purchased about 5 years ago go dead on me,
but I had let my car sit for almost a year.... at the time, the warranty
at the shop I bought it from was for only one year, so I lost out....

I bought a new yellow top this past May, unaware it apparently
is now made in Mexico, but the shop told me that as of March 2009
the warranty on a yellow top is now 3 years..!! I'll be stoked if
it does last that long (or longer) but if it doesn't it will be covered....




Not to completely derail the thread, but what type of solar trickle
chargers have you guys used to keep your battery topped off thru
winter..? I'm gonna need one pretty soon.... Thanks in advance..!!

Rock on..!! -Snacks....



.

 

then explain all the positive comments on other brands like the Odyssey. If the optima was any good anymore don't you think there would be positive comments on them too? there used to be a lot of good comments on them years ago, now everything I read is bad.

 

a lot of legit complaints here. also a lot of customers that once were.

if optima even reads this, there is also this side to it.

i am building a car. trying to use quality parts so it lasts. i wanted to buy an optima when i made the conversion to 12v. i read a few threads here, said to myself,"wow. that sucks so many got burned. but i won't be one of them."

to the most vocal, i thank you. especially denise and von rigg frink. you helped another guy from making a bad mistake at your own expense.

optima, this site also influences the people that were going to buy. not just those who had a horrible experience.

 

I have used an Interstate version of the Optima in my coupe since it was first on the road....15+ years. The first one lasted 6 years, and was replaced with the same thing. It's still going strong......and its parked during the winter, after street and dragstrip usage all spring and summer.

The new drag car is (unfortunately) set up for an Optima. I bought one at a local dealer when I began the layout and build, NEVER having put it into usage or service.....went dead sitting on the shelf. This was about 15 months ago, and like everyone else before me, NO warranty or replacement. NEVER AGAIN.

And, ditto my comments as far as out of country production, and the astronomical price jump. Where's the quality? Customer service? Does anyone in the company upper echelon give a damn, or is the corporate mindset something like "make it/take it while we can, and when the company goes tits up, so what...we got ours."

 

i had one in my daily that lasted maybe 5 or 6 years and was still going when i sold the truck, when the new daily needed a battery i bought an optima and it lasted just a little over a year before crapping out.

optima first really needs to fix the quality problem then consider making new products. how are you going to spend your money developing a new battery when you might be going belly up for selling an inferior product.

once they get the issues sorted, and please bring the production back to the u.s. and get the price back to a resonable range (how come your prices nearly doubled in the last couple yeas when other batteries stayed the same and in some cases dropped in price in the last 6-12 months?) then i'd really like to see a flat battery, maybe something that's 12" x 12" and only a couple inches tall to fit under a seat cushion, or maybe 6" x 14" or so and only a couple inches deep to go behind a seat back, or mounted up close under a frame.

i'd only be a customer again once the quality, price, and location comes back until then i will continue to put ODYSSEY batteries in all my own and custome cars, for those that don't know ODYSSEY batteries are made in the u.s. and i think the u.k., are also dry cell, can be mounted in about any position, are about half the size of a comparable battery with the same cranking amps, cost around $120, supposed to last up to 12 years (longest i've ever had one is 3 or 4 years, a friend has been running the same ones in his streamliner for 6 or 7 years). the biggest benifit i've found with them is they really seem to work well with a generator, you know the deal, around town, sitting in traffic the generator won't charge much and i've had several times when after getting stuck in traffic for awhile then parking the car is hard to start, i've never had that problem with an ODYSSEY battery.
i probably sound like an ODYSSEY saleman but i'm not, just a satisfied customer, who would recomend their product over anything else i've tried.

 

Thats how you market a battery fellas.... Satisfy your customer and the
damn things will fly off the shelves! You can't buy that kind of advertising...

 

First off, thanks to Optima for showing some kind of interest. Sounds like it might be to late though. I've never owned one, mainly because of price. If it's truly made in Mexico I probably never will. Dont really care what it looks like or how I can mount it. I try to build a car to be servicable on the side of the road, in the rain, at night, a long way away from home. Build it to accept a standard case size battery, just in case. Having said this, what battery do I currently run in my car? Exide Orbital. AGM design, could be mounted any way but is mounted conventially(on its bottom) and way back in trunk. Always starts, charges and holds charge. Sat at one time for three months and turned new engine right over. Paid about $110 three years ago. I know everyone has their own unique car and issue and agree "custom" shaped/sized batteries would be cool though. My $.02.

 

I have a 4 year old yellow top that has worked fine but in addition to these comments here I personalty know some of my car club members and some non hamb'ers that have bought these batteries and had them go bad in a matter of months and then not warrantied.

word of mouth can travel a long way and carry a lot of weight in our community, I hope Optima is listening.

 

I have one in my 32 coupe since mid 90's, starts every time, no charger...(.last too long for the company, no replacement buys) I bought one for my roadster, lasted 6 months, the replacement lasted a year. I had bought one for my custom Buick, it won't hold a charge unless I keep a battery butler on it. I will not buy one for the new coupe that I am building. Made in Mexico and is junk. .. the original one is still good in my 32 coupe, you know how to build a great product, go back to the old style and bring them back to the states and you have a customer again.

 

I have had 3 of them in 3 different diesel powered rigs with no probems with over 6 years apiece on them, really like the batteries but won't buy another since cost is so high compared to other batteries and not being made here in the USA anymore.