Talk to Optima

The people at Optima Batteries have asked me to get your feedback on their products, customer service, advertising, etc. The information gleaned from this thread will be used in daily meetings at the SEMA show, with representatives of Optima's R&D, marketing, customer service and sales departments reading every word.

I know there's recently been other threads on here about Optima, but this is the one they'll actually see. And they'll be analyzing it in detail. I don't know yet if they'll be giving me instant feedback for you, but I do know they're serious about knowing what you think and what you want.

I'm not the only person doing this - several other people are asking for the same info on other message boards around the 'net. But this is the only one I know of that's reaching out to the grassroots/traditional rod and custom builders and drivers. Personally, I'm impressed that they see the HAMB as an important barometer of what's happening in the trenches and I'm honored that they asked me to do it. I'm also aware that I may get scalded on here for spamming, but am willing to take that risk to give you the opportunity to speak directly to the source - a rare thing.

So let's hear it. Wanna see a battery that doesn't look like a sixpack found on the Space Shuttle? Need 2000 CCA's? Do you love your Optima and want to marry it, but your state hasn't legalized that sort of thing yet? Are you making plans to bomb Optima headquarters because your last Optima went dead just before the final round at the Nationals and that creepy kid from the gas station got a bye run? This is the place to get it all out. Go ahead - you know you'll feel better for it...

 

I would like to see them address the apparent reliability issues we have seen in the last few years and what have they changed to fix the line? I don't want to hear a song and dance, just a good explanation.

I had one in my 54 and my T and was a fan but they were older batteries. After Denise's and others issues here I am gunshy of them now.

 

dude ..there are tons of threads on this..

you can tell them that this guy wouldnt buy one of their batteries if a free 6 of beer came with it!..and yes im serious..serious as a plane crash..
their customer service sucked, their rep. sucked and so does their product..
for the Money spent on one of these anchors i could buy 2 or 3 lead acid batteries that would last longer and not let me down..

I could fill a 1 page rant about these over priced door stops..but I bet they already know that their shit sucks..its too late to get me back, no matter what they do..and you can bet your sweet bread I've told every one who gives a shit exactly how i feel about them..

they burned me and didnt care so guess what..?..payback is a bitch

i think some of the latest threads on the subject have gotten closed..or deleted, because it got pretty nasty..

i hope you have the cajones to send them this one

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408671&highlight=optima

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=347692&highlight=optima

 

I had one in my DD that failed (10V max after charge). Was replaced free. Went to buy another for my '33, they wanted $190 for it. NO WAY especially since they're now made in Mexico............ Almost doubled in price in 2 years. Just because 'they' think its better, a $59 battery will start my car fine.

 

They just read it.

 

I still run an optima battery in my car. But I have owned it for years. It probably one of the best batteries I have ever owned. Its a "red top" I left it hooked up in a car, and put that car in storage for 18 months. Pulled the car out of the garage, and did nothing to it. It started like it had just come off the charger. I was instantly sold on the thing. However I will not purchase another one when this one fails. Evidently they have moved manufacturing out of the country, which has led to a less than satisfactory product. And the pricing of the item has done the exact opposite. I know things are becoming more expensive to manufacture. But my cost on one is nearly $200 at this point. The cost has gone up and the reliability of the product has gone down? Can someone explain that kind of math to me? Maybe they teach a different kind of math when you get your MBA, but as a consumer, if I am going to pay substantially more for a product, I expect it to perform substantially better!

Thats my take on it. I tried to be as objective as I could.

 

good!

Hey Optima..
I buy all my batteries for me and my company from some one other than you...and funny thing..my battery cost has gone way down, and life of our batteries have gone way up...you do the math.

i have designed them out of anything i build for now and forever!


and if you went to mexico to make these i hope you choke on everyone of them!

 

Easy, Scotty is just helping them with some research. He isn't with the company management.

 

1st one back in the 90s good had one in my race car for yrs price was right now all I hear is problems plus 190 they should good prob. shit from over the big lake over priced junk buy your local vendor and get a warrenty

 

Now this is a good healthy dialogue! Maybe I should send a link to this thread to Oprah and Dr. Phil... So far, so good, guys.

 

i know..but i am hopeful that it might get to someone who GAF..

and we need to start letting any company know that if they take their product out of this country to cut a fat profit and screw the consumer , that were not just going to sit here and play dead for them.
I know I wont.

you can play me once ..shame on you..you play me twice shame on me..you play this county..I hope you go out of buisness.

that goes for all of them

 

The red one I bought years ago at Carlisle is doing okay,but,I am not happy at all
that they're now produced in Mexico.
I understand EPA regulations and all,but I buy AMERICAN when at all possible.
Thanks for the ability to tender my opinion.

 

I just want to know what changes were made that sacrificed durabitlty and lifespan, and then say please, change them back!!!

The red top in my cutlass lasted a solid decade. no problems. ever. then I replaced it with another "new" red top. it didn't make it a year?

for the last 7 years, Crushproof sold, reccomended and installed Optimas exclusively. inside of the last 2 years, they went from being the "bee's knees"
to "just another battery". what happened?

 

Ive had one for about year now, no complaints.

The only problem I found when looking for one is that most people selling them (at parts stores etc.) knew less about them than I did. No one knew the differences between types, etc. Of course anymore they dont know about anything the sell it seems...

 

This is exactly what I was gonna type..just change Cutlass to Chevelle.

 

I put a red top in my 54 two years ago right before I stripped out the interior to have the top chopped. It is still not back on the road. So far it hasn't laid down on me but I only start it every couple of months. My daughter's Lexus battery just quit so I took her to a local auto parts store and priced a new Optima. The price was 60% higher ($209) than the one I bought in only two years prior so we went with a 36 month replacement warranty for 89.99. They have priced me out of any further interest.

 

I had one for 8 years in my vehicle and no problems than I got a new one and it lasted 1 year, they have gone to crap and I won't get another one.

 

I've had a few over the years and my Comet is running one now. Will I buy another when the time comes? I doubt it, the price has gone through the roof and the only thing I want that was made in Mexico is food.

 

I had 4 blue optima deep cycle marine batteries in my boat that I bought new to replace the ones that came in it. Less than 6 months later I started to have problems. I checked the charging system and all was good, they left me stranded soon after and I now run INTERSTATE batteries and have been trouble free for three years and counting. I also have a yellowtop in my jeep and when it dies it too will be an INTERSTATE battery. For what it's worth, they lost me as a customer as well.

 

i run a blue top in the trunk of my 55 bel air. Its been about 2.5 years, no problems so far. But i will never buy another one, because their not made in the USA anymore. This spring i will need 2 for my boat, they will not be optima's. I also let my dad and uncle know their made offshore now, they'll never buy them for their hot rods and boats now either. I dont really care if optima fixes the problems with them.....we'll never run them....but i do feel better about ranting....

 

and we need to start letting any company know that if they take their product out of this country to cut a fat profit and screw the consumer , that were not just going to sit here and play dead for them.
I know I wont.

I could not agree more

 

This is it in a nutshell.

I ran an early Red Top in my OT offroad truck and it wouldn't die, no matter the winching and abuse. Even letting it sit for a month or two it'd fire right up. I was a believer in them, for sure.

Also, ran an Optima in my ski boat because of the experience with my first... it held up well and sold the boat with that battery in it.

However, the last battery I got was the same ole experience everyone else is having. All I needed it to do was function as well as the battery that came stock in my daily and it didn't last. There's nothing fancy about my daily driver, 100% stock and babied. Got NINE months out of it, then failure out-of-the-blue.

 

I will never run a OPTIMA again! Ive had nothing but problems the the last two I ran. the first imploded and took out the complete car I had to replace bulbs,gauges,alt. etc,and when we got it outa the car it sat and boiled for over two hours.When I told the battery rep from interstate that I got it from what happened he said"oh well I might pro rate the year old battery.......the second was just a dud and wouldnt hold a charge even following their instructions and that was on a dailey driver..........NO MORE batterys outa china or mexico for me, I want a USA battery even if it cost more!!!!!!!!FYI I ran them for years when I had my car aduio store in Portland We put them in every high-end system,and in every car I owned with great success untill the last 4 years or so!

 

The usual battery dream - super small with super power.

How about a flattened out "6-pack", like two of the current 6v versions end to end for placement under hot rod floors or behind the dash in roadsters etc.


Grrrrr!!!!! (I just wanted to sound angry like everyone else)

 

Same as everybody else. Not lasting anymore, can get better and smaller for close to the same price, and Sending the jobs out of this country.

 

I would LOVE to see their quality related issues worked out. I don't know what the truth of the matter is, but I know there has been an obvious change in reliability.

We have a couple old red tops here that are STILL going. Probably 8 or 9 years old. Maybe more! Every review I've ready lately has been negative. I really wanted to buy their product for my build, in fact I built my whole battery tray and everything around the old battery we had here and then ran across an article about them somewhere that said their quality had gone down. I stopped looking for prices and started reading the reviews. I did NOT buy one. The whole point of my car was to select quality components when available. Very disappointed. Had to reconfigure everything so I could run a standard Duralast (rated very well by Consumer Reports at the time). I'll eventually replace it with something more along the lines of something like the optima, but I'll take my time and figure out what the best battery is.

My words to Optima are... FIX IT! Make it work! Prove it works! I'll buy one. Not until then.

 

Thanks T-bag. But I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.

For the record, I ran a red top in my street/strip car for almost six years before I finally tortured it to death. I had flakey starting and charging systems and that poor battery somehow got me through. Finally replaced it with a new one that died after about nine months (after I'd fixed my wiring!). Got a Diehard that's still in there today. My hope is that some good changes will come from this thread. I'm an optimist...

 

jangleguy
all of my words were for the Co. Management of Optima..not you
I dont envy your job..I believe they know they have a problem and that is the reason this came up..i know a few parts houses in my area will not even carry them anylonger..they told me the hassel wasnt worth it, and the backing from Optima was not good, and they didnt want to lose cutomers over something out of their control.

i still have my optima battery..its swinging on the end of a rope..they make great boat anchors, but not priced acordingly

here is another thread for them to read..this place got the message
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=410887

 

I was about to buy two Optima batteries. One for my sand rail and one for my 25 RPU but after all the bad reviews and then to find out that they are made in Mexico, No thanks. BUY AMERICAN!

 

Here is the whole sorted story that led me to distrust Optima batteries and the people that work for them....

After explaining to the Optima guy, Jimmy Day, who is something like the regional marketing director or something like that at the GG Columbus event this year (July 2009)that my battery was hot to the touch and melted on the side he asked me to drive my car over to his vendor booth. Once there I popped the hood and he hooked up this hand held device to the battery, took some readings then asked me to start the car. After I shut off the car the hand held machine spit out a foot long piece of paper with a bunch of readings on it.

The first results was for the battery
voltage : 12.88v
measured: 935 CCA
rated: 720 CCA
temperature: 104*F

the next "test" reads for the starter
voltage: 12.28V
Time: 4.73S

Charging system test
no load: 12.63V
loaded: 12.63V


and yes, afer quite a bit of discussion he let me drive away knowing I was driving back to Michigan with that 30 days old battery with the melted side.

Once home I drove Big Olds to the auto repair shop up on the corner. Explained everything from start to finish to the owner. He had me pull Big Olds into the bay and hooked up the meter to the Optima battery. Right away he said there was nothing wrong with my alternator, 13 something then 14 something when I reaved the engine. Next thing he said was the battery was junk and if he was me he'd replace it.

So, from the repair shop I headed right over to O'Reilys Auto Parts where the lastest Optima came from 40 days ago. I explained the whole thing from start to finish to the store manager including the fact that I just came from the repair shop and my mechanic checked my whole charging system and said it was fine. I told him I wanted a new battery and I didn't want another Optima one. He came out to look at the battery, felt the side and said no problem.

I drove Big Olds back to my house, pulled the battery out, drove the battery back up to the auto parts store in my daily, got the new regular battery, brought it home and whipped it back into Big Olds, no problem.

I did not change anything else on Big Olds and have since driven him over 10,000 miles (7,000 in just my one crosscountry trip to Washington State) on my new, much loved, regular battery.


<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->Here is what my then latest and very last Optima battery looked like sitting in Big Olds like 30 days after purchased. It could have been like this for awhile but I noticed it as I was checking my oil getting ready to leave for the GG COlumbus event.......
and from Lux after seeing the Optima battery in Big Olds...."and that, friends and neighbors, is what happens when the plates touch in the case. it is what happens when a battery is dropped." EXACTLY what a couple of local car pals said as well.



The thread with lots of comments regarding Optima where is starts off me deciding between a one wire and 3 wire ALT and turns into a problem with the Optima battery just like I originally stated to Jimmy Day . Yep, he could "dance" real well.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380620&showall=1

I feel bad for Optima cuz they use to have a great product and unfortunantly Jimmy Day "screwed" the wrong person outta a $200 replacement battery and in returned has gotten so much bad press here on the HAMB, the RRT, CR, and OZ Rodder sites, not to mention all my local car pals, that it's going to take a long time to fix their reputation in my part of this hot rod world.

I wasn't impressed then (at the GG event) and now I'm even more unhappy how I was treated. Without my HAMB pals I would have pulled my alternator off, dropped it off at the rebuild shop, paid them to rebuild it then had to put it back on Big Olds.....all for nothing. I would have then STILL had to replace my battery.

If anyone from Optima wants to discuss this issue with me directly I can be reached at the following

Denise Sheldon
29129 Oriole
Livonia, MI 48154

734-673-6930

[email protected]