My wife's 1998 Saturn SL1 battery died last week and upon further inspection we noticed the battery had leaked and the positive terminal was eaten away. We towed the car to Saturn to have them fix it.
Initially they told us the battery wasn't under warranty. Then later we were told it was, and that we would be prorated for a new battery. The battery that died was installed back in September 18 months ago, by the Saturn of Fort Collins, Colorado. The Fort Collins Saturn tells us the battery had an 18-month warranty, but the Honolulu Saturn said it only had a 12-month warranty. According to AC Delco, they don't sell batteries with anything less than an 18-month free replacement warranty.
Not only did our battery leak, thereby destroying other parts of the vehicle, but Saturn charged us $60 in labor to replace it! And ANOTHER $60 in labor to replace the cable! Something isn't right.
It seems as though this is a common problem with this type/brand of battery. I understand that batteries eventually die, some sooner than others. But I do not believe a battery that has not been tampered with should ever leak, especially so soon into its warranty. And I certainly do not believe we should have to pay for any damages caused by such a faulty battery. I have written Saturn to express my thoughts and to ask for a full reimbursement, including the towing fee.
Unfortunately, they replaced the battery with another AC Delco (that's just how the warranty works). At least when this one leaks in a year or two I will have even more proof that these batteries suck.
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