There is quite a few battery posts here. Batteries do not care about mileage. They degrade with age. They also degrade much quicker if left discharged because a discharged battery will corrode its inner plates much faster than a fully charged battery. The mode of failure is plate corrosion with cheaper batteries having thinner plates that disintergrate faster than better ones. Just about every standard battery will dramatically lose its ability to function between 4 and 5 years of age. Tricks exist to blast the corrosion off and extend the clock but thats not for the faint of heart.
AGM batteries work and age quite well. Our AGM battery was replaced for free twice already with no fuss with the Pep Boys 4 year warranty. Most other retailers prorate their warranty with age and also limit the replacements. Pep Boys just looked at the sticker and if its less than 4 years old they swap it. Thus starts a new 4 year timer.
Avoid Optima batteries unless you routinely operate the vehicle upside down. They work awesome right until they don't. They abruptly die between 2 and 3 years of age typically.
Be aware that Cruze battery cables are poorly made. A recall went out for the negative cables. Ours fritzed out and I found the wire was pulled out and bulged into a ball under the insulation. This picture shows what it looked like when it broke down suddenly for the bad negative cable. The short red one was also in very poor condition and replaced shortly after. The crimp at the alternator also sucked because it was loose and green with rampant corrosion inside the loose crimp. I ran a new ground from the engine to the battery and it caused errors. I had to relocate the extra grounds to the chassis post so that the current sensor isnt bypassed.
![]()
AGM batteries work and age quite well. Our AGM battery was replaced for free twice already with no fuss with the Pep Boys 4 year warranty. Most other retailers prorate their warranty with age and also limit the replacements. Pep Boys just looked at the sticker and if its less than 4 years old they swap it. Thus starts a new 4 year timer.
Avoid Optima batteries unless you routinely operate the vehicle upside down. They work awesome right until they don't. They abruptly die between 2 and 3 years of age typically.
Be aware that Cruze battery cables are poorly made. A recall went out for the negative cables. Ours fritzed out and I found the wire was pulled out and bulged into a ball under the insulation. This picture shows what it looked like when it broke down suddenly for the bad negative cable. The short red one was also in very poor condition and replaced shortly after. The crimp at the alternator also sucked because it was loose and green with rampant corrosion inside the loose crimp. I ran a new ground from the engine to the battery and it caused errors. I had to relocate the extra grounds to the chassis post so that the current sensor isnt bypassed.
