Optima Yellow Top

I was not too impressed by the yellow top D27F only lasted for 4 years in my Prado with plenty of travel. Thought I may try supporting OZ made battery as they are 25% cheaper and also have 3 years warranty. Sigh, how wrong I was. The new HD Century only lasted only lasted 15 months with no outback travel at all. Return/warranty process is… Read more

troublesome and the replacement battery will only carry on the warranty from the previous battery. That doesn't provide too much confidence for the battery will last for more than three years. Disappointed!

These are [Content Removed] batteries. Don’t waste your money on this GARBAGE. I have had two optima batteries now and both have died just out of the warranty period. First a yellow top and a blue top. One priced rubbish. If I could give a negative star rating i would.

D31a yellow top – Bought 2007 to put in my new 120 Prado .2022 Prado written off (by idiot went through give way sign battery took hard jolt) 2022 took battery out put into old 80 series diesel LandCruiser and is still working . I charge my battery on 8 amp charger overnight every month as the alternator doesn't charge it but maintains it . Best battery ever. Had to wait 2 years for new 150 Prado will be buy new D31a for my new prado

The perfect off road battery – I have been using an Optima Yellowtop in my 4WD for five years now, and cannot fault it. I use the D31A, which gives me 900 CCA, more than enough to start my Landcruiser. It has seen many, many miles of off-road work including seriously corrugated roads. In five years it has never give me an ounce of trouble. It still looks and performs as brand… Read more

new! I have just purchased another as a precaution (remote area travel), as this one is old now in battery terms, but it seriously still performs as brand new! I would not hesitate to buy this battery again, and can’t recommend it highly enough.

Passed the corrugation test – I had a dual battery system installed by TJM into my MN Triton, as there is little to no extra space under the bonnet I had it installed in the rear tub. This included a Optima yellow top D27F battery, I've had this battery for approx. 2 years but I've travelled across the Simpson Desert and Cape York, it has crossed some of the hardest tracks in… Read more

Australia including a million or so corrugations. I had a Marshall starting battery that died at the end of the Cape trip & they put it down to the corrugations ( to their credit they replaced it under warranty) but you buy Optima batteries to avoid this in the first place. They quote " 15 times more vibration resistant" well I could not of bounced this battery any harder and its still fine. Simpson trip had a Chescold running off it while driving (draws approx. 10 amp per hour) gas while stopped - 2nd trip to the Cape I run my Engel (1-2 amp) but it was running 24 hours a day for weeks. If you've ever done trips like these you'll understand what I mean about corrugations / bangs & bumps. These aren't your casual / smooth trips to Moreton or Fraser. If you haven't but are thinking of doing some thing like this - consider a better battery & I can't complain about the Optima - It passed. Any questions pls feel to ask. Happy motoring. Cheers Shane.

Not worth the money – I have just replaced an Optima Yellow Top Battery after just over four years--and around 66,000 klms. I opened the bonnet of my 4WD to find the battery covered in acid, A trip to my mechanic who had installed it for me four years and three months ago, said the negative terminal had cracked--effectively pulling away from the casing. The battery was… Read more

stuffed.

My mechanic asked what I wanted to do, and I said to replace it with another Yellow Top as I just didn't haver the time to shop around. This was the 2nd battery in a dual battery setup, and has been used to power a car fridge (occasionally), and driving lights. I had originally bought this battery as I needed a AGM battery and this one has high cranking amps--which, Optima claims can be used to start a vehicle if needed.

I decided I would email Century Batteries in Brisbane, who are the distributors of Optima Batteries in Australia. After two days and not receiving a reply, I phone Century and was put through to the appropriate department.

I explained my concern and told this bloke, that I was advising them of this issue--an issue I had not encounted in over fifty years of driving vehicles.

His first comment was: "In my 32 years of batteries, I have never come across this"; and his second comment was: "Another problem is that the battery hasn't been used enough."

Not "Used enough"? We travel fairly extensively and generally with a caravan in tow. This battery gets used "enough". I'll bet London to a brick, that had I driven somewhere in the region of say 300,000 kays, he would have asserted that used the battery 'too much'?

I had called Century more as a favour that perhaps there was a quality issue with a batch of Optima Yellow Top Batteries; and while I wasn't looking for full compensation (ie, a replacement battery)--I had, after all, used this battery for just over four years, but given the hype about these batteries (Optima sales sheet) and the sheer costs of the damn things--they ain't cheap; I would have thought that perhaps some form of compensation may have been forthcoming. Wrong!

Quite frankly, I found this particular phone call somewhat less than satisfying; and can only conclude that the after sales "service" is pretty ordinary.

As I advised this bloke, I have purchased a second Optima Yellow Top at an outrageous costs, and if I don't get what I consider a fair run out of it, it is the last Optima Battery I will buy, and given the response I received--both in phone call and email (never replied to), I will never buy another Century Battery again.

There's way too much competition out there for your dollar to be wasted like this.