I do not think your experience is typical. I have never had a battery
that lasted more than 4 - 5 years. (Northern California)

w_tom wrote:
>
> In over twenty years, never had a single car go less than
> seven years on a battery. BTW, the lead acid batteries used
> for battery backup (in serious systems) are expected to last
> on the order of 20 years. But then they sit inside controlled
> environments.
>
> Back in the 70s, a battery had to last at least 3 years (and
> yes, many did not). Better material purity and better
> designed charging systems (temperature compensated controls,
> et al) are some reasons for longer battery life expectancy.
> My last two batteries went 8 and 9.5 years - exposed to all
> temperatures.
>
> Bob wrote:
> > Wow, that's the biggest load of crap I've heard in quite some time.
> > I doubt if even 5% of batteries sold make it to seven years and I'm
> > pretty damn sure that doesn't mean that the other 95% all have car
> > problems.
> > Bob