25-26 Battery Voltage

[Bsjoiner]

I think I am starting to have the dreaded battery issues on my (2nd) 2025 RAM Tungsten. I have had it a little over a year and almost 10K miles. It died out of the blue two weeks ago and was complete dead when I went out to it after just driving it 30 minutes earlier. I jumped it and no real issues since. However, I am not sure my battery is ever charging. While driving, I hover in the low 13V range. Is that normal? Can anyone else check theirs and confirm? Will 13.2V ever charge a battery?

 

[UnloosedChewtoy]

I've had a lot of experience with car batteries in my past several Rams, my family's Rams and Jeeps, and other FCA products. Researched these to death and back.

If I were you, I'd preemptively swap out your batteries with a decent brand, such as Duracell (Batteries Plus), SuperStart (O'Reillys), or similar. The most reliable ones I've found tend to be made by East Penn (Deka), and are made in the USA. Duracell AGM batteries are made by them, as well as most AGM SuperStart batteries.

Many of the once-previously-great brands are shadows of their former selves since COVID hit; Enersys (Odyssey) are hit-and-miss (although their X2 line, once Northstar, at Batteries Plus seem to be better), Optimas are hit-and-miss since Clarios moved their production to Mexico, Interstate batteries (also Clarios) are hit-and-miss, etc. If you can find a Clarios-made battery/brand from their Germany plant, those seem to be much more reliable.

Before I bought it, according to the Carfax/Autocheck people, my truck had its batteries replaced twice under warranty for the previous/first owner. It looks new, but it says made in Malaysia on it. First time I've seen that on a car battery, let alone an OEM unit.

 

[Ripper]

15 - 17 years ago I used to by Duralast batteries from AutoZone. I had good luck with them back then and got 5 years out of couple of them. I got 6+ years (2010 - 2017) out of Duralast boat battery which is basically unheard of. In the last 6 years, post Covid, they've gone to crap. AutoZone warranties them for 3 years full replacement. If you get a replacement it does not come with a new warranty instead it has the remainder of the original batteries warranty.

Had an Duralast AGM purchased sometime in 2016 that went bad less than a month before the 3 years and got it replaced. Had a Duralast Gold purchased in 2022 that went bad in 2024, a little over 2 years, and got it replaced. The replacement from Aug 2024 just went bad a few weeks ago. Less than 2 years. The current Duralasts are made by Clarios and according to what I could find they are made in China. While AutoZone will honor the warranty not sure I would spend the money on them. They used to be a cheap good battery but now they appear to be neither. So instead of buying another Duralast I got an Interstate at Costco for a better price. Selling the vehicle it went in and figured cheaper is better since I'm getting rid of it.

There was a local auto store in my area back in the mid 2000s that sold Deka batteries. I bought one for a Tundra and it only lasted about 2 1/2 years. Went back to the store and they wouldn't do anything because I didn't have the original sales slip. I had been buying parts at the store since I was 16 and they all knew me so it really bothered me. Needless to say I never stepped foot in that store again and I made sure to tell them why.

Best battery I had was a Gen 1 Tundra original battery. My research showed it was made by Johnson Controls, who is now owned by Clarios, however back then I don't think they were. Regardless I got 7 years out that battery.

I honestly think it is toss up on batteries these days. None of them seem to be as good as they used to be.