Hello. New to the forum. My father has a 2017 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium. He got it used in late 2018 from a Subaru dealership. It's his daily driver. On Monday, November 2, he was out shopping with my mom. He waited for her in the parking lot with the car off. When he tried to turn the car on, it wouldn't start. He called roadside assistance for a jump.
After dropping my mom off at home, he took the car to a Subaru dealership to have it checked out. They told him everything was fine with the car. The battery was still good. He must have left the lights on without noticing and it drained the battery. They could replace the battery if he wanted but it would cost him $200+. He has extended warranty on the car but the battery isn't covered. My dad took their word for it and chose to leave it as is.
Fast forward to Friday, November 13. My dad is out shopping with my mom again. He waits for her in parking lot. When he goes to turn on the car, it won't turn on. He calls roadside assistance for a jump. Takes the car to Subaru. Same story. The battery is still good but they'll replace it if he wants. After being told the same thing twice, my dad doesn't believe them and leaves.
My dad wants to purchase a new battery for the car but is concerned about his extended warranty. Based on what I've read online, it doesn't sound like purchasing and installing a new battery should affect the warranty. My dad is also concerned about the car needing to be reprogrammed with the installation of a new battery. I'm no car expert but, what I told him, is that if he's really worried about that he could purchase a new battery and see if he can have it installed at the dealership.
I've looked at Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, Autozone and Advance Auto Parts to compare prices on batteries that fit his car. The cheapest battery I've found so far is at Costco for $80. My dad's budget is $200 so he's willing to pay more for a good battery. Do you have any recommendations for a battery for a 2017 Subaru Legacy? If he does purchase an aftermarket battery and has it installed by a 3rd party, are there any possible issues that he needs to be aware of? Are his worries about needing to reprogram the car valid?
Any help or guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.