vs
Battery OEM Subaru or Duralast
Reviews
I had to replace the battery on a 2016 Crosstrek this summer and, in retrospect, missed a bunch of warning signs before it finally wouldn’t start: slow cranking, occasional extra crank needed, flickering dash lights, and generally dim interior lights.
Pros: fixed starting issue
Cons: slow cranking, dim lights
Vehicle:
Subaru
You need this one, and it takes about 10 minutes to install. Just hop into the front trunk, unbolt the bar from the firewall that braces the battery -- iirc 13mm. Remove the tire inflator and the box (pulls right out), remove the other bolt, unscrew the two terminals (10mm probably), swap batteries. Done.
Pros: easy to install, 10 minutes
Vehicle:
Porsche Cayman
Have a 2020 Touring XT. Battery went bad after 5 years so that was normal. No problems other normal wear and tear, tires and brakes.
Pros: normal wear and tear
Cons: battery went bad
Vehicle:
Subaru Outback
These parts are New. Battery duralast gold
Pros: New battery
Just had a 5yo Napa battery die, put a new Duralast Platinum Elite in there, back to running normal except 2 things: 1/ Random engine fan activation seems to be what killed the previous battery. Still happening.
Pros: back to running normal
Cons: random fan activation, battery died
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Golf
Drive a 2018 Nissan Rogue, about 80k miles. Have a Duralast Gold battery from Oct 2023, but live in central Texas where I hear batteries don't last as long.
Vehicle:
Nissan
Mileage: 128747 km
Duralast is almost always johnson controls, made in mexico.
I bought my wrx brand new in 2015, the battery lasted two years and was replaced at the dealership. That second battery lasted two years and I went back for them to replace it and said that they wouldn\u2019t because it was already replaced under warranty. She told me they would replace it for something like $160, I said \n\n\u201cLook lady the first battery lasted two years and the second lasted two years, I\u2019m not spending my money on your junk batteries.\u201d
Cons: lasted only two years
Vehicle:
Subaru
21 Outback. Battery issues - I’m on my fourth battery since buying it. Have had issues with door seals leaking, but those were fixed easily under warranty. Definitely can confirm the assembly quality - we had to test drive quite a few before getting one that didn’t rattle on every bump we hit.
Pros: practical car
Cons: battery issues, assembly quality
Vehicle:
Subaru Outback
Last December, the OEM battery died and I replaced it with a new Duralast battery from AutoZone. Fast forward to today, the car wouldn\u2019t start at all. Had to jump it just to get it running and drove straight to AutoZone to get it tested.\n\nBattery tested good. Starter tested good.\nBut the alternator failed, specifically the charging current test.
Cons: alternator failed charging test
Vehicle:
Mazda
Mileage: 31000 km
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Which battery to choose — OEM Subaru or Duralast?
If choosing battery across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare battery across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which battery are better — Duralast or OEM Subaru?
In March 2026 on PartReview, battery Duralast were overall better than OEM Subaru.
- OEM Subaru received a PR Score of 41 out of 100, and Duralast scored 74 points.
- OEM Subaru ranked 27 in the overall ranking, and Duralast ranked 9.
- The average rating is higher for Duralast (3.8) than for OEM Subaru (2.5).
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Battery Duralast have better feature ratings than OEM Subaru:
- Lights - owners believe, that this property for OEM Subaru is better than Duralast.
- Indicator - drivers claim, that this property for Duralast is outperforms OEM Subaru.
- Cranking - reviews suggest, that this property for Duralast is preferred to OEM Subaru.
Which battery are more popular — OEM Subaru or Duralast?
Battery OEM Subaru and Duralast were equally popular according to data in March 2026.
By vote balance, battery Duralast surpassed OEM Subaru:
- For OEM Subaru, the ratio of positive (89) to negative (125) votes is -36 votes.
- For Duralast, the ratio of positive (122) to negative (41) votes is 81 vote.
By number of reviews, battery OEM Subaru surpassed Duralast:
- For battery OEM Subaru there are 69 reviews: 25 positive, 7 neutral, 37 negative.
- For battery Duralast there are 52 reviews: 36 positive, 7 neutral, 9 negative.
Which battery do car owners prefer — OEM Subaru or Duralast?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, battery OEM Subaru and Duralast have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of battery
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of battery OEM Subaru with: OPTIMA, Varta, Bosch, OEM Volkswagen, YUASA, Tesla, Exide, OEM BMW, Deka, ODYSSEY.
Also available: comparisons of battery Duralast with: OPTIMA, Varta, Bosch, OEM Volkswagen, YUASA, Tesla, Exide, OEM BMW, Deka, ODYSSEY.
You can also see who is better among other battery manufacturers: OPTIMA or Varta, OPTIMA or Bosch, OPTIMA or OEM Subaru, OPTIMA or OEM Volkswagen, OPTIMA or YUASA.