How to swap out a car battery. Sorry for the missing dad joke, I have been buried with media requests, and pushed this video out with going back over it. :/ DAD JOKE - Why didn't the dead battery cost anything? Because it was free of charge. :0) A battery should last 4 to 6 years, maybe less in extreme climates. You will be charged a "core" fee ($15?) if you don't bring the dead battery in when you buy the new battery. After you swap out the battery, you can bring the dead battery back where you bought it to get the core charge back.