This May Be The Worst Location For A Car Battery, At Least For Mechanics
More often than not, a car's battery doesn't take a lot of effort to spot. Simply pop open the hood of just about any vehicle, and with a little searching, it should be easy to spot among the other components. This placement gives you plenty of room to take care of whatever needs to be done. However, some car models don't stick with this layout. As a result, accessing the battery can become a pain, especially if you're a mechanic.
@mr.speedtec Couldn't ask for a better location haha #mechanicsoftiktok #vlogger #tiktokmechanic #chevy #carslover
For instance, as pointed out by TikTok user @mr.speedtec, some vehicles inconveniently house the battery far away from the engine area. While working on a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse — a model with several common problems besides its battery placement — they found the battery was actually situated behind the front passenger seat. They had to pull up the floor coverings, which revealed a panel that, when lifted, granted access to the battery and some of its associated hardware. Not only is all of this backseat deconstruction annoying, but it's a tight area that leaves little room to maneuver to get work done.
The 2017 Chevy Traverse may have one of the worst battery placements of any vehicle, depending on who you ask. With that said, there are others that give it a run for its money.
Other inconvenient car battery placements
The 2017 Chevy Traverse is far from alone when it comes to inconveniencing mechanics with its battery placement. Case in point, the Dodge Journey, which was sold from 2009 to 2020 and required some serious deconstruction to reach the battery during its production run. The battery is situated in the front driver's side fender well, so to get a hold of it, you have to put the car on a jack and take off the entire wheel on that side. You then have to remove the plastic shielding within the wheel well before you can access the battery. Again, given its location, it can be awkward to perform battery maintenance with so little room to maneuver.
The Chrysler Sebring also has a battery that's difficult to reach. The setup is a lot like the Dodge Journey, with one having to pull off the driver's side wheel and the lining of the wheel well to access it. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is another that makes battery replacement more difficult than it needs to be. Several model years from the 2010s into the 2020s have their battery located underneath the passenger seat. Similar to the Chevy Traverse, a panel needs to be removed from the floor to get to the battery compartment. Even with the seat slid forward, though, it will still be partially obstructed. Several tools are needed to change a car battery normally, but in some cars, you may need more to get the job done. Battery replacement can be a bigger job than you might expect, if you end up dealing with one of the worst battery placements possible.