Can this be a sign of a bad battery?

I have a 2011 Ford Fusion SE with 57,000 miles. I live in AZ and the heat is obviously brutal. My question is I had a hard time starting my car yesterday morning. I ran it fine to my location that I went to. When I was leaving there it was a sluggish start again, driving it back home was fine. Now last night I went to start it to drive it up the road and it started up normally. Can this be a battery issue? I feel like it is since my battery light came on. I mean I bought the car from a dealer back in February, and I have a feeling they didn't change the battery.

Bad battery all right. When I lived in Phoenix I never had a battery last through three summers. Here in Flagstaff 5-8 years is more typical. Something I saw in Phoenix but not elsewhere is intermittent batteries - the connection to the positive post cracks inside the case so it sometimes makes contact, sometimes not. Whacking hte post with a hammer restores contact for a while.

If that car still has the original battery it's between 3-4 years old, depending on when it was made. If that's the case it's on it's last legs, OEM batteries usually last about 4 years depending on use and conditions and as you said the heat in AZ probably doesn't do it any favors. Go to Autozone - they test them for free and they'll install a new one for free also. About $120 for that.

Batteries have a 4-yr life. Heat kills more batteries than cold. However, your symptoms sound more like dirty battery cable connections. Try cleaning them first before you condemn the battery.

Here are two good ways to test the battery and the alternator. Do these tests and you will figure out your problem. Sounds like a bad battery though!

Battery Test

Alternator Test

Great video's!

I recommend taking your Ford Fusion SE to the nearest Ford Dealer to be diagnosed. Our certified technicians will be able to advise you of the next steps to reach a resolution.

Locate a dealer near you and set up an appointment with the link below:

http://owner.ford.com/...ateADealer

Have a wonderful day!

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