Sydney woman shares wild story of how her car battery died after her tire was stabbed in a Canberra carpark

When you're packing for a camping trip or a road trip, you want to be focused on the fun stuff, not your car's battery. But, as much as good mates, good vibes and a good playlist, a healthy battery can be the superhero of any journey. There’s no road trip or camping getaway if your car can’t get there in the first place. A dead battery can turn any adventure into a major headache, especially if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere.

On top of that, when you're camping, it powers everything from your fridge and lights to your phone and speaker. Using your main battery for all this can drain it super fast, leaving you stranded. This is where a deep-cycle battery comes in, designed to power your gear for a long time without dying.

Don't let a dead battery ruin your next trip. Stopping at Battery World, for example, can help you get ready. They offer free battery health checks to make sure your ride is good to go. Need to power your campsite? They've got you covered with a huge range of deep-cycle batteries, dual-battery setups, and portable power stations. The Battery World team can help you find the right setup for your adventure. Visit your local Battery World — there’s over 110 of them — to get the gear and advice you need to stay powered up, no matter where the road takes you.

We’ve been gathering tales from readers about their own battery disasters, and these next two submissions are truly on another level. Bad luck can strike anyone, but a dead battery doesn’t have to.

Chloe, NSW

“My friend's engagement party in Canberra was amazing, but the journey home was a total nightmare. I was driving back on a Sunday, feeling a little hungover, and all I wanted was some fast food. We pulled into the parking lot instead of using the drive-thru — a decision I'd soon regret.”

“After grabbing our food, we got back to the car and tried to reverse out, but something was wrong. The front tire was dragging on the concrete. I got out to check, and it was completely flat — somehow, it had been fully punctured. I called roadside assistance, but they never showed up. We ended up waiting eight hours in that car park.”

“As if things weren't bad enough, the car battery decided to die while we were waiting. We had been sitting there for hours, listening to the radio to pass the time, and when we tried to start the car again, all we got was a click. Just a few hours into our eight-hour wait, the battery gave up, turning our car into a useless metal box. We couldn't even try to drive off on the flat tire. It was official — we were completely stranded.”

“After an endless wait, we finally gave up on roadside assistance and called a local business. They came with a new tire, and when they looked at the old one, they told me someone had deliberately put a knife through it. I had to pay $400 for a new tire, all because of a moment of bad luck — or bad parking.”

Bec, NSW

“On a solo road trip to Mudgee, I was just going over the Blue Mountains when something bizarre happened. I was driving my five-door hatchback at about 60 km/h, singing along to my pop girlie playlist, when my dashboard suddenly went blank. It literally said ‘Goodbye’ just like it does when you turn the key off. My accelerator stopped working, and the car had turned off, but the radio was still playing.”

“I didn't panic. There was a car behind me, but I managed to put on my hazards and pull over into a patch of grass since there was no shoulder. The car behind me passed, and I turned my key off and then on again. The car started right up. I was so confused but kept driving until I found a shoulder. I pulled over and called my dad, and we checked everything — it all seemed fine. I had to get to Mudgee, so I continued the drive, and the car was fine on the way home, too.”

“A week later, the same thing happened again, but this time I was on the Hume Highway going 100 km/h. My car said "Goodbye" and turned off, and the accelerator stopped working. I was terrified.”

“After that scare, I immediately put the car in for a service. My green slip was due, so I asked them to specifically check the electrical system, thinking something was seriously wrong. After all the extra checks, it turned out that all I needed was a new battery. I had paid a lot of money for the extra checks, which was frustrating since they would have likely caught the battery issue during the regular green slip inspection anyway.”