Battery

I have a battery problem that I think started 9/23/09 when an improper battery was installed on that date. This was a NAPA 6026R which lasted until 11/27/10. It was replaced with a NAPA7524F which I am informed is the correct battery for this vehicle. This batery failed on 3/12//12. On 2/21/13 this battery failed and I have another NAPA7524F. Alternator and starter have been tested and are working properly. These batteries are not just run down, they are dead. Year of car is 2002 and serial number is JTEHF21A920075959

Any ideas?

The 26 and 24 series batteries are simply a slightly different physical dimention from each other ( the size of the box ) not WRONG… just different. ( 26 IS 9"x7"x8", the 24 is 11"x7"x 9" )
The CCA may have also been different from the original.
If ever it were installed wrong , the batter cables would have been reversed, positive for negative , and you would have had major problem from the instant they were installed.

What was the CCA of the original battery ? I see 600 cca and more when I look one up for your 02 Toyota Highlander.
What was the CCA of the 26 series that was put in next ?
and the CCA of the 24 series ?
Maybe they put a battery without sufficient amperage ( THAT would in fact be ‘‘wrong’’ ) and that would explain its early demise. This is often the case when Joe Customer looks only at price and states ‘’ I just want the cheapest. "

Any automotive battery that is drawn too far down too many times ( even though the cars starts…it has sucked way too much out of the battery each time ) will die early unless you buy a deep cycle battery or a higher amperage. Automotive batteries are shallow cylce meaning they’re supposed to be recharged after each drain .
I run into this myself alot with my 79 Chevy pickup because of how long it is parked between uses and the battery will need jumped. Too much of this and I’m putting in batteries every two years or so. Since then I’ve gotten a little solar trickle charger to keep the battery up while parked and that seems to extend the life of the battery sufficiently.

How many miles do you put on your car a year? Is it a lot of short trip driving? Does your car sit for long periods of time? Do youpower anything unusual with your car ? What is the climate where you are?

less than 3000 miles a year, mostly short trips, 2-3 times a year exceeding 150 miles, used every day, no unusual power uses, kept in garage, moderate mountain climate, 7500 ft in elevation

You either have a parasitic battery drain or a charging system problem. Loose alternator belt, bad connections at the battery or alternator or a bad ground connection. A current meter can be used to measure the drain of the circuits.

Low miles and mostly short trips means the battery is in a low charged state most of the time. Batteries will deteriorate much faster when they are not fully charged. You should use a battery tender charger. Hook it up every two weeks and leave it hooked up until you need to use the car. Overnight might not be enough to bring the battery back up to a full charge, since this is really a “trickle charger” with circuits to protect the battery from overcharging.

I vote for parasitic drain.

I have a car which gets driven every few months. In between then, it is not started. Yet it starts without a problem, every time. I do not use a trickle charger.