Buying car parts

[Bigtanker]

I needed new shocks for my 12 year old pick up. I called the local part stores to check prices. The mid grade shock (Monroe Gas Magnum) was $55 at AutoZone, Advance an O'reilys. I remember seeing an ad for RockAuto.com in one of my gun mags so I decided to check them out. Same part number, $28. So I put a pair of the front and rears in my cart to see what shipping would be. $16 for 3 day shipping. So for a few cents under $130, I had the box on my door on Wednesday, I ordered on Sunday night. I was able to get the $30 rebate also. $235 local with tax - $30 rebate or $130 - $30 rebate.

When I put the shocks on I noticed one of my sway bar links was broke. Called the parts store, $39. RockAuto $10 + $6 shipping.

So as long as I don't need the part right now, I'm going on-line from now on.

 

[Bennettjh]

I've used RockAuto a couple times. No complaints at all. A/C compressors IIRC.

 

[Brandon]

This is how I have been buying parts for a while now. Also (more so for the BMW's than my truck) I have been reading on which companies make OEM parts to get the same part without the BMW logo on said part.

 

[Crbn79]

I needed new shocks for my 12 year old pick up. I called the local part stores to check prices. The mid grade shock (Monroe Gas Magnum) was $55 at AutoZone, Advance an O'reilys. I remember seeing an ad for RockAuto.com in one of my gun mags so I decided to check them out. Same part number, $28. So I put a pair of the front and rears in my cart to see what shipping would be. $16 for 3 day shipping. So for a few cents under $130, I had the box on my door on Wednesday, I ordered on Sunday night. I was able to get the $30 rebate also. $235 local with tax - $30 rebate or $130 - $30 rebate.

When I put the shocks on I noticed one of my sway bar links was broke. Called the parts store, $39. RockAuto $10 + $6 shipping.

So as long as I don't need the part right now, I'm going on-line from now on.

I used to use Rockauto all the time until I needed a part in a few days and didn't want to pay $30 shipping. Just for the heck of it I checked Amazon. They had it same price with free 2 day shipping with my prime membership. Since then I've checked amazon once I get part numbers from Rockauto, everytime the parts have been the same price or less with Amazon.

 

[mom45]

I google search parts for our trucks and motorcycles all the time. Lawnmower, chain saws, etc. Same deal. I find stuff online way cheaper than the local auto parts stores so if it is not something that is urgently needed, I will buy online. We try to support our local parts stores as much as possible since it makes returns easier if you get the wrong thing, but sometimes you just can't beat the online prices.

 

[indyjohn]

I've had good luck with RockAuto as well and good luck with a return to them. I have stayed away from eBay and I guess I would give Amazon a try.

 

[Gluemanz28]

The coil pack went out on my wife's Taurus. I drove it to Advance Auto and had them put it on the machine to check it and they confirmed it was the coil pack.

The guy looked it up and said they had it in stock. I asked him the part number while standing at the counter. He gave me the part number and I ordered it online to be picked up at the same store I was standing in. I googled coupon codes before the order and got a 20% off code.

I placed the order with code and within five minutes it popped up on his computer. He was really cool about it and even said he was going to do the same thing since his discount was less than that. IIRC is was a savings of $17.

 

[jgressley2003]

I worked in auto parts for 10 years and I was surprised how good of business we did when Rock Auto sells stuff so much cheaper. But as impatient as people are, same day service goes a long way.

 

[CindyE]

We've bought parts for my Jeep on Amazon, as well as parts for appliances. I too, try to support local businesses, but sometimes the internet wins.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I made the switch a few years ago.

Brake components: much better selection at better prices, for example, the OEM pads on my wife's vehicle are $$$ (over $200 for a full set), but the OEM pads are made by Akebono and if you ask them they will tell you that their ProACT premium pads are as close as you can possibly get to the OEM pad material without infringing on GM's patented material. A full set of the Akebono ProACT pads is $115 from rockauto and not even available from any of the local stores.

I also recently replaced my MAF on my car, Advanced price was ~$150, rockauto price was $80 for aftermarket with lifetime warranty.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

What do you do for core value on something like an alternator? Just forgo that and scrap it?

 

[CountryBoy19]

What do you do for core value on something like an alternator? Just forgo that and scrap it?

Some items on rockauto.com have a core charge and some don't. I don't have any experience with this but I do know that they have a process for sending the core back.

 

[mom45]

I do buy brake pads at the local Advance Auto. They have a lifetime warranty so they just keep giving me a new pair when mine wear out. I don't know how they do that, but the one time I had bought the premium ones. When I went in for the next set, they no longer carried those. They gave me the next best thing they had and cash back on the worn out ones.

Same thing with other items that carry a lifetime warranty...sometimes it pays to pay that little bit extra up front if you plan to keep a vehicle forever like I do.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I do buy brake pads at the local Advance Auto. They have a lifetime warranty so they just keep giving me a new pair when mine wear out. I don't know how they do that, but the one time I had bought the premium ones. When I went in for the next set, they no longer carried those. They gave me the next best thing they had and cash back on the worn out ones.

Same thing with other items that carry a lifetime warranty...sometimes it pays to pay that little bit extra up front if you plan to keep a vehicle forever like I do.

Good point, the brake pads I put on my daily driver last were from advance (I don't think I had heard of rockauto at that time). They are getting to the point of needing replaced and I'm pretty certain I bought the premium with lifetime warranty so before I order replacements from rockauto I intend to verify if they have a lifetime replacement on them.

As far as "how they do that", not very many people keep the same car long enough to go through multiple sets of pads. If they charge a 50% premium on the lifetime warranty then as long as less than 50% of the people come back needing a replacement they are making extra money selling the warranty. IIRC the warranty isn't transferable so once the car is sold the warranty ceases. Brakes last quite a while (IIRC I've had my current pads for 20-40k miles or maybe more because it's been so long I can't remember), they are banking on most people selling the car or completely forgetting that the pads had a lifetime replacement on them. Just like the fuel pumps etc; they last forever, unless you get a lemon. Most people will forget the next time it fails and won't even utilize the warranty.

Slightly off topic: I have gotten advance to honor the warranty on a battery purchased by the guy 2 owners before myself on my truck. The previous owner was my father, and the guy he bought it from bought the battery as a condition of sale of the vehicle so the local Advanced manager used his discretion, recognizing that the guy that bought the battery actually didn't "own" the truck anymore and my father was the actual owner of the truck, and he replaced it.

 

[steveh_131]

I purchase most of my parts at advance auto.

Typically I can find a coupon for 30% off or $40 off a $100 order (online only), and I stack my items in such a way to get almost the full 40% off.

This makes the prices nearly equivalent to amazon, but I can pick it up that day.

Google some coupons next time you're looking for parts.

 

[Bigtanker]

I worked at Advance for 6 years part time. We always did everything possible to make the customer happy. There is still a need for them and I still go there. The brake pads warranty is one reason I still shop there. They will have good sales on oil change products too.

 

[steveh_131]

I worked at Advance for 6 years part time. We always did everything possible to make the customer happy. There is still a need for them and I still go there. The brake pads warranty is one reason I still shop there. They will have good sales on oil change products too.

Do you know if they still make money when I place orders online for store pickup?

I like the guys there.

 

[Bigtanker]

Do you know if they still make money when I place orders online for store pickup?

I like the guys there.

I quit in 2008. I changed careers and no longer needed 2 jobs. I'm not sure when they started the online stuff with in-store-pickup.

One thing I noticed was what the parts stores paid their employees. O'Reillys and Advance paid more per hour than AutoZone. Almost $3.00 more. So the people with a better knowledge of vehicles usually went to Advance and O'Reillys. AutoZone hired a lot of younger kids that didn't have a lot of experience.

 

[jgressley2003]

What do you do for core value on something like an alternator? Just forgo that and scrap it?

Anything with a core charge is rebuilt

 

[jgressley2003]

Do you know if they still make money when I place orders online for store pickup?

I like the guys there.

I'm sure they make money