Parts thease days....

[yella71]

Or should I say junk parts . seems like at least half the time some part I get is no good right out of the box. My business Is auto/truck repair so I buy or see a lot of parts. just yesterday a NEW auto zone water pump... no good,( I did not buy it I will not sell auto zone parts) bolted it on and it hit the inside of the timing cover and would not turn. Junk. New brake valves for my challenger leak fluid, Junk. I have been doing this for the better part of 30 years, I feel like its gotten worse maybe its just me. Have parts always been junk? how the hell do you get anything fixed? Ive about had it with this industry, now my car got hit and needs the front bumper fixed ,I do not want an AMD one so I need to find a good chrome shop.......Yeah that's an oxymoron ,the paint needs to be fixed and I need a good paint shop....also an oxy moron........

 

[Andew Sury]

I feel the opposite here. In the trade 30 years and my own gig for 15. Very rarely does something come out the box jacked anymore but I am very diligent where my parts are sourced. We only get paid once to put them on. I can't remember the last time I put a wear part on that was defective. And my parts guy is my business best friend. I was told by my parts guy that I had a .25% warranty parts return, so I do feel lucky.

But here in South Florida I don't do Autozone, Advance, Pep Boys, Orielys, or Napa. And I very rarely use Dorman or Cardone.

 

[Bill Monk]

I've had good luck with NAPA but when it comes to sourcing parts for our cars, it's a crap shoot. I've bought both good parts and junk so yeah I feel your pain

 

[moparlee]

I feel the opposite here. In the trade 30 years and my own gig for 15. Very rarely does something come out the box jacked anymore but I am very diligent where my parts are sourced. We only get paid once to put them on. I can't remember the last time I put a wear part on that was defective. And my parts guy is my business best friend. I was told by my parts guy that I had a .25% warranty parts return, so I do feel lucky.

But here in South Florida I don't do Autozone, Advance, Pep Boys, Orielys, or Napa. And I very rarely use Dorman or Cardone.

So can you tell us where you do source your parts? Dealers?

 

[Big Bad Dad]

I have been a hobbyist, and worked on cars for over 40 years, including a few years employed in a large local auto parts/ machine shop operation. I have noticed more failures on my stuff in the last few years, and I believe the Chinese parts have a big part of the blame.

 

[Andew Sury]

So can you tell us where you do source your parts? Dealers?

90% of my parts come from a company called The Parts House. Delco dealer, Mopar dealer, as ell as a Motorcraft dealer.

Although I called them Toilet Paper House when an Altima engine mount took 90 minutes to get here with the customer waiing for it.

 

[Cranky]

The last made in China part I bought was from AZ....and that was an in the tank fuel pump for a Dakota and it crapped out in just under two weeks. I was pissed and ordered a new one from Rock Auto of all places. Thing is, it was made in the USA and looked exactly like the original and the one from AZ didn't. That was my last straw. Was able to communicate with a rep at RA and said if the part had made in China on it, I'd be sending it back and they came through. I won't accept any part made in China unless I can't find one made anywhere else. Imo, the people in China don't give a crap probably because they are under paid and having to live like they do. Heck, they still have child slave labor there too. I'm not going to support that if I can help it...

 

[flypaper]

Whenever possible on ALL of my cars
Even my daily drivers
I search for new OEM parts and sometimes
Even used if it isn't a wear item.
Would rather spend the extra dollar upfront
Then have to do it again in 3 months.
Learned my lesson years ago

 

[451Mopar]

After having cheap disk brake rotors warp, I have been using the "Power Stop" parts and have not had issues with them.
Rock auto often has several quality levels of different brand name parts, but often with rebuilt parts, your limited to the same parts everyone else sells.

 

[Cranky]

Got done doing a front end on a 69 road runner a couple of month ago and the owner brought me all Shinese junk. He has another car he wants me to do and told him no way if he brings China made crap again. Had to weld the upper ball joints to the control arms!!!! HTH!? And none of the castle nuts aligned with the cotter pin holes.....ie, they went past the holes and the pins didn't go through any of the slots in the nuts. Another guy brought over his 'A' arms so I could install new China made ball joints and my socket didn't even fit them. Screw that crap!

 

[barbee6043]

I used to shop price, now I shop price and hopefully quality.

Not to make this a P & P discussion, but the American public has been sold out. We know it, just took most if us a while to admit it.

 

[vintage chromoly]

We have a saying in our local car group.
“If it comes in a box, ready to bolt on, it will definitely need work”

Couple from me lately:
-Brand new crower EDM lifters (not cheap) one out of 16 missing it’s EDM hole

-bought a set of Carrillo pistons and the rings were included (again, not cheap)
One ring was egg shaped

-friend bought a new 850 CFM Quick fuel carb and it had the wrong boosters in it.

-another buddy bought a pair of AFR “ready to run” heads and one head had the wrong springs on it.

Bottom line is you better check everything!

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have been a hobbyist, and worked on cars for over 40 years, including a few years employed in a large local auto parts/ machine shop operation. I have noticed more failures on my stuff in the last few years, and I believe the Chinese parts have a big part of the blame.

Agreed. I just had a repro Bendix master cylinder with only only a couple hundred miles on it fail last week. Probably made in China.

 

[threewood]

I definitely trust new, non oem parts less. I recently had a fuel pump bad out of the box. It was sold by O'Reilly and had a lifetime warranty. $120. Made in China. One way valve didn't hold fuel pressure, made it a bitch to start when hot. Returned it for a refund, never again. OEM cost more but it works.

 

[Slap Stick]

Don't blame China for bad parts. They are building toss parts for another company that sets the specs, usually a name brand in the US.

 

[threewood]

Don't blame China for bad parts. They are building toss parts for another company that sets the specs, usually a name brand in the US.

China and their workers are 100% to blame for low quality parts. Manufacturers give them their specs and if they are not watched closely they will do whatever it takes to save money. The good parts, tools, etc. are done by companies that keep a close watch on them. They should build to spec but will often just reverse engineer a part from a sample.

 

[Budnicks]

check country of origin & assembly 1st

it helps support our economy,
by American built & assembled in America 1st

it doesn't take much more time or $$$
to get quality party & a fair price
these big chain "discount" parts stores
are full of cheap crap (foreign) parts

I've had decent luck with Napa, or Local Napa/Debco Store
I always ask for made in the USA parts, when ever possible

I use Summit Racing for almost everything else
great customer service & great return policies, bar none
for OE style & name brand part along with aftermarket parts

 

[69L48Z27]

I’m a Rock Auto fan. I get to choose the brand and price point on really anything they have. I’ve been very lucky with my replacement parts, nothing to complain about here. I usually chose a middle of the road name brand. Moog, Bendix, Standard, Gates, Continental, Spicer, etc.

AZ and AAP scare me. Everything comes in the same box and you have no idea what it is and where it came from.

 

[Slap Stick]

China and their workers are 100% to blame for low quality parts. Manufacturers give them their specs and if they are not watched closely they will do whatever it takes to save money. The good parts, tools, etc. are done by companies that keep a close watch on them. They should build to spec but will often just reverse engineer a part from a sample.

INCORRECT.
The manufacturer is to blame and if its a contract manufacturer then the company who let the contract is to blame.
Employees build it and if it meets spec but the spec is set low, don't blame the guy building it for low quality.

If it doesn't meet spec and the company lets it go out the door the company is to blame.
Since we know the parts are crap the company does, too. They are to blame.
Quality is only as good as the company allows.