Shop Gets A Comeback! Aftermarket Parts
video description
You want to think you can trust a parts store like Napa to carry quality stuff, but that hasn't always been my experience.
Date: 2021-12-23
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Comments and reviews: 9
100SteveB
30 or so years ago aftermarket parts were generally not too bad at all. But these days the market just seems to be flooded with cheap knock off's. What makes it worse is when those good good manufacturers off aftermarket parts end up going out of business due to the cheap knock off's that swamp the market. Then you get the problem of some really cheap manufacturer buying up the old trading name of the good company. Then they use that brand name to put on all their really cheap junk. One example I can think of straight away is Borg and Beck, the original company used to make some real quality aftermarket stuff - clutch and brake gear mainly I think, and over here in Europe it was a trusted brand. But they ended up out of business in the end, and the rights to the name were bought by another company, which now sells really cheap stuff under the original name.
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30 or so years ago aftermarket parts were generally not too bad at all. But these days the market just seems to be flooded with cheap knock off's. What makes it worse is when those good good manufacturers off aftermarket parts end up going out of business due to the cheap knock off's that swamp the market. Then you get the problem of some really cheap manufacturer buying up the old trading name of the good company. Then they use that brand name to put on all their really cheap junk. One example I can think of straight away is Borg and Beck, the original company used to make some real quality aftermarket stuff - clutch and brake gear mainly I think, and over here in Europe it was a trusted brand. But they ended up out of business in the end, and the rights to the name were bought by another company, which now sells really cheap stuff under the original name.
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Brian
I've had that problem before. Bought a blower motor and when I got home and opened it up, it looked used. So before I took the old one out, I plugged in the new one and it had a burnt bearing. I took it back and they ordered another one. Before I left the store, I opened it up to make sure it was new, and then I went out and plugged it in and it was worse than the other used one. They heard it all the way inside the store. When I walked back in, the manager told me he was ordering me the more expensive one and wasn't going to charge me the extra cost. They don't do business with the cheaper company anymore. Inferior parts are a good way to lose business.
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I've had that problem before. Bought a blower motor and when I got home and opened it up, it looked used. So before I took the old one out, I plugged in the new one and it had a burnt bearing. I took it back and they ordered another one. Before I left the store, I opened it up to make sure it was new, and then I went out and plugged it in and it was worse than the other used one. They heard it all the way inside the store. When I walked back in, the manager told me he was ordering me the more expensive one and wasn't going to charge me the extra cost. They don't do business with the cheaper company anymore. Inferior parts are a good way to lose business.
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TD
With the supply chain issues now is not the time for our cars to break down. But if and when mine does, it gets factory parts every time. The aftermarket and remanufactured stuff is all crap and even if it works up front I guarantee the life is about half that of a new OEM part, including batteries. Save a little money now and a lot of headaches later by putting in the better stuff the first time out. As most say in these comments, I do not blame aftermarket supply stores but most of the stuff they get has poor quality control. And no slight to Eric O either, he is one of the best I have seen and is only caring for his customers.
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With the supply chain issues now is not the time for our cars to break down. But if and when mine does, it gets factory parts every time. The aftermarket and remanufactured stuff is all crap and even if it works up front I guarantee the life is about half that of a new OEM part, including batteries. Save a little money now and a lot of headaches later by putting in the better stuff the first time out. As most say in these comments, I do not blame aftermarket supply stores but most of the stuff they get has poor quality control. And no slight to Eric O either, he is one of the best I have seen and is only caring for his customers.
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Pontificus
it's institutional fraud on a unprecedented scale.
everyone in the chain KNOWS what's going on.
all the parts retailers HAVE to know the return rate for every part category.
they know what PERCENTAGE of each part category will be returned.
BEFORE it's sold.
(it's all in the point of sale database)
they just don't know EXACTLY which BOXES have the bad ones in them.
and that's where YOU come in.
you are the QC guy.
and will be again for the next part they give you when you return the first BAD one.
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it's institutional fraud on a unprecedented scale.
everyone in the chain KNOWS what's going on.
all the parts retailers HAVE to know the return rate for every part category.
they know what PERCENTAGE of each part category will be returned.
BEFORE it's sold.
(it's all in the point of sale database)
they just don't know EXACTLY which BOXES have the bad ones in them.
and that's where YOU come in.
you are the QC guy.
and will be again for the next part they give you when you return the first BAD one.
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Mario
Eric I do understand your frustration but you didn't manufactor the parts either. The right thing would have been the customer to pay the difference in the parts prices and then you could have said I will fit it for free. Like this you wouldn't have lost twice. Just my 5 cents. Cust should understand and be taught that your level of mechanic skills took years to achieve and your profession is just as important as a doctor's profession, so take pride in that fact and that will make us all better people to one another. Have a blessed one.
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Eric I do understand your frustration but you didn't manufactor the parts either. The right thing would have been the customer to pay the difference in the parts prices and then you could have said I will fit it for free. Like this you wouldn't have lost twice. Just my 5 cents. Cust should understand and be taught that your level of mechanic skills took years to achieve and your profession is just as important as a doctor's profession, so take pride in that fact and that will make us all better people to one another. Have a blessed one.
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Colin
Dude, I wish I could find a mechanic like you. Had a weird sort of knocking sound from the suspension and took my car to the dealer to get it diagnosed and fixed.
They say, hey, it's the passenger cv axle and your link rods need replaced, that'll be 1800 bucks. So I say go ahead.
Two-day later I pick it up and the damn noise is still there. Take it back and now this time it's the driver cv axle. That's another 800.
In the end that fixed the noise but the damn dealer doesn't have the courtesy to comp you the part and labor?
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Dude, I wish I could find a mechanic like you. Had a weird sort of knocking sound from the suspension and took my car to the dealer to get it diagnosed and fixed.
They say, hey, it's the passenger cv axle and your link rods need replaced, that'll be 1800 bucks. So I say go ahead.
Two-day later I pick it up and the damn noise is still there. Take it back and now this time it's the driver cv axle. That's another 800.
In the end that fixed the noise but the damn dealer doesn't have the courtesy to comp you the part and labor?
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mikebing1230
Using aftermarket stuff is so hard because they are always in stock and usually ( but not always ) cheaper than dealer parts. If they don t work after long most people will warranty 12/12 the industry standard which is why we have parts markup to cover the potential labor cost of a comeback job. In my shop if the cust wanted factory parts on the comeback I would of charged him the diff in parts cost only and restarted by 12/12 with no addl charges. It s fair for both parties. And it s neither party s fault for the comeback.
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Using aftermarket stuff is so hard because they are always in stock and usually ( but not always ) cheaper than dealer parts. If they don t work after long most people will warranty 12/12 the industry standard which is why we have parts markup to cover the potential labor cost of a comeback job. In my shop if the cust wanted factory parts on the comeback I would of charged him the diff in parts cost only and restarted by 12/12 with no addl charges. It s fair for both parties. And it s neither party s fault for the comeback.
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Patrick
at least it wasn't a knock sensor buried under a manifold. I spent half my career as a dealer service tech, and I've seen the same thing inside the dealer parts chain. the repair parts that the parts department gets is not the same quality as the parts that the OEM vendor provides to the assembly line. I would rather go to the boneyard and get a previously enjoyed OEM original to the vehicle part than buying any aftermarket part or dealership part. Watch for the made in Taiwan in the fine print when you pick up dealer parts.
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at least it wasn't a knock sensor buried under a manifold. I spent half my career as a dealer service tech, and I've seen the same thing inside the dealer parts chain. the repair parts that the parts department gets is not the same quality as the parts that the OEM vendor provides to the assembly line. I would rather go to the boneyard and get a previously enjoyed OEM original to the vehicle part than buying any aftermarket part or dealership part. Watch for the made in Taiwan in the fine print when you pick up dealer parts.
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Jimmy
I don't know Mr. O!
Over here in Australia, we have a VERY STRONG aftermarket industry. I fitted aftermarket parts for 12 years and the throw backs are so few, I can't actually think of one. More often if it's a return it's because they've sent the wrong part, not for defects. Maybe it's a US thing?
Either way, I will only fit OEM if I'm specifically asked to (and even then I'll attempt to talk them out of it) and if it's my own car, aftermarket every time! (unless it's unavailable)
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I don't know Mr. O!
Over here in Australia, we have a VERY STRONG aftermarket industry. I fitted aftermarket parts for 12 years and the throw backs are so few, I can't actually think of one. More often if it's a return it's because they've sent the wrong part, not for defects. Maybe it's a US thing?
Either way, I will only fit OEM if I'm specifically asked to (and even then I'll attempt to talk them out of it) and if it's my own car, aftermarket every time! (unless it's unavailable)
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