# Pricing On-Line parts - How do you choose ?



## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

> six choices to choose from.


They seem to post a lot of info, most irrelevant, to hide the fact that the few things you need to know are not posted.

Price doesn't mean quality.

Kia seems to lie a lot, even about the wire sizes. Some car makers even put booby traps to punish indep. shops. Whose to stop them?

I buy parts hands-on from NAPA. Sometimes the counter persons are former mechs.

If an honest & competent mech couidn't do it, your odds are not good, and your odds of finding a competent & honest mech are probably 1 in 9.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

my NAPA parts store is about 6 blocks from me - that is my "go to" place for critical car parts.
(Autozone is basically across the street - walking distance).
I was just price shopping on this project for comparison purposes and then on the ignition coil for another car and I was just taken-aback with the scattered information and exorbitant price differences.
this is what got me to ask the question - - - what makes you decide on which part over the other with such fragmented descriptive data and price range.
how long will the $9.00 part actually last ? how long will the $53.00 part actually last ? never mind the "life time warranty" - that is just a gimmick that means when the part fails, you get a new one free.


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

I might have an answer to another question. 
An auto industry insider told me about "hidden warranties". Your Kia Zone Rep may help you with that if you can get his contact info.
At least he may tell you about Technical Service Bulletins on this problem.

With the part, ask many people. Sometimes fragments of truth are in what you hear.

Except for my Subaru getting flooded I guess I haven't had that many car problems. I still have a vacuum gauge & a neon timing light but haven't used them for years.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

@John Smith_inFL , Quatsch can't see my responses, so I'll just have to interject my opinions. I check Rock Auto often for parts for my Cummins. I do look for the manufacturer. Some are less than genuine, while others are gold plated. So sometimes I hit the middle of the road and have never been disappointed.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Unless I'm buying more than $100 of parts at one time, I find that Ebay or Amazon usually beat RA, once you include the shipping. Unlike the issues some others have apparently had, I haven't had any problems getting the right parts or with the quality of anything I've gotten from RA. I've rarely had issues with Amazon or Ebay, either. Even before the recent shipping issues, I avoided anything shipped from mainland China, and was very cautious with items from Hong Kong.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Nothing from ebay. Period.
Not really Amazon, unless it's reputable manufacturer.
I normally look them up, parts, through online dealers, find OEM part number then Google that particular part number. Then, price determines. But, at least, I get OEM part or direct replacement.
I will not buy from unknown company.
In stores, I do second from the bottom price. That tends to be reasonable price and quality. I also build good relationship with sales guys in store, so they are honest with me.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Hey John, when buying parts I will go with a brand name that I know is good, Denso and others. I tried some of their cheaper parts, not good results.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

BigJim said:


> That KIA had to have the timing belt changed at about 64,000 miles.


I began inspecting the timing belt on my 2002 Sedona at about 80,000 miles, and changed it at 115,000 miles, when it started showing cracks. 

I decided to change out the crank position sensor while I had everything apart for the timing belt. That turned out to be a mistake because I didn't use threadlocker on the bolts that hold the sensor on, and they came loose. My Sedona alternated between bogging down, similar to what the OP described, and occasionally surging. There were no DTCs; nothing that the shop that did the diagnostic could see, either. 

On their advice I took it to the stealership for a diagnostic. Big mistake. They started off by telling me it needed a new timing belt, and several other things, none of which were actually needed, and wanted over $1800 to fix them. When I informed the service manager the timing belt had less than 10,000 miles on it ($100 part + 4 hours of my time to replace), he made some excuse of how there must have been a misunderstanding with his service tech. The next call, he told me the timing idler was rattling and could seize up, so they wouldn't run it to do the diagnostic. It wasn't the timing belt idler, but the serpentine belt idler that was getting worn, which I knew and planned on replacing. When I came in to pick it up, they handed me a bill for $110 for the diagnostic they refused to do. After arguing with them for nearly 30 minutes, I agreed to pay, and they agreed to do the diagnostic, once I had fixed the rattle. I changed the idler that was bad and the timing idler. In the process, I found that crankshaft position sensor barely hanging on by one bolt, replaced it (with threadlocker this time), and that solved the problem. Still ticks me off I paid them for nothing.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I have had a similar experience at a stealership. My ABS light came on and I diagnosed it to be the controller under the hood. I found one and replaced it. No good, as it turned out to be VIN specific and I needed it flashed to my VIN. Took it to a stealership and when I picked it up, they presented me with a bill for $100 stating they could not flash it. I asked what they did and they said "nothing". They did not have the equipment to flash the ABS module.

From there I can't print what happened. It wasn't nice.


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

I do rock auto at least once a week. I go to NAPA and find my part. Go to RO and find my brand and part number the same as NAPA. Compare prices and buy. I'm in the business so I know which brand is good and which is not. At RO, buy in the blue or better zone. The economy zone is junk like auto zone.


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

I caught a dealership trying to cheat me on car payments by 2%. . . I had the amortization table in a handheld calculator. 
Their smiley face went away in a microsecond & they got not one dime from me.

One guy somehow got a good deal on a car so the dealership sued to overturn it. 

They are bad & getting worse. Who's going to stop them?


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

quatsch said:


> I caught a dealership trying to cheat me on car payments by 2%. . . I had the amortization table in a handheld calculator.


I had one try to cheat me on the price by $1000 - had me financing the total "out-the-door" price, after I gave them a check for a $1000 down payment, but I knew what my payment was supposed to be, so I caught it. *Always have something that can calculate payments with interest if you're financing at the stealership*. Better yet, finance through your bank or credit union.


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## Half-fast eddie (Sep 19, 2020)

HotRodx10 said:


> Better yet, finance through your bank or credit union.


Bingo.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

or pay cash


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

I pay cash. 

IMO sociopaths are drawn to st[d]ealerships, conning comes naturally to them.

If you really want to "short their circuit", ask the guy if he is authorized to negotiate for the dealership. Almost certainly he is not.

(And, BTW, not just my opinion, sadists become prize fighters, football players or surgeons.)


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Fix'n it said:


> or pay cash


Obviously, that's the best way to avoid financing hassles...


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

Once i was buying rotors from autozone and they had good, better, best, at ever higher prices, which had longer warranties. The clerk said they are all the very same rotor. Iv used RA a few times and the parts were fine. Bought a radiator once for my K2500 Silverado ,the big oversized one was cheaper than the standard one cuz it was more popular model number made in larger quantities im guessing.


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