Complaint about aftermarket parts

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Dear aftermarket parts industry I hope that you start every day by stepping on a lego for the rest of your life.

2014 Ford flex manually adjustable steering column.
I needed to replace the front lower control arms and my steering shaft which is dangerously close to becoming a blue tooth steering shaft.
Lets start with my first kick in the butt.
TTX control arms, I love them, greasable ball joints even comes with the hardware since its one time use hardware. So good so far. Bolt it up get the new hardware and put the front part in. The bolt they gave me is WAY WAY WAY bigger than what is stock. Thing 10 mm vs 13 mm diameter proportion wise.
Ok i guess they screwed up lets reuse the old bolt there I will call mevotech and complain.
Ok time to strip drivers side dash panels to get to the steering column to replace my almost blue tooth steering....
Ok lets take a look at the new part. Nice well greased U joint with a square fitting and a pinch bolt.
Lets take a look at my steering wheel... Oh ROUND knurled press fit....
You gave me a square hole for my round peg. Thanks a lot rock auto.....

Edit: this is out of stock at rock auto but before it sold out it said that it fit the manual column. now it doesnt say that...
ugh.
Might just take my column out and go to town with a cutoff wheel and a welder*


*I will actually ask a competent welder to weld.

 

[The Critic]

I'm waiting for someone to say "aftermarket parts are often equal or better than the original part."

 

[ripcord]

As a sometimes database developer, I can safely blame the database at least half the time. Wrong part, wrong car, wrong application.

 

[TomYoung]

I know that you may depend on this vehicle, but I would not install any of those non fitting parts.

 

[FowVay]

I looked up the part number and the OEM Ford part was only $20 more expensive than the RockAuto offered Dorman item. I'd get the OEM part from Ford.

Ford OEM P/N BB5Z-3B676-C ($320 on-line)

 

[researcher]

@FowVay I completely agree!! have seen this before..

It's amazing how many times I find that the Toyota part is not that much more $$$ than the aftermarket. On one aftermarket part it was more money for my friend's Mazda CX-5 than what Mazda wanted for it! insane..

but that's not helping @Rust_Belt_Pete right now.. actually maybe just get the motorcraft part and call it a day? At least you'll know it would fit and work properly.

 

[97prizm]

I'm waiting for someone to say "aftermarket parts are often equal or better than the original part."

Definitely this which doesn't help consumers in the least bit. My dad ordered fuel injectors for my 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier and I don't know what they were SUPPOSED to fit but the mesh filter wasn't the same.

 

[SC Maintenance]

If we only had OEM parts available, we would all be driving much newer cars because the old ones would be unfixable and crushed.

A single aftermarket supplier sent the wrong part obviously and you blast the whole industry. Your painting with too broad a brush.

If you ever have to buy a part that is only available OEM you pay through the nose - like $2500 Ford F150 tail lights. Aftermarket supply keeps OEM prices honest.

You also chose Mevotech which is not an OEM supplier to anyone. Not saying some Mevotech stuff isn't OK, but in the sphere of parts suppliers there down there with Dorman. I try to avoid the aftermarket only suppliers, but in fairness for some parts and some older vehicles there a blessing since there the only ones still making parts.

I used OEM control arms because they were $100 and aftermarket was $60. Based on the amount of work, OEM well worth it.

Conversely I used Hitachi ignition coils because they were $40 on RA and OEM which are made by Hitachi were $115.

The title to this thread is greatly unfair.

 

[Geekhead]

If we only had OEM parts available, we would all be driving much newer cars because the old ones would be unfixable and crushed.

A single aftermarket supplier sent the wrong part obviously and you blast the whole industry. Your painting with too broad a brush.

If you ever have to buy a part that is only available OEM you pay through the nose - like $2500 Ford F150 tail lights. Aftermarket supply keeps OEM prices honest.

You also chose Mevotech which is not an OEM supplier to anyone. Not saying some Mevotech stuff isn't OK, but in the sphere of parts suppliers there down there with Dorman. I try to avoid the aftermarket only suppliers, but in fairness for some parts and some older vehicles there a blessing since there the only ones still making parts.

I used OEM control arms because they were $100 and aftermarket was $60. Based on the amount of work, OEM well worth it.

Conversely I used Hitachi ignition coils because they were $40 on RA and OEM which are made by Hitachi were $115.

The title to this thread is greatly unfair.

Aftermarket fit and quality is a dice roll, you never know in advance what the outcome will be. I know Eric O on South Main Auto YouTube has nothing good to say about most aftermarket parts he attempts to use. For me I have had luck with brake pads and NGK ignition parts but that is about it.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

OEM part was 500 dollars. Aftermarket was 100. Its a decade old daily driver.

 

[TomYoung]

OEM part was 500 dollars. Aftermarket was 100. Its a decade old daily driver.

The price notwithstanding, it didn’t fit. Once you are welding, it’s closer to a wash. Maybe some other vendor can bring in a correct part for 250?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Someone else on here had a problem with Mevotech fitment too.

Rock Auto has the Motorcraft control arms for under $200 each. If you don't want to spend that much, the Delphi control arms are probably better than Mevotech and will actually fit. Delphi is an OE supplier.

And someone else found the OE steering shaft for you. Maybe if you're nice, @bdcardinal can give you a good price/BITOG discount

Aftermarket fit and quality is a dice roll, you never know in advance what the outcome will be. I know Eric O on South Main Auto YouTube has nothing good to say about most aftermarket parts he attempts to use. For me I have had luck with brake pads and NGK ignition parts but that is about it.

Brakes are wear items. Aftermarket can often be better in wear items like brakes and tires (and also oil and filters).

If we only had OEM parts available, we would all be driving much newer cars because the old ones would be unfixable and crushed.

A single aftermarket supplier sent the wrong part obviously and you blast the whole industry. Your painting with too broad a brush.

If you ever have to buy a part that is only available OEM you pay through the nose - like $2500 Ford F150 tail lights. Aftermarket supply keeps OEM prices honest.

You also chose Mevotech which is not an OEM supplier to anyone. Not saying some Mevotech stuff isn't OK, but in the sphere of parts suppliers there down there with Dorman. I try to avoid the aftermarket only suppliers, but in fairness for some parts and some older vehicles there a blessing since there the only ones still making parts.

I used OEM control arms because they were $100 and aftermarket was $60. Based on the amount of work, OEM well worth it.

Conversely I used Hitachi ignition coils because they were $40 on RA and OEM which are made by Hitachi were $115.

The title to this thread is greatly unfair.

This is also a good point. Aftermarket parts from OE suppliers are usually better than suppliers who aren't OE to anyone.

Dorman is hit or miss. The hit is mostly when Dorman is a fix for a bad OE design; usually these are metal replacements for OE plastic parts that like to break (such as 3800 coolant elbows), or the transmission pans with a drain plug when not equipped with a drain plug from the factory.

 

[TomYoung]

If we only had OEM parts available, we would all be driving much newer cars because the old ones would be unfixable and crushed.

A single aftermarket supplier sent the wrong part obviously and you blast the whole industry. Your painting with too broad a brush.

If you ever have to buy a part that is only available OEM you pay through the nose - like $2500 Ford F150 tail lights. Aftermarket supply keeps OEM prices honest.

You also chose Mevotech which is not an OEM supplier to anyone. Not saying some Mevotech stuff isn't OK, but in the sphere of parts suppliers there down there with Dorman. I try to avoid the aftermarket only suppliers, but in fairness for some parts and some older vehicles there a blessing since there the only ones still making parts.

I used OEM control arms because they were $100 and aftermarket was $60. Based on the amount of work, OEM well worth it.

Conversely I used Hitachi ignition coils because they were $40 on RA and OEM which are made by Hitachi were $115.

The title to this thread is greatly unfair.

I don’t know about “greatly unfair.” We are probably in agreement, or at least ninety percent of us, that there is a quality range of aftermarket parts. The OP got burned on this one, I think because of having the wrong part. I understand the frustration. My experience with Chinese parts has been hit or miss, but mostly “hit,” to be honest. I remember taking my 250,000 mile Acura to a Honda/Acura specialist, who yelled at me for all the Moog stuff in the front suspension. I think that the OEM/retrofit decisions are difficult and require thought. I will say that I always feel hosed when I have to buy Honda OEM parts in the clear bag with red and white printing, but also like the feeling of it just fitting correctly when you get it in.

 

[SC Maintenance]

The price notwithstanding, it didn’t fit. Once you are welding, it’s closer to a wash. Maybe some other vendor can bring in a correct part for 250?

I have gotten the wrong part from the dealer. The catalog was wrong there too.

I worked in a GM dealer as a kid and lots of parts were wrong there also, especially on vehicles built very late in the model year or very early in the next.

I am not defending anyone, but OEM is far from perfect and good luck maintaining a car after 10 years without the aftermarket. I just did a clock spring for my Nissan. Aftermarket was $35. OEM was $330. Car is 17 years old and has 400K miles.

 

[D60]

I do think most indys would agree at least ~15-30% of their time is spent battling aftermarket fitment issues.

If they're like me, you tend to forget it -- in truth I think my brain represses it as a survival mechanism. Otherwise I'd just give up, sell all my stuff and join a monastery high in the mountains.

And I still maintain we'd all happily pay 20-50% more for a part if it were better. Dorman strives to sell a $10 widget. I'd be VERY happy with $15 if it fit better or lasted more than two days. That extra money goes a LONG way in Chinese production.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Mevotech ttx was supposed to be better than oem.
Any way I just got a call back from mevotech, they told me to call rock auto becasue that's where i bought it.
Rock auto will want to do a return. So basically im screwed. Reused the old hardware lesson learned

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Also apparently the only way to get my type of steering shaft is to get one from Ford for 500 bucks.
I feel some kind of way about this.

 

[TomYoung]

Mevotech ttx was supposed to be better than oem.
Any way I just got a call back from mevotech, they told me to call rock auto becasue that's where i bought it.
Rock auto will want to do a return. So basically im screwed. Reused the old hardware lesson learned

What lesson? Returning the wrong part seems like the correct first step to me...

 

[Capt W]

I hope that you start every day by stepping on a lego for the rest of your life.

If nothing else, this is an awesome curse that I'll have to eventually plagiarize!

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Returning the part?
This is a huge pain in the butt, dealing with rock auto return process is not pleasant.
I need a working car and my ball joint was gone and it was eating my tire like a fat kid at a willy Wonka chocolate factory.
I reused the old hardware. I work 6 days a week, I have a wife a d a house to take care of, I have sick and blind grandparents to take care of. I don't have time for returns. Getting the correct bolt size should not be that hard. Sending out the correct bolt size should not be that hard.
They did neither of those things.