Parts are going to go up...

Joined
Sep 26, 2012
Messages
198
Location
WI
I don't often post here, but I am a frequent lurker and have been in the industry for years. I do believe this is about to get worse before things may get better, in my opinion

BurrWinder
 
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PGI-made filters are the darling of the forum right now, it'll be interesting to see where pricing goes in the next 3 months.
 
Between this First Brands fiasco and general tariffs, labor costs and scale it seems inevitable and probably substantial. Also seems like less competition for the market in general doesn't help. ( same part marketed under different labels )
 
Simple everyday wear items like brake rotors, which are typically made from steel
:rolleyes:


I'm sitting here wondering why parts are so cheap. Brake rotors for $8-9 on rockauto, overstocks from Advance, and before that, Pep Boys?

Then again Oreilly's tried to get $474 out of me for an ABS sensor I got elsewhere for $16. One can blame ta***fs for raw material pricing but there sure seem to be a lot of middlemen out there between the part factory and my garage.

I have a HEALTHY stash of filters, oil, and tires. Buy before you need it. Having an extra run-around car pays for itself too, which not everyone can wrangle.
 
Or else they just go obsolete. Lookup up front pads on a 1997 Ranger and the Motorcraft pads were obsolete. Also had someone call on a 2000 E-150, front pads were obsolete as well as the front bearings and races and master cylinder.
 
Well the avg price of a new vehicle is now $50K. That's a lot of money for many. So most people will be buying parts to keep their vehicles running. Even if the price of parts goes up.
New cars are made out of... parts!
 
I tend not to believe stuff from the Drive. Or really most auto media these days.

However if its true that might be a good thing. If parts are too expensive and labor is too expensive maybe the price of used will go down - and the cheap beater for those that can patch them together will return.
 
If parts are too expensive and labor is too expensive maybe the price of used will go down - and the cheap beater for those that can patch them together will return.
No. The "hump" in pricing will take forever to pass through second and third owners. Unless there's a massive repo action and the banks absorb the losses, selling cars for less than they have into them in equity. And when the banks lose, they whine to the government, get bailed out, and honest taxpayers lose.

Best you can hope for is someone deciding to sell econoboxes here again, they get into the used pipeline, and make decent cheap secondhand cars. There ARE small cars being made in the world, just not imported here, and they could be quite quickly if someone decides it's a good business decision. People say "Honda doesn't sell the Fit" but they mean "Honda-USA" the importer.
 
Or else they just go obsolete. Lookup up front pads on a 1997 Ranger and the Motorcraft pads were obsolete. Also had someone call on a 2000 E-150, front pads were obsolete as well as the front bearings and races and master cylinder.
You can add the pinch bolts for struts on a 2005 model year Ford. All the above is fortunately available in the aftermarket.
 
Well the avg price of a new vehicle is now $50K. That's a lot of money for many. So most people will be buying parts to keep their vehicles running. Even if the price of parts goes up.
The average age of vehicles on the road hit 12.6 years in 2024. I'm surprised it's not higher but it might be in the coming years.
 
The average age of vehicles on the road hit 12.6 years in 2024. I'm surprised it's not higher but it might be in the coming years.
It would be interesting to know the average age of vehicles for BITOG members.

I assume BITOG members know how to keep the drivetrain running longer than the average driver. Obviously if your vehicle gets totaled in an accident it does not matter how well the drivetrain was maintained.
 
It would be interesting to know the average age of vehicles for BITOG members.

I assume BITOG members know how to keep the drivetrain running longer than the average driver. Obviously if your vehicle gets totaled in an accident it does not matter how well the drivetrain was maintained.
1965 thru 2024. Wish I had more garages....
 
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