Rockauto.com

[Kestas]

I once bought both coil packs for my car from Rockauto. I had to return one of them that went bad after one month. They asked how I knew it was bad and not something else. I told them that I switched the coil pack with the coil pack next to it, and the problem moved with the coil pack. Plus, I had the old, but good, coil pack in my posession, and switching it made the problem go away.

They came back with some canned questions about checking the fuel delivery system and a few other things, which was rather frustrating and somewhat infuriating. I politely told them my diagnosis was sound and bulletproof and no further diagnosis was needed. After that they agreed to warranty the part.

Otherwise, they've been good with parts and service and I'll continue buying from them.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
....I use this site to purchase a lot of my parts and will also buy bulk oil filters......


I bought like 4 boxes of those Pentius oil filters when they first showed up. I didn't know if it was a one-time thing that they were so cheap or not. All my Hondas use the same filter so why not?

 

[Kruse]

I buy locally, but also from RockAuto (and I've got dozens of 'fridge magnets to prove it). A couple of years ago, I had a product from Rockauto that was packaged wrong. It wasn't their fault. The label was right, but the product was wrong and didn't fit. They took care of it, including all shipping costs.
I've heard of some bad stories about them, but that has not been the case with me.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I've ordered from them in the past. No issues, but their shipping charges can sometimes be a deal breaker because they'll charge you for shipping individual parts from multiple warehouses. For basic maintenance items, I've found other online places to have better prices.

Yes, I try to buy pieces that will ship from the same warehouses. This is limiting because sometimes I want a specific brand so I would have to pay additional shipping.

 

[topsy]

Recently bought 2 CAPA headlights from RA, and one of them had a problem with the side marker socket. Emailed RA, and they immediately shipped a new one, no delay, told me to throw out the defective unit, got the replacement within a couple of days. Very happy with that service.

Also recently bought some high-end rotors and brake pads, and with shipping, was slightly less than the local AAP cheapest brakes, which I would never buy to begin with.

 

[GMBoy]

I love rockauto.com! You simply cannot beat the selection of parts and the prices. I like choices in my parts and they have it all. I have bought thousands of $$$ of parts from them and never an issue. Even with the shipping, I save over what I can get at AutoZone or similar by A LOT. Shipping is fair and fast. I prefer Rockauto over Amazon simply because you are always dealing with ROCKAUTO...not a million different people under the Amazon name so you KNOW who you are dealing with everytime.

 

[Norm Olt]

+++++++++++++

Cheers!

 

[bmwjohn]

I have used RA for 5 years and $4k, with excellent results, including fast shipping, good parts, and accurate parts fill.. Be sure to google the internet to get the 5 percent discount, which is always available on BITOG or internet. NOW, try very hard to choose products from the same warehouse - it will show where and how much at checkout before you push the GO button. EXAMPLE: years ago I placed an order, most parts came from warehouse A and B. However, I saw PCV valves for 59 cents and others for 99 cents. I ordered 4 of the 59 cents units, not noticing they came from a different warehouse.Five dollars extra shipping. Not a wise choice for a discretionary purchase.
NOW: The real question is.....who is copying RA in building a virtual auto parts warehouse? Surely someone else can do the same business model? And of course cut prices slightly to build market share.

 

[stephen9666]

Sigh...


Please, people, trying to cram politics into a thread like this, when politics is clearly not allowed on this forum, is very annoying to some members...


Anyway,

I've ordered from Rock Auto something like 15 times, including 5 times so far this year.

Like anything else, you need to shop around. Compare part prices on Amazon, ebay and Rock Auto. Sometimes RA will be the cheapeast, but sometimes not, especially on heavy things like rotors.

Also, double-check the part numbers on the manufacturer's website. For example, if you're considering a set of Bendix brake pads, go to the Bendix site and use their catalog to see if it's the right part number for your vehicle. Rock Auto and Amazon can have errors or confusing terms in their online catalogs.

And, you need to take the time to get items that ship from the same warehouse, or most of your Rock Auto savings will be lost in shipping costs.

Finally, be a little wary of the closeout parts. They're super cheap and I've ordered a decent number of them. But, sometimes they aren't cataloged properly, so you need to do due dilligance to make sure you're getting the correct item. An example would be a belt I bought recently. It was listed as fitting our VW, but when it arrived it was wrong. It was only $4, so it wasn't worth trying to return it. Also, the closeout parts are sometimes quite old, so take that into account when ordering them.

Long story short, RA won't always be the best price, but they often are. Especially recently, Amazon has been more expensive on most of the things I needed, even after including shipping costs.

 

[quint]

I have gotten some really good deals off Rockauto, and some bad ones.

Ordered brake lines for the Corolla, and the end fittings were rotated 90 degrees off. The return shipping was more than the parts themselves. Also ordered a water pump.... the box, brand, and pump housing were all correct. The impeller wasnt even close to being the right one for this application. It was WAY too big. Ended up just buying the parts locally, couldnt have the car down long enough to wait to ship all this stuff back.

Most recently, ordered a control arm. The bolt holes for the ball joint were drilled barely 2-3 millimeters from the end of the arm. Not even close to be being in the right spot, to the point of being downright dangerous. I wouldnt have installed this on [censored]'s own chariot car even if he begged me to.

In situations like this, they can be a bit frustrating to deal with.

Many other parts were fine, however... the many good dealings I have had with them far outweigh the bad.

 

[quint]

Originally Posted By: quint
I wouldnt have installed this on [censored]'s own chariot car even if he begged me to.


Seriously? The proper name of the biblical leader of the underworld is a sensored word? Good grief.

 

[Lead Shoes]

Rockauto is great!!!

on a side note, does anyone have a savings code I could use?? About to buy some things for my civic build and every bit counts, lol.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Brenden
Rockauto is great!!!

on a side note, does anyone have a savings code I could use?? About to buy some things for my civic build and every bit counts, lol.


Just google for it and you'll find a bunch of 5% off codes. I always use them when ordering. But, I've never seen a discount of more than 5% available.

 

[wrcsixeight]

I've used R/A a lot, and even more just for their catalog to find the part numbers, then google them and see if Amazon has them with free shipping.

In 06 they had the part numbers mixed up on an engine computer and would not refund my having had to ship back ECM's that were for a manual transmission but whose part numbers corresponded to an automatic, but I did not make a big stink either. Other returns were painless. One was a timing chain set whose chain was too short.

Local Autoparts stores still get some of my business, but I have weaned myself from the instant gratification factor of all internet purchases vs buying locally.

Not having to deal with traffic, checkout droolers, and other customers....priceless.

 

[widman]

I have bought several times from them. No problems. Just have to figure out how to minimize shipping, as the best deals may not be at the same locations.

And be ready for it to come in 10 different shipments. A pain when I use a 3rd party to receive and forward.

 

[threeputtpar]

I use them every chance I can, because they are based in my home state's capital. Gotta support the locals!

I did have one problem with an item, but it really wasn't RA's fault. Lower control arms for my A6, where there was a VIN split with different parts. Dorman had supplied RA with bad info saying that one part number covered the 1999-04 range, when actually the part changed in the middle of the 2002 MY. They paid all shipping to get me the correct ones (with an upgrade to a better part because Dorman doesn't make the correct one yet) and sent a RMA for the bad parts to go back. Never doubted me for a minute.

 

[tightwad]

I agree with most everything said above. RA is usually the best deal. Their closeouts are awesome. Sometimes, though, the shipping charges can be frustrating. I try to order extra stuff (filters, wipers, etc.) I know I'll use to spread out the freight and avoid running down to the local places for fill-in.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
I use them every chance I can, because they are based in my home state's capital. Gotta support the locals!

I did have one problem with an item, but it really wasn't RA's fault. Lower control arms for my A6, where there was a VIN split with different parts. Dorman had supplied RA with bad info saying that one part number covered the 1999-04 range, when actually the part changed in the middle of the 2002 MY. They paid all shipping to get me the correct ones (with an upgrade to a better part because Dorman doesn't make the correct one yet) and sent a RMA for the bad parts to go back. Never doubted me for a minute.

Can you just walk-in to their warehouse and buy your parts their? Would save on shipping.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
I use them every chance I can, because they are based in my home state's capital. Gotta support the locals!

I did have one problem with an item, but it really wasn't RA's fault. Lower control arms for my A6, where there was a VIN split with different parts. Dorman had supplied RA with bad info saying that one part number covered the 1999-04 range, when actually the part changed in the middle of the 2002 MY. They paid all shipping to get me the correct ones (with an upgrade to a better part because Dorman doesn't make the correct one yet) and sent a RMA for the bad parts to go back. Never doubted me for a minute.

Can you just walk-in to their warehouse and buy your parts their? Would save on shipping.

That's what I do with Tirerack! When I'm not forced to buy from my wife's uncle, a Firestone dealer.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
I use them every chance I can, because they are based in my home state's capital. Gotta support the locals!

I did have one problem with an item, but it really wasn't RA's fault. Lower control arms for my A6, where there was a VIN split with different parts. Dorman had supplied RA with bad info saying that one part number covered the 1999-04 range, when actually the part changed in the middle of the 2002 MY. They paid all shipping to get me the correct ones (with an upgrade to a better part because Dorman doesn't make the correct one yet) and sent a RMA for the bad parts to go back. Never doubted me for a minute.

Can you just walk-in to their warehouse and buy your parts their? Would save on shipping.

That's what I do with Tirerack! When I'm not forced to buy from my wife's uncle, a Firestone dealer.

We have a TR here in Louisiana?