What is your favorite and least favorite auto parts supplier?

O

oildud

Joined
Nov 21, 2019
Messages
11
Location
Florida
Right now my LEAST favorite supplier is Autozone. I am currently working on two vehicles and ordered supplies from Autozone because they had good prices and offered fast shipping (yeah, right). My order was placed on Wednesday and I received a shipping notification a few hours later for delivery the next day. I woke up on Thursday to find out that my order had been canceled for no reason. I called Autozone and they explained that there were shipping issues out of Memphis but if I wanted to place another order I should do so. They also gave me a small gift card for my trouble. I then placed another order for Friday delivery. Here I sit waiting as my latest order has slipped to Saturday. So a poor Fedex dude is going to "drop" a bunch of supplies at my door on Christmas eve?

I don't have a favorite ATM, you?
 
None. I shop around when I need stuff. I mean, Amazon and Ebay are just too easy to avoid, but really, it’s whoever has what I need, on the timeline I need, for the price I am willing to pay. No emotion involved.

Bit annoying to do all the surfing though, i’ll give you that.
 
If I need something right now, I'll usually go to Autozone. Cause I look at it from the perspective of, parts inevitably fail and Autozones usually have a decent enough warranty that they can lookup -- and they're pretty plentiful store footprint wise. Also, they usually have BIG old GM truck parts pretty well stocked.

RockAuto gets my vote for if I am "going-through" a vehicle and want a good mix of OE/OEM, FelPro, etc. parts to rebuild a vehicle.

Otherwise, not too many others. Maybe a NAPA or AAP if I need something unique that they only have. I am NOT a fan of AAP house brand Carquest/Wearever Brakes. I do like the Autozone Duralast Gold/GT/CMax (whatever they call them), brakes on the Tahoe and Suburban. Plus... you buy for one truck and can kinda cover two!
 
Is the thread's intended subject auto parts sources or ATM's?
Is the part you ordered originally made in Memphis or is that just where AZ's warehouse is?

GIMME: 1) a good website and acceptable track record of service, 2) reasonably smart/experienced countermen in a well stocked store, 3) time to shop!

YOU CAN KEEP: 1) brand new expansion shop with stoned children playing with their phones, 2) slow shops where the wallowing pigs "working" there have the hate radio on and openly register their annoyance with having to move
 
My Goto store here is OReilly. It is closest and this store distributes to the other stores in the area. If they don't have what I want its off to NAPA. Waited a week for a timing kit for a Caddy at Advance that was to be overnight. They still couldn't find it after a week. Autozone came thru on that part.
 
My NAPA store sold me an AC compressor which was working years after I installed it.
The fellow said they don't bother with cheap parts and I believe him.

Perhaps management of the individual shop is what's important?
 
My local NAPA (only 1.5 miles away) is nice but not a corp store so they rarely honor NAPAs advertised discounts. I have found dealing with corp NAPA so difficult that I avoid them like the plague.
 
With the increase in aftermarket parts prices, OEM is much closer in price now than a couple years ago - if your buying from an actual dealer online. You might want to look at online OEM dealers online - you might be surprised. I got a blower motor for my Nissan - OEM, shipped to my house for $130 bucks, the local parts places wanted $100 for aftermarket, RA was less but only crap brands.
 
SC Maintenance said:
With the increase in aftermarket parts prices, OEM is much closer in price now than a couple years ago - if your buying from an actual dealer online. You might want to look at online OEM dealers online - you might be surprised. I got a blower motor for my Nissan - OEM, shipped to my house for $130 bucks, the local parts places wanted $100 for aftermarket, RA was less but only crap brands.
Click to expand...
I just was commenting about aftermarket wiper blades (in another post) and this is exactly what I've found lately! Prices of the aftermarket are increasing to the point that OEM is around the same price now!
 
My favourite is Lordco, a store common in BC. If you are into European cars, ( not me) they have a complete line of Motul oil and a pretty good selection of Pentosin fluids.

They also seem to have access to most transmission fluids when others have trouble getting stock, and a ton of specialty sealants. I have an account for a small discount.

The other two in town, Napa and Canadian Tire are OK.

For internet ordering, hands down its Rock Auto because they have figured out shipping to Canada while other suppliers :poop: their pants.
 
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My favorite is Rock Auto for selection, price and quick no hassle orders. Least favorite is Advance Auto. Their web site is poor and is a big time consuming hassle being in the store, long waiting just to make a quick purchase.
 
Most of the time now I just call the dealer. If its in stock it will be here on the door in an hour and ordered before 2pm it will be delivered tomorrow at 9am. If the price is way out of whack and I can wait summit or Rock if they have a quality part, ebay for used from a salt free area yard. If its a car with I have no dealer connection Napa or absolute last resort after 5pm AZ or AA.
 
oildud said:
Right now my LEAST favorite supplier is Autozone. I am currently working on two vehicles and ordered supplies from Autozone because they had good prices and offered fast shipping (yeah, right). My order was placed on Wednesday and I received a shipping notification a few hours later for delivery the next day. I woke up on Thursday to find out that my order had been canceled for no reason. I called Autozone and they explained that there were shipping issues out of Memphis but if I wanted to place another order I should do so. They also gave me a small gift card for my trouble. I then placed another order for Friday delivery. Here I sit waiting as my latest order has slipped to Saturday. So a poor Fedex dude is going to "drop" a bunch of supplies at my door on Christmas eve?

I don't have a favorite ATM, you?
Click to expand...
You guys in Florida will soon find out why everything is delayed.
EVERYTHING is delayed this week! AutoZone, dealerships etc. Take a look at airport status across Midwest, Rockies, and North East, and you might get an idea of what is going on.
I think AUto Zone actually went beyond what they needed to do and offered you a gift card for what is really not their fault as they do not make weather.
 
Trav said:
Most of the time now I just call the dealer. If its in stock it will be here on the door in an hour and ordered before 2pm it will be delivered tomorrow at 9am. If the price is way out of whack and I can wait summit or Rock if they have a quality part, ebay for used from a salt free area yard. If its a car with I have no dealer connection Napa or absolute last resort after 5pm AZ or AA.
Click to expand...
I ordered with the dealer control arm bcs. of that curb hit I told you about, and it was delayed two days. I was lucky, actually I got it yesterday.
 
My present favorite is RockAuto. Fast delivery, usually best prices, and genuine parts. My least trusted is eBay. Its usually not cheaper, and, unless it is a secondary sales channel for an established merchant, who knows what you will be sent.?

And my least favorite of all time? JC Whitney. They never got the order right.
 
My favorite and preferred is Auto Zone. Second Napa, third Advance Auto, Auto Plus, Federated. Last O’Reilly absolutely terrible customer service and rude employees at least in my area. I only step foot in there because my friend works there but he can only give me discounts on tools or something non vehicle specific as they have their vehicles registered with their profile to keep them from giving discounts to anyone. And if the manager is there I don’t get a discount at all and their stuff is way too expensive to buy without one lol. I have had to resort to each for projects though like the other day I needed bellows boots for someone’s car I was working on who needed the car had to go to both Napa locations to get two boots. They were the only ones in 100 miles who had them. I try to buy most of my parts at work as I get a good discount. We get them for net price not list.
 
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