Originally Posted By: djb
Originally Posted By: CT8
I guess the cost is so little and the mark up so high that they really do not care what the idiot customers say.
I can buy a air temperature sensor from BMW that lists for $55 (and is marked up by the local dealers). Unlike the original, it is made in China. I can buy an unbranded sensor from O'Reilly for $46, and they tend to be a few dollars less than Pep Boys and local parts stores. Or I can buy the same sensor for under $2 on eBay, shipping from China included.
This is ironic this topic came up, because I just went through this sort of song and dance yesterday. While doing a four corner strut job on my wife's 2000 ES300 this week, I accidentally dropped the right rear suspension down too far and damaged the ABS wheel speed sensor wire.
This generated an ABS light on the dash, and I quickly realized that it was my earlier actions that caused the wire to rupture.
Anyway, I went online to price the factory Lexus part. Now before I tell you the price, keep in mind this is an ABS wheel sensor. Nothing more, nothing less. It is a small sensor that sits in the rear hub, and features a two foot harness and a couple metal brackets to bolt it to the wheel well. Really, it is nothing fancy at all.
The price from Lexus: $216.00. Yes, $216.00 USD. Plus shipping.
I hate buying aftermarket parts for the most part, but I just had to see what was happening in the aftermarket price world. Most of the places I looked at listed the sensor for about $100.00, give or take. Alright, so we are down $116.00 bucks already. But I was convinced that these $100.00 sensors were all made in China.
Next, it is off to eBay. And get this: $10.99 for the sensor. Complete with the plug, the metal bracket, everything. In fact, the picture of the part looked no different at all to the $216.00 Lexus part.
So, I said to my wife: How many guys could possibly be making these things? I can't confirm the Lexus part is made in Japan, but I doubt it is.
If the Lexus part is made in China, then there is a $205.00 difference on made in China parts.
For some reason, I just never thought about things this way, and never realized just how big of a price difference there could be on a given part.
It's a wheel speed sensor...how much different could they actually be?