Why Autozone sucks!

[kevinatfms]

one company i have used pretty well is autopart international. we actually took apart an NIB alternator to see what they really did replace and the entire stator, regulator and wiring pack were all brand new. i was pretty surprised.

if you can, try to find your local autopart international store, they really only sell to commercial companies but if you walk in they will most likely help you out.

i am not affiliated with autopart international, a buddy works at one local to me and so far every part i have used on any of my vehicles has stood the test of time against me beating the ever living shit out of them. they do work great.

 

[Zatrekaz]

Walmart gives you 3 cents off per gallon of gas, but you have to go to a retail store to get the card. They do this because there is a higher chance of you spending money while your there... same principle, slightly different execution... are you going to avoid Walmart like the plague now as well?

Business do whatever they can to get your money... I am sure if you looked into, every company does some shady crap. Its part of the game, get use to it.

Ah... I have had a reman alternator in my car from Autozone for about 3 years now and its still going strong. Can't judge an entire company on a few of the bad stories.

 

[CobraBob]

The gist of this thread is to beware of re-manufactured parts in general. Saving a few dollars thinking you're buying a part as good as new could bite you, but I think most people realize that and either have to choice (if the part isn't any longer available new) or choose to take a chance and save some money. IMO the overall quality of re-manufactured parts has gone downhill over the years, but I think the average person knows that. Not all re-manufactured parts are shoddy, though. Some companies do a better job than others. JMO.

 

[Mr.Bolt-on]

Autozone is awesome, I'd do anything to get a normal autozone here in Okinawa. Everybody complaining now needs to live on an Island for a while. Then you will have the right to complain... bwahahahahaha, I mean spark plugs and air filters are a rare item here that need to be ordered 2 weeks in advance.

Blah blah blah blah... get over it.

 

[Ry_Trapp0]

The gist of this thread is to beware of re-manufactured parts in general. Saving a few dollars thinking you're buying a part as good as new could bite you, but I think most people realize that and either have to choice (if the part isn't any longer available new) or choose to take a chance and save some money. IMO the overall quality of re-manufactured parts has gone downhill over the years, but I think the average person knows that. Not all re-manufactured parts are shoddy, though. Some companies do a better job than others. JMO.

exactly. and on top of that, half the time you can find brand new parts on the internet for nearly the same price as reman parts from a part store.

 

[RDJ]

so autozone sucks just because their reman parts aren't completely rebuilt? *idea* don't buy reman shit:idea:

. The correct answer is, Don't buy parts from autozone that your car depends on to run. There are a couplet of exceptions but any thing like an alternator is going to be chep and not last. I was going to open a NAPA franchise and learned quite a bit about how their parts supply system works. Very cheap parts and halfway done reman is what allows them to do the warranty they have.

 

[SID297]

Unfortunately some parts are no longer available new.

Like brake calipers for a 1992 ford Explorer. But it's pretty hard to screw up the rebuild on one of those.

Luckily those are really easy to rebuild yourself, plus the rebuild kit is like $15.

My experience with ARE and Motorcraft reman parts is not much better. I usually buy new rather than reman if available. Overall, have had much better luck with Napa if only reman is available. They do not play the return part game as most of thier sales are to shops, not individuals.

Still, have no problem doing business with AZ but I avoid thier reman parts and usually do the look ups myself rather than let the minimum wage stooge behind the counter do it. If the manager helps rather than a counter stooge, I am a little more open minded but have no idea why.

Check out this remanned Ford part:

[youtube_browser]8Yioj9pzGZA[/youtube_browser]

 

[Double"O"]

This is the practice for most things reman. You take the broken piece, fix it, test i, and send it back out. They are tested to work within oem specs and have testing standards that they must adhere to.

Reman alts are more miss than hit. But there are other parts that are reman that youll likely never have issues with. Lifetime warranty is the pro to the con that is the risk of running a reman part like that. Ill never go reman alt for anything, OEM or bust for that sort of item.

Exactly, GM, Ford, Subaru and many other car companies do the same thing with reman stuff...only they don't offer e lifetime warranty

i would hesitate to do a reman axle shaft but i would never get a reman alt, started, or similar

 

[mustang john]

It really is too bad we're all forced to shop there.

U.M.

We arent forced to shop there but people do make choices where to buy from and buying from AZ is a bad choice.

The gist of this thread is to beware of re-manufactured parts in general. Saving a few dollars thinking you're buying a part as good as new could bite you, but I think most people realize that and either have to choice (if the part isn't any longer available new) or choose to take a chance and save some money. IMO the overall quality of re-manufactured parts has gone downhill over the years, but I think the average person knows that. Not all re-manufactured parts are shoddy, though. Some companies do a better job than others. JMO.

Thank you Bob, thats what i was getting at. I Am just using AZ as a prime example since they seem to be one of the biggest culprits in the crappy reman game.

 

[Fordman9870]

Hmmm maybe thats why i have had to replace my Stepdads alternator 5 times in 2 years. but hey at least its free because its lifetime (yes that was sarcasm) After last time I demanded money back but they wouldnt do it. so i pitched it in there trash as a line of people watched and went to NAPA and havent replaced it since.
Its lifetime because you get to keep replacing it for your lifetime.

 

[Zatrekaz]

. The correct answer is, Don't buy parts from autozone that your car depends on to run. There are a couplet of exceptions but any thing like an alternator is going to be chep and not last. I was going to open a NAPA franchise and learned quite a bit about how their parts supply system works. Very cheap parts and halfway done reman is what allows them to do the warranty they have.

Not always true... I have had a Reman Alternator from AZ in my car for close to three years now, and I stress the heck out of it with my audio system from time to time.

 

[Ry_Trapp0]

We arent forced to shop there but people do make choices where to buy from and buying from AZ is a bad choice.

i'm sorry, i must have missed it the first time, why is autozone a bad choice again? IIRC, it was because their reman'd parts are just as good as everyone elses reman'd parts, right?

:dw:

 

[Njc0las]

I've used tons of parts from autozone with no issues.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

I stopped buying autozone parts when my Lightning ate three of their starters in a week (2 of them only gave 1-2 starts), they wouldnt retract once you let go of the key...of course they passed the little in-store test. After testing the the starting circuit from tip to tail checking for possible causes I went to Car Quest for a starter, its been in for over 2 years without issue and nothing else was changed.

 

[RDJ]

Not always true... I have had a Reman Alternator from AZ in my car for close to three years now, and I stress the heck out of it with my audio system from time to time.

read what I wrote again. maybe you missed where I said "there are exceptions" ..

the difference between Autozone and NAPA for example is that NAPA has all good parts with the occasional failure. Autozone has crap parts with the occasional good one.

 

[mustang john]

i'm sorry, i must have missed it the first time, why is autozone a bad choice again? IIRC, it was because their reman'd parts are just as good as everyone elses reman'd parts, right?

:dw:

Did you read the first post? All remans are NOT equal.

 

[mustang john]

You can reman a part and replace ONLY what is currently wrong with it and leave all other old worn parts in it like AZ does OR you can reman it and replace ALL critical parts that will fail, that is the difference is a crap and a quality reman part.

 

[Ry_Trapp0]

Did you read the first post? All remans are NOT equal.

yep, sure did read the first post. it only mentioned autozone's reman process. and what you're doing is assuming that, for some reason, autozone is the only parts chain that operates this way and that every other parts chain does a full complete rebuild, replacing every part. yet there are many posts in this thread that say that most other parts chains operate under the same process that autozone does - I.E., autozone's reman parts are no worse than any other parts chain remans:idea:
you must've missed those posts that i'm talking about, i'll help you out here...

that's actually common practice for the rebuilders of most auto parts stores... if you read the description it says they replace what failed and replace out of spec wear items. if it isn't out of spec they don't replace it.

A friend works for a huge parts warehouse--most of the retailers buy their parts from them----so not only Auto Zone but Kragens, Napa, etc.....and yes they rebuild what's broken.

This is the practice for most things reman. You take the broken piece, fix it, test i, and send it back out. They are tested to work within oem specs and have testing standards that they must adhere to.

Jasper Engines does the same thing. A friend of mine ended up with 5 engines in his pickup within 1 year. After the first engine jasper paid to have each and everyone of them replaced (labor) plus the "newly rebuilt" engine. He finally got so tired of it he had our local engine builder build him one and his truck has been running great for 2 - 3 years.

Exactly, GM, Ford, Subaru and many other car companies do the same thing with reman stuff...only they don't offer e lifetime warranty

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

The failure rate on OE remans from Ford, Toyota, Honda, GM etc is vastly lower than the failure rate from most auto parts store chains.

The failure rate of the Ford remans improved by an order of magnitude when Ford got more involved and reduced the number of re-builders and instituted strict minimum rebuild standards and testing.

They used to be really crappy and in the late 90s made some really great changes.

In that bad turbo vid Travis posted, I would almost bet that unit had been dropped. Probably had a ring on the cardboard inside the box as a witness mark from the force of the drop. Maybe not?:shrug:

A badly dropped alternator will do the same thing if the shaft side is what hits the ground.

 

[RDJ]

Does Royal Purple need a Texas Based technical Rep? maybe you could convince them they do, here in austin. LOL

The failure rate on OE remans from Ford, Toyota, Honda, GM etc is vastly lower than the failure rate from most auto parts store chains.

The failure rate of the Ford remans improved by an order of magnitude when Ford got more involved and reduced the number of re-builders and instituted strict minimum rebuild standards and testing.

They used to be really crappy and in the late 90s made some really great changes.

In that bad turbo vid Travis posted, I would almost bet that unit had been dropped. Probably had a ring on the cardboard inside the box as a witness mark from the force of the drop. Maybe not?:shrug:

A badly dropped alternator will do the same thing if the shaft side is what hits the ground.