Why Autozone sucks!

[mustang john]

Autozone is crap when it comes to anything reman! Wanna know why? They buy up train loads of old bad cores for starters, alternators etc and clean them up and replace ONLY the part that failed and then resell them with a lifetime warranty. Why would they want to replace parts over and over its a money loser right? WRONG, its their business strategy and it works, its proven that every time a consumer enters the store to get a lifetime warranty part replaced that they will spend on average over $40 on other stuff while in the store while getting there new lifetime whatever part replaced. So its in their best interest to keep you coming back over and over! And if they do eventually refund your money chances are they are still ahead of the game even though they gave your money back!

This info is from a freind of mine who teaches automotive at our local college, he had a student that went on to work for Autozone in management and this is what he reported back to my freind after his managment training was done.

Kinda shitty if you ask me and i will never buy or recommend to anyone to buy from Autozone!

 

[Blade Runner]

It's known as "Vato Zone" down here. It's where all the taco benders get their stick on accessories....

 

[RDJ]

that is not quite the way it works but it is close. but at 38 you would think you were aware of that already. only things I buy at autozone is shit like waxes, polishes and oil if they have it on sale

 

[NEp8ntballer]

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.

starters aren't nearly as bad but I know of some people that have had really bad luck with reman alternators, even to the point of having them show up DOA. Never leave the store before having it tested.

 

[BLTM]

the autozone around my place. darien il. is pretty legit. Ive gotten to know alot of the gusy that work there and they are a great help to me. Mayb all heir parts are not the best, but they have good prices.

 

[cobrakidz]

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.

 

[mustang john]

that is not quite the way it works but it is close. but at 38 you would think you were aware of that already. only things I buy at autozone is shit like waxes, polishes and oil if they have it on sale

Oh i have been aware of it for a while now, i just posted basically this same thing up in the terminator talk section recently after somebody was complaining about several AZ alternators crapping out days apart.

That thread brought this back to mind so figured i would post it up here where it would get a bigger audience and maybe save someone else the pain.

Im a dealer tech and have been for 13 years so for the most part i stick with and recomend factory stuff where it matters the most.

 

[NEp8ntballer]

Oh i have been aware of it for a while now, i just posted basically this same thing up in the terminator talk section recently after somebody was complaining about several AZ alternators crapping out days apart.

That thread brought this back to mind so figured i would post it up here where it would get a bigger audience and maybe save someone else the pain.

Im a dealer tech and have been for 13 years so for the most part i stick with and recomend factory stuff where it matters the most.

it's nice to know that it isn't just the SHO alternators...

 

[flS/R]

vatozone sucks when it comes to those parts but they mostly suck for their employees behind the counter. Beware of the slick guy with the belly he will not look up the part correctly then he will say that they don't carry it. When you tell him the exact part number for it and even show him the printout from the vatozone website, he will still deny it and say that is a web only item.

 

[Ry_Trapp0]

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

 

[thomas91169]

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.

 

[ssj4sadie]

I don't see the problem with this.

 

[oldmodman]

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.

 

[mustang john]

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

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.

I don't see the problem with this.

Well the dealers sell their own reman stuff, they just dont use crappy rebuilds as a ploy to insure return business. They are for the most part a quality reman. I have been installing Ford, Toyota and Lexus reman stuff for years without the repeated issues i have seen with the AZ stuff in particular.

I have also heard from the same guy that AZ trains their guys to sell you the wrong part if they dont have the correct one on hand. By the time you find out its wrong and return they will more than likely have the correct one in the store to make sure they keep your sale.

 

[mustang john]

I dont have any kind of vendetta against AZ i havent bought from them in proabably a decade, its just alot of guys out there dont know the difference between decent parts and crap parts or have much automotive knowledge and on cars like ours that are run hard and good voltage is critical a bad alternator can cost you a motor.

I find myself giving the same kind of advise over and over and just figured put it up where a few more might gain from it. Alot of you guys know just as much as i do or even more but the vast majority out there dont have a clue.

 

[toby1234]

I don't think too highly of their parts either but to be honest, I've never had an issue with a part that I bought from there. I've used their reman alternators and starters and I've never had an issue or complaint. I hear a lot of bad stories about their stuff and I think that's why I don't think much of their parts. But at the same time, the reason why I keep going back is because like I said, I've had no issues with their parts. However, I always question why that particular part went bad to begin with. I never assume that it went bad on it's own.

 

[Uncle Meat]

Autozone is crap when it comes to anything reman! Wanna know why? They buy up train loads of old bad cores for starters, alternators etc and clean them up and replace ONLY the part that failed and then resell them with a lifetime warranty. Why would they want to replace parts over and over its a money loser right? WRONG, its their business strategy and it works, its proven that every time a consumer enters the store to get a lifetime warranty part replaced that they will spend on average over $40 on other stuff while in the store while getting there new lifetime whatever part replaced. So its in their best interest to keep you coming back over and over! And if they do eventually refund your money chances are they are still ahead of the game even though they gave your money back!

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

U.M.

 

[Ry_Trapp0]

Well the dealers sell their own reman stuff, they just dont use crappy rebuilds as a ploy to insure return business. They are for the most part a quality reman. I have been installing Ford, Toyota and Lexus reman stuff for years without the repeated issues i have seen with the AZ stuff in particular.

I have also heard from the same guy that AZ trains their guys to sell you the wrong part if they dont have the correct one on hand. By the time you find out its wrong and return they will more than likely have the correct one in the store to make sure they keep your sale.

cool, buy remans from a dealership and cheap ass pieces like hose, brake line, oil, whatever from autozone:idea:

really, reman parts are just one tiny facet of parts stores like autozone.

 

[jcthorne]

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.

 

[wvmystichrome]

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.

Thats why I will pay just a little more for OEM Ford or for new parts. Around here Advance Auto is our parts people, we have no Autozone. They are the same way. Never buy electrical pieces from them at all unless it is an emergency.