Major Auto Parts Retailers - Who do you like/dislike and why?

Walmart is better for oil,etc than autozone most of the time. Autozone has some real brands they carry for things like plug wires, wiper blades, that sort of thing. I'll get those there. Got the iginition module for the beater there, because they were open on sunday and the three stooges wanted 3 times as much.

When the stooges first came to town in '89 or so it was great. Their stores were well stocked and I could find parts that the other stores wouldn't even be able to order. Needless to say now they have to special order everything, their prices are high, the stores are poorly stocked. Only thing I can find there is wax, polish etc that other places don't carry now adays, and sometimes that's a crapshoot.

Never had a problem with carquest (other than the reman distributor issue, but everyone in the area got them from the same reman house) but their hours are short. They are good for getting professional grade body filler, fiberglass, seam sealer, etc. Better stuff than the mass-market bondo-grade stuff.

Good for odd ball parts, hours aren't great cept for one particular napa that is open nights a couple times a week.

Motive auto parts in the chicago area. They are distributors for Delco and Motorcraft. (maybe mopar too) Good for getting real OEM parts for autoparts store prices rather than dealer prices. (the other stores carry only very limited types motorcraft and delco parts, usually oil and maybe air filters.)

I have been using AutoZone for hard and soft parts for years. Except for one brand name remanufactured steering rack that failed, I've been very pleased. Most of the hard parts came out of the box with the OEM markings on them, too. Wall Mart usually has the best deals on oil and batteries, tho.

Paul in Dayton

much higher priced then all above. I needed a radiator for my truck CarQuest was $32.00 higher than four other parts stores. For my starter $ 18.00 dollar difference then the other four.

Bob-Ct.

I like Advanced. They have better hours than anyone else around here (9:00 p.m. closing on weeknights, 8:00 p.m. on Saturday IIRC), they've got a good selection of stuff most of the time, and their customer service is excellent. They did a warranty return for me on an alternator that was the same brand they sold but that I didn't have a receipt for (and I don't know where it came from--got it from a friend of a friend who had cooked a head gasket and decided not to bother fixing the car, leaving him with a NIB reman alternator sitting around...less than a month after I bought it, it died).

NAPA tends to be really helpful, but their hours are crummy and their prices make me want to run and hide. They do carry some better-quality tools (IME) compared to the others. The NAPA in Bethel, ME is the only shop I've ever walked up to the counter with a tool and have the cashier say, "Did you see the cheaper version of that? It's identical except for a couple of extra bolt sizes..." (for a steering wheel / crank pulley removal tool). My luck, though, was that I needed one of the bolt sizes not in the cheaper package.

AutoZone, Pep Boys, and Checker (CKS).

AutoZone is almost always slightly cheaper than the others and way cheaper on belts and hoses.

Checker runs lots of oil rebates (currently, Shell, Havoline, and Chevron for $0.69 after coupon and rebate).

NAPA is usually the most expensive, sometimes charging even more than dealers.

Car Quest often has parts that nobody else has, including NAPA and, in one case, even my dealer (they told me to go to Car Quest).

BAP specializes in foreign cars and for special parts is often the cheapest.

AutoZone, Advance Auto, Carquest and Pep Boys all have counter droids here.. As an example, once tried to warranty an alternator for a customer at Pep Boys. Tested the alternator on the car, produced voltage until a load was placed on it. Car ran fine until the electric cooling fan tried to come on and then the car died.

Counter droid wouldn't take my word for it and hooked it up to the tester. Now, the hookup wires on the tester looked to be about 16 gage. He runs a voltage test, it shows good voltage. So I ask him what's the current output. He runs a voltage test again and reads the amps scale on the dual scale meter. Tells me he's getting 130 amps from an 85 amp alternator using 16 gage wiring. To be helpful, he writes on a piece of paper that I need an 'electrical diagnostic' check done to the car.

Maybe marginally better in ability to correctly look up a part.. better selection, and more stuff I can order from them.

All the places I've mentioned are ok if you already have a part number and just need them to get it for you.. lookups are hit or miss.

Is it just me or do the chains answer the phone and try to get their whole phone answering speech done in 0.003 seconds?

Thanksforcallingadvanceautopartsandbatteriesthisismarcusspeakinghowcanihelpyoutoday?

And, when I tell them I need a part, they ask me to hold on and they'll transfer me to the parts counter?!? Why do you think I'm calling?

We have a local parts house that's on the ball.. all the guys working their wrench on their own cars, and some of the stuff they drive is unbelievable. One guy runs a monster motor vega. I call there so much they can identify my voice without me identifying myself.

I use Interstate Batteries.

Regards,

Jim

As a former big-chain "parts store" employee, perhaps I can shed some light on the subject.

I used to have repeat customers who would wait in line to deal with me while the "Counter Droids" stared into space, unoccupied said customers. I could read and was possesed with a little common sense. As such, more often than not, I would give people the right part. Folks seemed to like that. Worse yet, I refused to be a part of corporate policies that make no sense.

Example: If the (infallible, "remanufacturer"-supplied) Alternator-Generator-Starter "tester" "passed" a allegedly defective device, yet the customer would provide a resonable story as to why the component was bad ("I've got 10.6 volts across the starter battery terminal and the case of the starter itself when I attempt cranking and the starter is dead."), they got a new component.

The fun would begin when the "remanufacturer" would periodcally stop out and test the defects on THEIR Alternator-Generator-Starter tester to stem the tide of defects rightfully making their way to their maker. They would line up a pile of "good" components that YOU should have thrown back at the innocent, hapless, customer as "good". Bad Counter Person!!! No promotion for you!!!

Counter people like me didn't get promotions or raises. "Counter Droids" did MUCH better. What little time they spent trying to "test" components on the "tester" often resulted in a futile shower of sparks. A few tries down the road, they would proclaim the part serviceable, regardless of serviceability. Nice.

The real Counter people "voted with their feet". They (no doubt) continue to do so.

Jim

Thanksforcallingadvanceautopartsandbatteriesthisismarcusspeakinghowcanihelpyoutoday?

This sort of thing seems to be true throughout corporations. I've had similiar experiences as an engineer. The 'droids' would be get promoted and technically good people who fought for the product would be held down and eventually downsized for their crime of trying to make the best product that was most profitible.

There were actually three types, those who were too dumb and just followed the culture (droids), those who knew better but went along with the system (sold their souls), and those who did the right thing regardless of the consquences politically (downsized or left)

Wow! That is an awesome post!

And let me say what a joy it is on those rare occasions that I don't get a counter-droid at the local box store!

I took a starter motor back that had been intermittently not working for a month and kept leaving me stranded then it would work. Darn think worked on their tester. Took it back again and when the droid couldn't get it hooked up right I just acted stupid and said 'see it's bad' - he said 'yep' and gave me a new one (luckily they had changed suppliers)

It's not just about testing electrical components. A good counter parts person knows a fair bit about wrenching. Can often do a good job of cross referencing. Can do other things like make honest opinions about different brands. Is knowledgeable of special tools or techniques or supplies that might be needed. KNows other specialty shops or services in the area (machine shops, driveshaft shops etc) and so on and so forth.

Anyway great post Jim!