Posts Tagged purchasing auto

The Hazards of Counterfeit Automobile Parts

When purchasing automobile parts, you are making the assumption that the parts are original. Unfortunately, the growth of counterfeit auto parts is harming the auto supply industry, the overall U.S. economy, and puts drivers and passengers in extreme danger. What can be done about the problem? Consumer awareness! Let’s explore the effect of fake car parts on American life.

What exactly is a fake part? Is it an inferior branded item or something completely different? Counterfeiters are ‘wise’ in that they do not create and market a low cost alternative brand, instead they copy well known existing brands. The Jeep parts you purchase may come in a package that is nearly identical to the one marketed by DaimlerChrysler, but only the package is the same: the product you are purchasing is of an inferior quality [not equaling manufacturer specifications] that can damage your car. Reports about counterfeit brake pads have circulated for years; deaths attributed to accidents involving fake parts have been recorded.

According to the Department of Commerce, the US economy loses approximately $200 billion a year from the counterfeiting of trademarked consumer products and as many as 210,000 jobs have been lost. Worldwide, it is estimated that as much as 9% of the global economy is based on trafficked counterfeit goods, many of these items being auto parts. In Germany, fake VW parts as well as counterfeit BMW parts have surfaced compromising the quality and safety of the two brands.

So, what products are especially prone to being copied? Unfortunately, virtually everything. The following, are some of the items reported by the original equipment manufacturers to be frequent targets of counterfeiting and the “ingredients” they contain:

Brake pads containing sawdust

Fire extinguishers filled with flour

Transmission fluid laced with dyed oil

Filter stuffed with rags

Here are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing new auto parts:

To avoid purchasing counterfeit products only shop with a reputable supplier; e.g. authentic VW parts as well as manfacturer made BMW parts will be sold by recognized online providers. If a part somehow manages to find its way into the inventory of a respected auto parts supplier, you can return or an exchange the item.

The price of an item on eBay or at the flea market is probably “too good to be true” for a reason. Counterfeiters use flea markets extensively to market their wares while eBay and some other auction sites are notorious for passing inferior products.

Examine the packaging and check for incorrect spelling. Ford auto filters have appeared on auto supplier shelves with the words “Food” substituted for Ford and “Motograft” for Motorcraft.

The trafficking of counterfeit auto parts will likely be a long term problem, so you – the consumer – can play an important part by shopping wisely and examining the part before you install it on your vehicle. The safety of you and your loved ones can be compromised without exercising diligence.

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Buying Auto Parts Online

Purchasing auto parts online can be economical, and you can even choose from among a wide selection of used and reconditioned parts that are practically as good as new to save even more money. Whether you need to replace larger items like transmissions or differentials, or small details such as taillights or hood ornaments, you can find virtually any auto parts you may need online.

When it comes to buying a car, there are really only two strategies to choose from. First, you can buy or lease a new car and then trade it in every two or three years for the latest year model. Alternatively, you can purchase a car and drive it for 7 to 10 years to “get your money’s worth from it.”

Obviously, the most economical of these choices for most people will be to keep your car for a number of years, instead of constantly trading in for the latest model — and losing money in the process. But keeping your car for an extended length of time means that you will have to be vigilant about its upkeep, and from time to time you will likely have to replace some parts and have other maintenance and repairs performed.

But when it comes to replacing auto-parts, anyone who has visited a mechanic lately can tell you that costs have skyrocketed. Auto parts, and especially original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, auto-parts can be prohibitively expensive for many makes and models. As a general rule, the more exotic or expensive your car is to begin with, the more expensive the replacement parts will be.

This is especially true if you purchase auto parts from the original manufacturer. But there are several solutions to the high cost of replacing auto-parts. For example, you can choose to purchase so-called third-party parts online. These are auto-parts made by other companies, not the automaker; and they are normally quite a bit less expensive than buying OEM parts.

Third party parts are readily available for nearly any model of car or truck, and often the price difference will be substantial. For example, replacing a radiator for a standard American-made sedan can cost as much as $800 if you purchase original equipment manufacturer parts. But when you buy a replacement radiator for the same car from a third-party manufacturer, it is possible to pay as little as $250. Obviously, that’s a huge savings, and something you will definitely want to consider the next time you need to replace auto-parts for your vehicle.

But there is another option as well: used auto-parts are available to fit most American and foreign made cars. Used or “reconditioned” parts are often sold for a fraction of the price of new, and in most cases they are just as reliable to use.

Although you can find used auto-parts at specialty dealers, auto shops and parts stores, by far the best prices are to be found online. There are several big-name auto-parts stores online that specialize in used or reconditioned parts. Most of these sites have an easy to use search function that will allow you to see if they have the part you need in only a second.

This will save you an enormous amount of time over the “old way” of doing things: driving all over town and asking if the part is available at each different location you hit. For this reason, buying auto parts online is much more convenient and can also save you a great deal of money.

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Why Purchasing Auto Parts Online Is So Great

In today’s fast-paced ever changing world, many auto owners don’t have the time to search for a hard-to-find accessory or part for their car. Don’t dispair, because the availability of auto parts online are greater than you would ever dream of. Whether the part is as ordinary as an oil filter or a rare stock item for a classic 1970 Mopar Challenger, the place to buy auto accessories and car parts is online. Rather than spend all of your precious time making phone calls or thumbing through catalogs, all you have to do is plug in a keyword or two into a major search engine, and pretty soon you’ll get the information you need.

JC Whitney (jcwhitney.com) – Whitney has taken their mega-auto parts store and put it online. Because this company is one of the largest auto part retailers, this couldn’t have been a small tast. It’s just breathtaking to view their selection of auto parts online; they have everything from caps for the air valves on your tires to complete auto body kits. Even in the rare situation that you can’t find the part or accessory you’re looking for, the staff at JC Whitney will track it down for you. The award-winning web site is user-friendly, with navigation and a helpful search bar that narrows down choices to your car or motorcycle’s make and model. Whitney offers quality products at nice prices and delivers to any place on the globe.

Autozone (autozone.com) – Compared to JC Whitney’s almost hundred years old history, Autozone with only 20 years in the business may seem like a freshman. Nevertheless, Autozone’s selection is just as varied. The difference lies in that the customer needs to know exactly what item they’re looking for. One point where Autozone excels is with their troubleshooting, installation, and auto repair guides. Although they don’t have advice for every make or model, the instructions on what they do offer are listed simply and user-friendly. Also, if you register your car, Autozone will provide you with specifics for your it, from auto part recalls to auto body kits. If you can’t find the part on Autozone’s website, they encourage you yo call their customer service line and they will quickly research it for you. Another difference is that they only deliver car accessories within the United States.

Parts America (partsamerica.com) – Parts America has a nice and clean website. With a minimum of graphics and pictures, it gives you exactly what you need to find what you want. A user friendly search engine allows you to narrow your search based on the kind of vehicle you have. You’ll also find a section about summer maintenance, and if your make and model has had any known problems, they are divided into categories including power systems and transmission. You won’t find many exentric car additions, just auto parts you’d need to make any repairs to any part of your vehicle.

O’Reilly Auto Parts (oreillyauto.com) – This company has been a part of the car accessory scene for fifty years and is slowly expanding their website to include buying auto parts online. From the list of parts for any style of car to auto body kits, the site will display everything they offer. You can tell by exploring the web site that O’Reilly is still working out some of the bugs in their search engine. Don’t let that discourage you. Missing what this site has to offer would be unfortunate. They provide great variety if you want to buy car parts or accessories online.

Fortunately, the days of hunting down vehicle parts and accessories from one end of town to the other are gone, thanks to the amazing selection of auto parts online. Now you can literally search the ends of the earth for all kind of things you might need for your car. Whether you use one of the sites listed in this article to track down custom auto body kits or find that accessory for your Lamborghini in Milan, you can do it easily and quickly from your recliner and expect it delivered at your door within days.

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