Save Big on Auto Parts
If you’re anything like me, you dread going to a mechanic or dealership to purchase a replacement part for your car. The mark up can be two to three times their actual cost, as well as extremely time consuming trying to locate what you need. I’m always looking for ways to both cut costs and save time. If you’re looking to do them same, then you’ve come to the right place.
Although you may feel a sense of loyalty to purchase parts from the same dealership you purchased your car from or have service your vehicles, the problem is they probably have the highest mark up of any place to buy replacements. Unless the parts are covered by a warranty, your best bet is to avoid purchasing through a dealership if you’re trying to save money.
The best ways to save time and money are to shop at local auto parts stores like AutoZone, O’Reilly Auto Parts or Advance Auto Parts. Not only can you still shop the old fashioned way by walking into the store and asking a knowledgeable associate for help, but you can also browse and order parts online through their sites as well. My favorite feature about shopping at their sites is that you can locate the closest store location, search for a part, find out if it’s available and even pay for it. That means, all you have to do is pick it up at the store. You can also browse parts online at companies like Jegs and Summit Racing.
If you’re interested in saving even more money, you can always locate junk yards or salvage yards locally or online. The benefit is that you can often find parts discounted even below that of retail stores. Pick up your local phone book or search online at sites like www.salvage-yards.com to find what you’re looking for.
Regardless of where you purchase your auto parts, always shop around and compare prices. You’d be surprised at how much money you can save with a little bit of searching.
Parts pricing from the dealer can be pretty high, but you can pretty much guarantee correct application and fit. The trick to buying parts in the aftermarket is to have all the information on your vehicle at hand when looking for parts. Year, make, model, and engine size are the bare minimum of information required. If it’s a truck or some car models you need to know if it’s all-wheel drive, four wheel drive, or rear wheel drive. If you’re looking for brake components make sure you know if it has four-wheel disc brakes or front disc/rear drum. Most of this you can figure out just by looking. Barring that, call the dealer parts department with your VIN number and they can supply the information.