NAPA auto parts problem

[Fastmongrel]

NAPA parts what a bag of sh1t. I had a new lower suspension arm fitted to my Ford CMax in July and it's already knocking and wobbling.

The mechanic says since April this year when NAPA took over the local parts franchise he has seen lots of suspension parts that have to be replaced under warranty. The rubber parts just crack and split and the steel rusts as soon as it gets wet. He has now changed parts suppliers but I am off the road for the day.

All the Napa crapa stuff is made in China or other countries well known for quality control. I don't like the idea of driving or riding on suspension components made by a company that doesn't give a crap wether I live to old age or not.

I am cutting back on Chinese made junk but it's going to be hard and getting harder as they drive proper factories out of business by undercutting on price and quality.

[bk94si]

Sad to hear their quality is going down. I've always thought their stuff was a bit higher in quality.

[6]

NAPA parts what a bag of sh1t. I had a new lower suspension arm fitted to my Ford CMax in July and it's already knocking and wobbling.

The mechanic says since April this year when NAPA took over the local parts franchise he has seen lots of suspension parts that have to be replaced under warranty. The rubber parts just crack and split and the steel rusts as soon as it gets wet. He has now changed parts suppliers but I am off the road for the day.

All the Napa crapa stuff is made in China or other countries well known for quality control. I don't like the idea of driving or riding on suspension components made by a company that doesn't give a crap wether I live to old age or not.

I am cutting back on Chinese made junk but it's going to be hard and getting harder as they drive proper factories out of business by undercutting on price and quality.

THat sucks.

My local parts supplier usually has multiple options for common parts. When he does, i ask to see them both/all if the are in stock. You would be amazed. Some parts look like "Cheap Part Co." parts and The Moog are built in the same factory on the same machines. Then sometimes its hard to believe they are even for the same vehicle. At this point, if i have to order without seeing, i just get the best one.

like you mentioned, rubber quality is huge. Tie rod ends with nice thick soft rubber, then the next company has what appears to be a plastic cap. One has a grease fitting, the other no, metal thickness can be DRASTICKY different between companies. The quality of the hardware included also varies intensely.

I have different control arms on the truck. I forget what brands, I replaced all 4. But one is shitty stamped steel, couple tack welds here and there the other, entirely boxed in big long welds.

I mean, look. If you want to pay $8.99 for a ball joint vs $24.99.. You get what you pay for. But sometimes there prices are WAY closer than that and the quality is just as drastic. And sometimes there are what appear to be the exact same part with a 60% price difference.

[rpcraft]

My theory for any brand is there are a few to avoid. Generally Cardone or anything that consists of cheap reman units just seem to have a poor quality of rebuild. I know I have rebuilt a couple of PTO system's on my dad;s tractors over the years, as well as a couple of power steering boxes on some of the farm trucks. The PTO's just fail because farm life is hard so any time you can get a longer service life, between dust, dirt, and forgetting to grease stuff once in a while, it's all going to wear or develop a leak eventually. Our rebuilds seem to outlast them by a great deal but maybe we just got lucky. I know one brand I have always trusted was the Moog suspension parts when it came to the trucks and Lare's when it comes to steering boxes. For the GM trucks it was AC Delco professional, and then Ford was Autolite. It always had the biggest chance of lasting longest but I am hearing tales now days that even those are hit and miss....

[Fastmongrel]

I got the mechanic to replace the NAPA parts with Motorcraft parts. A bit more expensive but worth it. It's proper Ford OEM parts for me in future

[Yoshihns]

it all sucks. Good thing motorcycle parts haven't gone as far down that hole as cars. Mostly since OEM stuff is still available.

[Fastmongrel]

it all sucks. Good thing motorcycle parts haven't gone as far down that hole as cars. Mostly since OEM stuff is still available.

Probably not a big enough market to justify motor bike parts being made. Though I once bought a set of brake pads for a gsx750 that lasted 300 miles. They were faker than a fake thing in fake town.

[squirrelman]

I got the mechanic to replace the NAPA parts with Motorcraft parts. A bit more expensive but worth it. It's proper Ford OEM parts for me in future

still, no guarantee they're not made in china or mexico.

[Fastmongrel]

still, no guarantee they're not made in china or mexico.

True but at least they will be made to Ford specifications and are guaranteed to fit.

[ParcNHawk]

We're at least 25 years too late to easily avoid made in China parts.

[69Falcon]

We are already seeing it. I grabbed a petcock labeled for the hawk off eBay once, the outlet was pointed in the wrong direction.