Buying used replacement parts for your vehicle often can be less expensive than purchasing new. Perhaps you have an older model vehicle for which new parts are scarce, or you want to reduce lanill waste by using recycling parts, or you simply want to save money --- whatever your reasoning, following are some buying tips offered by Consumer Reports (CR) magazine.
Getting started
Begin by getting a baseline price for the part from your local dealer, repair shop or retailer, if possible. Then use that for comparison once you start shopping for a used replacement part.
Also try to determine the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) part number, and have your vehicle identification number ready, as well. Lastly, try to discern if the part meets OEM specifications, advised the CR editors in their article "How to buy used car parts," in the March issue of the magazine.
Where to look
Today's salvage centers remove, clean and package parts for resale. To find a nearby location, type "Philadelphia area salvage yards" into a web browser. Call ahead with your part number to see if the salvage center has what you need.
You also can try shopping for the part online. "Many salvage yards have pooled their inventories into networks, and you can find parts by searching those sites, "wrote the CR editors. Search for sites by typing into a web browser the part you need, such as "2004 Mustang Cobra Mach MP3 CD changer." Or try searching by the part number, if you know it.
Also consider an online auction site (e.g., eBay), but keep in mind that those sales venues may not have the breadth of product selection a dedicated salvage website would have.
When shopping online, pay attention to shipping charges, return policies and warranties, advised the CR editors.
Best bets
The editors stated you'll get the biggest overall cost savings if you purchase parts you can replace yourself, rather than paying a merchanic to do the work for you. This imcludes lighting assemblies, alloy wheels, trim pieces, mirrors, bumper covers and the like.
"Rebuilt and aftermarket parts, such as astarter, alternator or water pump, can be a good bet, certainly better than one that's not refurbished," wrote the editors.
Think twice about pursuing used parts for items that tend to wear out, such as electric motors, compressors, pumps, brake systems and bearings. It may be questionable as to how much life those parts have left.
Final thoughts
Of course you want to be wary of prices that are too good to be true, as the item may be of poor quality. If ingood consult with a trusted auto mechanic.
And speaking of mechanics, if they know you're willing to replace with a used part, they may be able to make recommendations. Certainly do let them know ahead of time if you've located a used part and will be bringing it with you when you drop off the vehicle for repair. "Keep in mind that if you supply the part, the shop might not guarantee the job." cautioned the CR editors.
Lastly, allow only qualified and trusted mechanics to replace safety-related parts, such as airbags, safety-belt components and electronic sensors.
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