why does the dealer need a VIN for a simple purchase like a fuel filter?

[BIGNASTY]

The dealership is a higher standard, more expensive, and better parts. The filter NAPA sells for the 03-07 doesn't even meet the minimum filtration spec, how is that a higher standard?

I use NAPA for plenty of things, but generally speaking their parts are not OEM quality, not necessarily cheap but not OEM.

I think that you might want to give this a rethink, my Napa has the same air filter as OEM (the the thick paper one) at a FAR LESS PRICE, even Geno's cant compete with my Napa Gold air filter price. There are a few other things that are the same or better, have your Napa dealer look again I do know that they have different parts some MAY BE less than OEM quality but, He asks me and tells me there is a difference, THIS IS WHY I GO TO HIM!!! If we are comparing fuel filters, JMO but if someone is a member of TDR and is STILL running OEM fuel filtration WHAT THE * H * is the use of subscribing to the magazine??

 

[JR]

I don't go to Dealerships for anything and its seems that REAL parts counter guys are Few and Far between. Go to a Auto Zone or some other CHAIN parts store and the behind the counter guy cant do much without the computer screen in front of them. The day of going in a talking to a friend behind the counter having a cup of coffee and picking up the parts that you asked of WITHOUT the VIN are gone. NOTHING I hate more is going home to work on the truck with parts that DONT FIT!!! and having to go back to get the right ONES, MAYBE!!

This is actually one reason I have started buying parts from a dealer again recently, especially for the wife's cars. My NAPA guys are knowledgeable enough but it seems that aftermarket parts have really gone by the way side in quality lately. I just helped my neighbor install a set of calipers he bought for his half ton Chevy from NAPA. He came over asking for help because he couldn't get them back together. The pads were not even close to loading in the slides the way they should have. I compared them to the old ones and they were nearly 1/16" longer at each end of the ears compared to the OEM set. It was Sunday night and he had to have his truck for the next day so I filed them down and made them work. Shouldn't have to do that with new parts yet it seems to be more and more common place. The dealer is more expensive but I do all my own maintenance and repairs on 4 Vehicles and I'm getting tired of doing the same job twice or more, even if the cheap parts are covered by a "lifetime warranty".

 

[BIGNASTY]

This is actually one reason I have started buying parts from a dealer again recently, especially for the wife's cars. My NAPA guys are knowledgeable enough but it seems that aftermarket parts have really gone by the way side in quality lately. I just helped my neighbor install a set of calipers he bought for his half ton Chevy from NAPA. He came over asking for help because he couldn't get them back together. The pads were not even close to loading in the slides the way they should have. I compared them to the old ones and they were nearly 1/16" longer at each end of the ears compared to the OEM set. It was Sunday night and he had to have his truck for the next day so I filed them down and made them work. Shouldn't have to do that with new parts yet it seems to be more and more common place. The dealer is more expensive but I do all my own maintenance and repairs on 4 Vehicles and I'm getting tired of doing the same job twice or more, even if the cheap parts are covered by a "lifetime warranty".

All are good points but my above post still holds true, I use my Dodge a lot of the time pulling a pretty good load of some kind on a trailer. I had used the OEM brake Pads and was getting pretty short life from them but thought? well I do pull a trailer with quite a bit of weight up and down the mountain roads in MT. Having to change brake pads was getting to be a PITA. I talked to a Ford guy in town that also pulled weight on a regular basis, He used Raybestos pads sold at our Napa store. I asked him they were cheaper than the OEM pads and have out lasted them OEM's by a large margin!!! Same with the U joints I put in all new ones because the LIFETIME ones had one that was frozen in place, The NAPA guy sold me Spicer (with grease zert) for LESS than what the OEMs would have cost. Same again with the LIFETIME front wheel berarings I was changing the OEM brake Pads for the ump-tenth time and noticed one of them had a rough feel to it, at 50K??? I again went to Napa in town and got Timken bearings and have had them on for close to twice the 50K and have had no problems.

To keep the cost of autos down the Factory uses less than optimal parts, if this is not true why then do they put such crap on trucks that are meant to be used in a work type environment. Take a look at the 48RE Factory trans, mine worked fine and was still working good when it was rebuilt. After the rebuild I found out just what a POS the stock trans was, WHY IS THIS TRUE??? it was said that it had to be used by all walks of life from the hard work guy to the RV user to the Grandma user and had to be compatible with all of the different drivers. To this I say HORSE COCKY if Grandma knows enough that she needs a Cummins to pull home the groceries from the market then Grandma knows that it needs a BETTER TRANS TO DO IT WITH.

 

[AH64ID]

I think that you might want to give this a rethink, my Napa has the same air filter as OEM (the the thick paper one) at a FAR LESS PRICE, even Geno's cant compete with my Napa Gold air filter price. There are a few other things that are the same or better, have your Napa dealer look again I do know that they have different parts some MAY BE less than OEM quality but, He asks me and tells me there is a difference, THIS IS WHY I GO TO HIM!!! If we are comparing fuel filters, JMO but if someone is a member of TDR and is STILL running OEM fuel filtration WHAT THE * H * is the use of subscribing to the magazine??

There is nothing but rumor that the OEM filter is made by WIX, and last I read there are several people with fitment issues on the WIX that the OEM doesn't have.. that means they aren't the same. just my 0.02.

OEM filtration does lack, but it IS better than NAPA.

Like I said I do buy some things at NAPA, but generally they are cheaper parts, not always but generally.

 

[BIGNASTY]

AH64ID
I go to the Napa guy in town because he's pretty much the only game in town!! and he's ex-Air Force its a 10mile drive to get to him, the other option is a 70 mile drive. I go to the BIG town and buy things in bulk so I don't have to drive anyplace to get things like my extra, filters both fuel and oil, all but the bypass filter comes from the Freightshaker dealer in the BIG town 70 miles away.

 

[CBlack]

The dealership is a higher standard, more expensive, and better parts. The filter NAPA sells for the 03-07 doesn't even meet the minimum filtration spec, how is that a higher standard?

I use NAPA for plenty of things, but generally speaking their parts are not OEM quality, not necessarily cheap but not OEM.

I'm not talking about filters. I'm talking in general. And the only filters I use from the dealer is for the transmission.

When I had to redo the parts on my front end of my 97, I went to Carquest to order them. They were serviceable and would last longer than OEM parts, which are notorious for failing.

 

[JR]

There are certainly aftermarket "performance" parts that exceed the quality and performance of OEM parts. It's the aftermarket OEM replacements that I have been struggling with the last few years, particularly reman parts. If I can't rebuild it myself I will do whatever I can to buy new and sometimes that may involve a trip to a dealer.

 

[JLeake]

Idiots abound, lawyers defend them for millions, and you wonder why a parts man is a bit defensive? Case in point, my buddy runs a repair shop, customer car came in (custom hot rod) only a Fram filter fit, filter failed, shop bought a new motor. Many examples of that, way to many people who are out to take advantage of businesses and individuals.

Unlike years ago the variations and combinations of options, changes, etc can give you a real headache. Without the VIN you are lost, and even in some cases that does not help especially if the customer is DIY type.