Not a single part, but a proliferation of poor “OEM QUALITY” auto parts or imitations. Amazon is attractive to those on a budget because you can often get cheaper parts shipped to you in a few days.
Let’s say I’m driving an old but still reliable mid-2000s Corolla. There was a terrible clack coming from the front end and the car was in disrepair, and a quick check revealed rusted, leaky struts and shot bushings. I check out AutoZone on the street, but they want $270 for a set of DuraLast quick struts. You check Amazon then:
Oh now it’s more like it. You buy struts for $100 less, realize they don’t seem to fit very well but oh well, you’ll make them work. You install them at the end of the week, and all is well.
Until six months later and they rattle again.
Now, I know that this is not going to happen. And I know that, sometimes, you just need to buy the cheapest parts you can find so you can go to work and back. But I’ve been burned too many times buying the cheapest parts I could find, when I could have found better parts just by doing a little digging:
I know that the Monroes aren’t the best out there right now, but that’s about the same price as Amazon’s cheap. Heck, a KYB kit for a Corolla on Rock Auto is just over $100.
For some, you can go to Amazon. But for the car’s vital parts – brake rotors, suspension bits, engine internals, gaskets, anything where replacing that part again would be so painful if it breaks. – just go to a reputable auto parts store or online store and buy the brand name. part.
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate this: THE CHURCH FOR PERFECT
Now it’s a journey. And also a great lesson for any naive kid reading this who might assume that what they read in an advertisement must be true. And while we’re at it, it’s certainly not a good idea to buy a cheap window regulator. Ask me how I know.
