I Was A Hit & Run Victim

[cabinetman]

Last week, while at a HD, some dweeb ran into the back of my truck and smashed the tail light lens and scratched paint off the body. Did he/she hang around to face the music...NO.

So, I get home and LOML rolls her eyes as to say "What did you hit?"

So, after checking with several auto parts stores, find out the lens is a dealer only item. Now the dang thing is only plastic and can't cost a few bucks to make, but the dealer retails it for $100. To top that off, I had to get two colors of touch up paint, and get this, they are 1/2 oz, for $10 EACH. They are only a few dabs of lacquer, and that's it. What a rip off.

To keep me from going wild, they gave me 10% off, such a deal. Any other horror stories about dealers? I included pics cause I know how you guys are.
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[Uncle Cracker]

Well, all I can say is that misery loves company. Practically anybody who has ever had to deal with a car dealer for parts has a similar lament. The consumer is left with few choices, and the car dealers (and manufacturers) know it...

[Ed62]

I was at Menard's, recently. One of the guys who gathers the carts from the cart stall had a bunch of carts that he left about 4 or 5 feet from my car, while he went to pick up other carts. I saw them when I went to get into my car to go home. As I started to back out, the carts rolled into the back of my car, putting a few scratches on the paint, and an internal crack on the tail light lens. I had to put up a fight, but I received a check to cover the damage. The dealer wanted to replace the lens for $200.00. The crack was very small, internal, and couldn't be seen unless you looked for it.

Ed

[crokett]

I don't know that I've ever had a 'lament' at a dealer. I just always expect to get reamed on price.

[RAFlorida]

They will always get your money.

Had a Toyota Tacoma PU a while back and the alternator had to be replaced. Stopped at the dealer and got one, after they revived me with smellin' salt. No core charge, rebuilt alternator cost was $348.98 in Jan. 03! BTW, that cost was for the alternator only, as I did the repairs....

[OpaDC]

I was at Menard's, recently. One of the guys who gathers the carts from the cart stall had a bunch of carts that he left about 4 or 5 feet from my car, while he went to pick up other carts. I saw them when I went to get into my car to go home. As I started to back out, the carts rolled into the back of my car, putting a few scratches on the paint, and an internal crack on the tail light lens. I had to put up a fight, but I received a check to cover the damage. The dealer wanted to replace the lens for $200.00. The crack was very small, internal, and couldn't be seen unless you looked for it.

Ed

These small cracks tend to grow and also allow moisture in fogging the lens.

[herb fellows]

We'll all cheer you up with our tales of misfortune!

Toyota Camry tail light: $210

Setting the dealership on fire: Priceless! :-)

Oh, the temptation!

[dbhost]

That light assy looks to be from a late model Ford Explorer. There are plenty of online sources to get lights for those... Not much on the local side...

Honestly, build quality of OEM vs most of the aftermarket lights, you want to go with OEM anyway... Unless you are going with a decent name brand like Hella, or Lucas or something like that...

I had a similar experience at Wal Mart a week after I installed my brush guard. A guy in an older F-350 dually hooked his rear fender on my brush guard. Ripped up the fender, scratched up the powder coat on the 3 day old brush guard. I am VERY surprised it didn't bend... He took off, but left hunks of fender behind. It was dead obvious with the stripes which 92-96 F350 missing a chunk of the left rear fender hit me... Idiot...

[Russianwolf]

Did you check ebay? I bought a replacement mirror for our Saturn Vue (2003) off there for $40, the dealership wanted $150. I can't tell the difference, and this is a full power unit tooo.

[BobSch]

Auto parts are getting ridiculous.

And don't get me started on car radios. When I bought my Outback I could have gotten a CD-only add-on for $300. For the same price (installed!) I got an Alpine radio that handles CDs and MP3s. Try THAT with the newer cars where the radio is not a standard size, but custom designed for the vehicle.

[thrytis]

It might be worth checking online for genuine parts. I've found accessories cheaper online. The parts i ordered came from a regular dealer from across the country that has set up an online site to sell stuff. They have to compete with everyone else selling the same thing online so they are willing to cut their profit, while the brick and mortar dealer typically has no competition. It still wasn't cheap, but it sure beat the local dealer price.

[dbhost]

Most car manufacturers design the dash boards of their cars with a hole too large to accept the standard DIN layout car stereos common in the aftermarket, which is why the aftermarket is awash in adapters.

This is nothing new. I had to use an adapter to install an old school twin post cassette deck in a 1976 Toyota Celica back when I was in college...

A good source for car stereo information would be Crutchfield.

I have purchased a few Motorcraft O.E.M. pieces (busted light assembly replacements) and have had friends get things like bumpers and hoods from Partstrain.com with good luck. (I busted a tail light backing into a tree, long story...) OEM parts, WAY cheaper than the dealer...

[cwithboat]

Check the junk yards,
http://www.yardquest.com/

[pelligrini]

Yep, most of them are on computer databases now. At a lot of the places now you don't even have to pull your own part.

Sure is a lot different than when I was crawling all over the local yards getting parts for my '69 GTO.

[dbhost]

You don't still have the old goat do you?