I went down to the local parts store and noticed that most of the replacement parts were made in china or japan[:@]

i don't mind paying more money for parts made in the US

when I order stuff on the internet it doesn't always say where it is made and then i hold off buying it.

i don't mean to sound like an a@%hole but I prefer to buy parts made in the US

even thoung my truck is made in Mexico at least it is NORTH/CENTRAL America

I guess some of my grandfather rubbed off on me[sm=americanasmiley.gif]

any ideas on where I could get exclusive parts from the US?

 

mine was assembled in mexico too but you know what, atleast it is america, i.e. north america

 

Well good luck ....what parts store was this BTW?

The reason most parts is made in Asia is that most retail customers wont pay USA labor. Having recently retired from the Auto Parts business after about 25 years in it, I can tell you when a part is made overseas and sold at a discount retailer, the quality stuff follows suit. Its a simple business law that you make your money when you buy the part, not when you sell it.
Even brands that have been around for years have had to resort to overseas outsourcing to compete.
Some of NAPA's brands may still be made in this hemisphere, but you will pay for that priviledge.

Let face it, you get what you pay for, and you can pay too much, but truely, when it comes to parts, you can pay to little. My sense in the last few years in this business is that most customers would rather pay less, for less, and replace it more often , then pay more for higher quality.
Sorry...I could really expound on this...but I won't.

 

i went to autozone and advanced auto parts and could not find an oil pressure sending unit for my wife's Ford Escape that was made in

the US

I was happy to see that my K&N drop in performance air filter was made in the US and the champion plugs I bought

are the parts from the Dodge dealership made in the USA?

 

As far as your Escape goes... you probably won't since Ford is a leader in outsourcing. If they weren't, you'd have paid twice as much for your Escape it if it were all made and assembled here... and really...would you have? If that were true, then Toyota and the rest wouldn't have made such inroads here.

I can't bespeak for Autozone....except, having worked for them, the "best" parts at the lowest price" pretty much speaks for them. I don't shop there for that reason. Advance is one of the few companies I haven't worked for.
Just a tibit fellows...the Autoparts aftermarket is a big whorehouse...the parts may come in a different colored box, but most of 'em have the same momma.

Don't sweat, your Dodge has a lot of Bosch pieces OEM....Many pieces my be stamped, drilled or molded elsewheres, but much is assembled here. Remember...there's a little Mercedes in your ride!

 

Mine was assembled in Warren Michigan I will buy cheap crap for my cheap crap old car, but I spend a bit more on stuff for my Ram.

 

yea that is the problem with today. Everybody has become so money greedy that they wont spend the extra money for the USA part. Hell i would. OF course i am very fortunate to be ABLE to say that and back it up MONETARLY. (if you catch my drift some people cant afford it) but those people who can SHOULD support the USA. I mean i dont mind paying 10-15 bucks more for a part. but there is a limit if it is like twice as much then i am sorry but i just cant justify spending that much MORE money on that part. well just my .02


BNB

 

NAPA stuff us USUALLY .. and i use that term lightley.. made in USA.. and they are equal or better then OEM quality.. thats who i use whenever i have to replace something on the truck when their isnt a better aftermarket option..

my truck was built in DODGE CITY, warren michigan!!!!

talk about made in USA,, i was at state fair,, sitting at a table enjoying a nice peporoni and cheese pie with my brother inlaw and this dude comes by us selling American Flag pins.. mind you.. i am WEARING my Op. Iraqi Freedom hat ,,, ok.. plain view,, i buy this pin for 1$.. and i stick it on my hat.. a few days later im playing with my hat for some reason and i take the pin off to clean it off and wipe it .. and on the back.. geuss what the hell it said.. Made in CHINA.. i was like WTF.. i didnt throw it out.. but i sure as hell took it off my hat..

im with you guys.. buy American, it just may be your job your saving!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well the market changed...and when one supplier did it, the rest had to follow. The stubborn ones...well they died waving the flag, or changed markets. NAPA doesn't really flaunt the DIY market, they are too busy delivering to wholesale accounts...you won't find "lifetime warranty" brakepads in a NAPA store...that's not thier niche.

The problem isn't always disposable cash, maybe where it's budgeted. I mean..why would anyone even buy a set brake pads or shoes based on price? Believe me, you get what you pay for, and then some. These same morons come back in 6 months wondering why thier 2 year brake pads on thier (insert vehicle here) didn't last...DUH!

2nd tidbit: That "warrantY" is designed to get you back in the store to buy high profit items like chemicals, accesories, tools, other parts, etc.

The other excuse I loved was..I lease the car and the lease is up in "x" months....so what? Your vehicle still has to start, stop and perform at least at OEM levels....well, maybe not. In the words of MR T..."I pity the fool who buys this vehicle next."
In the end, I found I prefered to deal with women customers, who understood the value of cost versus quality. But then they buy the groceries too. If you wouldn't tolerate a cheap steak, why would you purchase a part for your car based SOLEY on price? I see guys more concerned about thier TV set, video game system and car stereo than thier cars brakes. I'd think you'd get the fact if you are on your 3rd 1 year warranty starter in 9 months....there might be a reason. Or is your time so invaluble you'll spend it under your car instead of driving it?

I actually lobbied (you alls gonna love this) for a mechanical apptitude test that you had to take when you got your drivers license. Your license would be color coded by the test, which would in turn allow you to only purchase parts AND work on your car at that level or below. If the test proved you were only cabable of gassing your car....you'd be seeing a mechanic for everything. Believe me...in the last 5 years I have seen WAY too many people who have NO business touching a car. But that's another story.
I'll think I'll quit while I'm ahead here...

 

Agree, but I have also ended up with some pretty shi**y american made crap to. For me it comes down to brands you trust, also the public does not keep a vehicle for very long anymore before they trade for something else so they are not going to sink any major money into their rig,just enough to keep it running until they get the next one,they balk at buying a quality part but think nothing about dropping $35,000 on the newest model diesel truck and they don't even tow or haul anything!We are one of the biggest "throw away" societies in the world, and when your paying a machinist $30 an hour to run a cnc your price is definately going to go up,after all,we have to pay for that $200,000 house,$35,000 truck,taxes up the a**. So most people will choose the cheaper parts most of the time,and don't kid yourself on the mark up, when I worked at the leading airbag manufacturer making airbags for all the major car manufacturers,our cost was around $3.50 from scratch to finished product to make each one, we got from $9 to $15 for each one from the car companies and they charged the public a $1000 + for them if they needed a replacement for their rig.