Fixing a car with a broken part can be expensive. According to LendingTree, consumers spent an average of $1,160 on vehicle maintenance and repairs in 2022, with some regions spending substantially more than that.
The reasons for these high costs are complex.
As explained by the New York Times, modern cars, including the increasing number of electric models, have become so technologically-advanced that even basic repairs can come with a hefty price tag. Additionally, Yahoo! Finance notes that there is currently a shortage of technicians working in the field, which can in turn lead to higher prices.
Seeing the present marketplace, some may take it upon themselves to fix their own cars. While this is usually fine if one knows what they’re doing, things can go awry if they use the wrong part, as recently noted in a video from Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice) that’s accumulated over 171,000 views on TikTok.
Should you buy auto parts from Amazon?
In their video, the Royalty Auto Service mechanics use a car that recently came into the shop to show why getting the cheapest part on Amazon isn’t always the best idea.
According to one mechanic, a car came in with four bad wheel speed sensors on a 2010 Chrysler Sebring, something he describes as “crazy unusual.”
As a result, the car owner decided to go online and buy some new ones. A pack of four of these sensors cost $50 on Amazon—a surprise to the mechanic, given that good quality wheel speed sensors run his shop $50 to $75 at cost.
Their low price was explained, however, when the mechanic put them into a scope to determine whether or not they worked. They did not.
While he notes that one could simply return the product, he says that issues like these are emblematic of the problems that can occur when one uses cheap parts that they find on the internet.
“You buy this pack online. You think you’re getting a great deal, you install one or two or three or four of these wheel speed sensors, thinking, ‘Great!’—and you didn’t fix the problem,” he explains. “So you thought you had a bad wheel speed sensor, and you put a new one in there, and now you still have exactly the same problem.”
The mechanic says this can point drivers in the wrong direction when trying solve their vehicle’s issue.
“What are you going to do? You’re not going to think that the brand new part’s bad,” he continues. “You’re going to be like, ‘Oh, well, it’s not the wheel speed sensor, right?’ And then you’re going to go down a rabbit hole.”
This “rabbit hole,” he says, can lead one to buy even more parts, wasting money to fix a problem that could have otherwise been resolved with a single part of higher quality.
“I get that you could get a bad part from anywhere. I totally understand that,” he says of buying car parts from the internet. “But we see the probability of getting a bad part from Amazon and one of these for, you know, for a quarter of the price or less than a quarter of the price, is a lot higher than buying a quality part.”
He closes by sharing a story about someone who had issues with a name-brand part they purchased online, then speculates about the possibility of ratings manipulation on these products.
“You’re better off going to one of your local parts stores,” he advises. In a comment, the shop clarified, “This isn’t against Amazon. People just need to be more aware of what they’re purchasing.”
@royaltyautoservice Stop wasting your time and money! #mechanic #parts #amazon #automotive #cartok #diy #mechaniclife #tips #viral #stitch #duet #viral #chrysler ♬ Pop beat BGM / long version(1283324) – nightbird_bgm
Commenters weigh in
In the comments section, some users spoke to the advice in the video.
“I’ve made this mistake. had a bad wheel speed sensor and bought a replacement from rockauto. after fidgeting with it for a long time I bought a used OEM one on eBay and it immediately fixed my issue,” said a commenter. “Personally I don’t see an issue with cheaper aftermarket parts, but you’ve gotta be wise enough to know what NOT to cheap out on.”
“I’ve been tech in the powersports industry for over 20 years. Last 5 or so I have seen lots of Amazon fixes. I would say 25% work for a while. 75% don’t at all,” added another. “Not worth it.”
However, others countered that they’ve had positive experiences with Amazon—and negative experiences with their local mechanics or parts stores.
“You can get bad parts anywhere,” stated a user. “I got 4 alternators from AutoZone before I finally got a good one. nothing is made good anymore doesn’t matter where you buy or the cost you have that risk.”
“I use Amazon alot for my customers as a mobile mechanic and haven’t had a call back since from any of them,” wrote an additional TikToker. “People just need to know how to do their research before purchasing anything.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Royalty Auto Service via website contact form.
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