How to buy auto parts without getting defrauded

Car owners who call dealerships are often shocked when they learn the cost of replacement parts.

    A trim piece that costs maybe $5 to make could carry a 5000% premium at the retail counter. Some parts are priced to the moon simply because many consumers don't know any better. If only they took the time to shop around.

    So, let me help you approach this process like a pro. I personally buy about $20,000 in parts every year for my dealership, and after nearly 15 years of scouring the nation for rare and expensive parts, I'm happy to share my secrets to getting what I need at the lowest possible price.

1. Do Your Research

    There are two websites every parts shopper should visit before buying. The first, Car-Part.com, offers the largest database    of used auto parts in the world. The second is eBay—perhaps you've heard of it—which happens to be a new and remanufactured auto parts sales juggernaut.

    There are a few steps to any successful search. Once you find what you need on Car-Part.com, select 'Distance' and    then click 'Search' to see what its market price is in your area. Once you made note of that, go to eBay. Do the same search, and sort by 'Pricing + Shipping lowest'.    Pay special attention to the estimated delivery time in the listing. Parts from overseas can sometimes take over a month to get to your home.

2. Verify, Verify, Verify!

    Call the dealership to confirm your specific part number before you complete any purchase. If you don't confirm the part number, any grief that ensues is of your own making.

    You'll learn that some    parts are unique to certain engine and transmission combinations. And the list of potentially affected parts is long, from computers, modules, and sensors, to more basic items like    alternators and starters.

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3. Haggle, But Be Polite

    It's common courtesy for most junkyards to match a lower price for a part at another retailer in the same geographical region. There are two important    caveats to this, however.

    First, you have to compare apples with apples. Don't expect a junkyard to price-match their 20,000-mile engine with one nearby that has    200,000 miles on it.

    Second, when you haggle, make sure you say you did your homework on Car-Part.com, and be honest with the guy on the other line. He has    the same information as you do, and if you jerk him around, he'll know and he may return the favor, so to speak.

4. Craigslist is a Crapshoot

    Craigslist isn't always a good source. In the real world of buying parts, it can frequently become a big time-suck compared with going to a junkyard or    buying online. Plus, most of what you buy on Craigslist will be sold as is, while the other two sources allow you to either exchange the part or get your    money back. For this reason, I get fewer than two percent of my parts from Craigslist.

5. Always Look For Coupons

Auto parts retailers are expensive. But they don't have to be. This website will help you find coupon codes or    manufacturer rebates that may not pop up when you visit the auto parts store online.

I've sometimes found starters and alternators that were within $20 of an eBay or a junkyard find, with the added perks of a limited lifetime warranty and free delivery. To me, that extra $20 is worth the peace of mind.

Know that if a dealership is tells you that buying a part from someone other than them will void your car's warranty, it's not true. I usually buy batteries, fluids, and filters    online from either auto parts stores, eBay, Walmart, or Amazon. If you find yourself just short of that '$50 off of $125' coupon code you found online, just add some items you know you'll use anyway, like filters or    coolant, to get the order up where it needs to be.

6. Buy Rare Parts In Person

    Some parts for hybrid vehicles, high-end models, and classics are unique. For instance, I once needed a DC-DC converter for a 10-year-old Honda Civic    Hybrid. The price at the dealership was $1800, and neither eBay nor Car-Part listed it as available.

    By going to a nearby junkyard that had the car in their inventory, I was able to locate this unusual part for only $100. I've found that specific modules    for older or limited-run vehicles can create similar headaches. So if you're buying rare, unique, and hard-to-find parts, your best bet is to try and track it down in person.