I'm DONE with Schuck's/Kraegen!

[scott.475]

I'm so hot! I took the Autolite starter back, the BRAND NEW ONE that would not start my truck, and they refused to give me a refund! Said they could give me a new starter though. When I told them I already put another one in, ONE THAT WORKED, they didn't care, because their machine says its good. Once I get over my laryngitis I am going to talk to a manager about it, but I am not holding out much hope. I am really disappointed in them, because I have used Schuck's forever, but no more.

You all have been warned.

[freds40]

If there is another store near by you might try them. They are supposed to all work together.

[oddball]

Ive used Kragens forever too but I recently found an Autozone near my house. I think allot of their stuff is cheaper so I'm using them now.

[toyhunter]

ive had the same problem happen to me but luckily I bought the lifetime warranty because I had a ton go out on my chevy from the heat

[lilbuddy]

Kragen, pepboys and Napa are good for me. Pepboys has stuff that kragen doesnt and then napa has stuff no one else does. Autozone in chico are not too nice IMO. Kragen is my top choice still though. Like freds40 said, all stores should take it back. Thats really weird though.

[toyhunter]

no its really not that weird because its happened to me everytime i went in for a new starter. They would hook it up to the machine and it would say it was fine but I knew it wasnt and everytime it was a big battle for a new one

[freds40]

As far as quality goes, it's either Kragen or NAPA for me. I usually have good luck @ Kragen but then again I used to work @ a store so I know some of the things they will try but how to still get what I need. It also helps that I still know a few guys @ my local store. 

[kneedownnate]

They will take it back and give you your money but you hafta doop one of them into saying they'll do it, then when you and they talk to a manager about it they'll say, "well, we're not supposed to but since you told mr customer you would we'll do it this once".  On my fourth autolite alternator in a year(3rd that month) they finally broke down and refunded my money.  It squalled so loud right out of the box, I let off some tension on the belt and it quited down so I knew it was a bearing, had to prove it to the girl I just bought it from a half hour before.  I politely expressed how big of an inconvernience this had become considering each time they had to special order them for me, which means I had to pre-pay even though it was warranted, and how much business I'd done with them in the past.  It's not so much the store that sucks either, but the brands.  I was floored when I went to autozone and found goodyear hoses and belts for cheaper than the local quality parts store, and have found other good parts there too.  Sometimes you just hafta have a specific brand in mind and ask for it or they'll bring you the junk/cheap brand instead.  As far as Napa goes, you couldn't pay me to run their parts, I see how poorly they're built every day at work.  People always say, "yea but you get a lifetime warranty", so effen what, I still hafta pull the damn part and go through all the hassle, not to mention the down time from not having my truck.  Ever stick an alternator in you backpack then ride 90 miles home(then have your friend realize he forgot his ID so you couldn't get into the titty bar)?  It sucks, lemme tell ya.  And do any of you have an 86 3 row radiator in your 80 truck?  You pretty much hafta cut off the lower rad hose and pull the radiator each time you pull the alternator, which gets expensive with a new hose and coolant each time.  Moral of the story; know your brands and stay away from autolite parts, they suck bigtime!

[sandboxtoy]

 LIFETIME WARRANTY? = REPLACE FOR A LIFETIME! 

[WHITE_TRASH]

CSK sells crap electrical parts period.  Their starters and alternators are complete garbage.  The easy way to get them to take it back is to ask for their regional supervisors phone #, or the corporate office's #.  They HAVE to give it to you if you ask.  Thats the surefire way to take care of things.  My dad and I used to have an auto repair shop and beings my brother was an assistant mgr. we did a lot of buisness through schmuks.  They stopped warrantying tools so my dad called corporate, the next time he needed to warranty any tools they kissed his ass royaly.

[mr4x42u]

shucks=shucks another broken part...

[lowgeared]

We just finished wiring two Auto Zones.  I hope they can fix me up with some decent prices.      My buddy runs a Standard Battery store here in town so I always get fixed up with Optimas, alternators, starters, and the sweet 2/0 welding cable with crimp on ends.   

[WHITE_TRASH]

I wont shop at auto zone.  They can open 5000 stores a month if they want to.  They dont pay for any of their stock until they sell it.  They are trying to get the whole industry to go to that system too but the aftermarket is fighting it.

[BLACKDOG]

I wont shop at auto zone.  They can open 5000 stores a month if they want to.  They dont pay for any of their stock until they sell it.  They are trying to get the whole industry to go to that system too but the aftermarket is fighting it.

I do like their free tool rental policy though, its great for those of us who dont have the space or money to have some of the specialty tools.  And they are usually pretty cool when you break the tools as well, I've only been charged fro breaking a tool once, and it was half the cost of the tool, which was $20.  And I have broken 5-6 different things.   I just wish they would use beter made tools, they are pretty crappy tools, but they work

[86yota]

Tool rental, lifetime warranty, bla bla F***n bla.  Kragen and Auto Zone both can lifetime waranty a turd but its still a turd. 

[reklund5]

you know, nobody would go thru the hassle of changine alternators/starters multiple times if they just used Toyota factory parts the first time.  They cost more, but what is your time worth?  Your first starter/alternator that came in your truck lasted 100,xxx miles.  You know your autozone junk isn't going to last 10,xxx miles, so why risk it?  I learned my lesson on this the hard way, when I had to replace my alternator in the middle of nowhere Colorado, and the only game in town was NAPA.  It never worked right, but it got me home.  When I got home, I bought a Tolyota Alternator and Regulator and shoved the other junk down the local NAPAs throat until they gave my  money back.

Please try to remember that we are all doing this to have fun, not to replace the SAME part MULTIPLE times.   Your valulable time off work is worth way more than saving a few bucks on a substandard part.  Whenever possible, opt for the higher quality factory parts (toyota even does remanufactured starters and alternators!) and you'll have more time for    and  and wheeling!

Just my 
Ryan

[kneedownnate]

Yea, I keep meanin to check on these toyota remanufactured parts.  There is always the option of having your toyota stuff rebuilt by a reputable shop with toyota parts. 

[Cheesemaker]

I flat out refuse to go to our schmuks/crackwhore up here.  i go to our local family owned parts house (Stan's big A.)  it costs more to get stuff there, but when you walk in to the place and within 30 seconds there is a salesman right there asking what's up and what you need!!!  when schmuks first opened and a couple other times i would walk around in there for an hour and i think they would have locked up for the night without looking to see if anybody was in the store.  to me customer service is worth the higher price items.  never been stiffed at stan's.  I bought a cheap starter at schmuks and I ruined it, (thought it was a starter problem and turned out to be a head gasket, ever tried to start a motor with a cylinder full of H2O?) well I ruined the starter, almost lost the nose piece into the flywheel.  took back and manager yelled at me for mounting it in wrong.  it wasn't mounted in wrong, but i wasn't going to tell him why it was busted!   Well got a $30.00 replacement starter for emergencies!!  That's when i decided to never go back in to schmuk's again.   I won't go into napa either, another starter problem years prior.   Don't matter, nissan or toyota, best parts are ordered directly from them, but at a price!!!!    

[dj]

In OK we have autozone, o'reillys pepboys and napa. if you find a parts store that is worth a  please let me know. My alternater quit on the trail, went to autozone to get it exchanged (lifetime) when I got back to my rig it did not work either, on the second trip to the store I made them test it before I would leave with it, AFTER 4 MORE FREAKIN ALTERNATORS, they finally found one that worked. After all of this they had the nutz to tell me it was not a lifetime even though my original reciept said it was and in fact paid the higher lifetime price. They told me thier computer system had priority over thier reciepts. That is just one of my minor go rounds with a local parts store.
btw always go during a week day if possible, it works like a football team

weekdays = first string
weekends = second string
nights = third string

[BUBBA]

Is there anyway to order genuine toy parts without having to go to the dealership,closest one to me is a 2 hr drive one way.

[dj]

yeah give em a call and a credit card # and they will probably be glad to ship them to you

[UNBREAKABLE]

Schuck's/Kraegen...Must be a west coast thing....

[ZUK]

Hey guys, not that it qualifies me for crap but I used to be an assistant manager at a Salt Lake City Checkers.....and a partsman for 4 years at the Autozone in Grand Junction, Co. and I will not buy starters or alternators from either. I would trust my luck at Bapp Imports maybe....or the dealer. When I'm out on the trail, it's worth it to me to have dependable stuff. Lifetime don't mean anything in the sticks.

[mr4x42u]

well when the guys that work thre won't buy there stuff i guess it say's somthing..

[kyle_22r]

i don't go to schmucks any more unless i absolutely don't have any other choice.   an autozone went up right down the road from my house and i've gotten to the point where all the guys know me by name.  i've never had any trouble returning anything, but i also haven't gotten junk that doesn't work from them like i've got from schucks.  also things seem a bit cheaper for the most part.

i can't believe some of the junk parts schucks stocks.  i got a bad alternator from them a year ago, took it back, tested bad, then they tried giving me another one. i had them test it, and it was bad too!  i ended up going to napa for that one.  also, instead of just having my flywheel resurfaced i brought it to schucks to exchange it for a reman'd one(figured resurfacing woudl cost the same).  came back the next day when it came in and they gave me a cracked one!  i had to persuade them to send it back and get me another

[89 toy]

a few days a go i was at schucks with a buddy getting some oil and the guy in front of us was trying to get points for a 302 and he didnt know what year it was because it was in a boat or something but the guy was trying to look up parts fo a 1978 pickup and couldnt find any thing he said they didnt make points for a 302 and the guy was getting pissed i told the guy to look up a older car like 1970 when they had points then he says they didnt make a 302 in 1970 only a 351 i told him he was stupid a 302 and 351 are preety much the same so he pulled the part what do you know the same part. tjhe guys that work there are stupid every body knows what points for a small block are.you go to napa and most times they know wat part you need without the computor.

[scheid6996]

ya shucks is gay, and everytime i walk in the door, they are like " hi sir, can i help u fing anything??  and when i say no, they like watch me as if im gona jack sumthing, freaken yupies!!

[Cheesemaker]

scheid6996 your lucky, they won't acknowledge your presence even if your standing at the counter going, "HI I would like to buy this!!" at ours!!!

[BLACKDOG]

I always get decent service at the one in VV.  Last time I was there I was looking for a motor mount on a sunday, they had to order one, and I need it, so the guy called Pepboys, Autozone, Napa, and Carquest trying to find the mount for me.  I dunno mabye that store is an exception, but the service is like that all the time.  I dont buy big stuff there, because I dont rust their stuff as much, I would rather buy reman stuff, or new yota