I replaced the alternator on my daily driver F-150 today for free, 13 years after I purchased it at Autozone with a lifetime warranty. It got me wondering if anyone pays extra for the lifetime warranty parts for their hot rods. I know I do, and it has saved me alot of money over the years.
My starter on Big Olds has lifetime warrenty. I purchased it in the summer of 2002 while in Mass on a road trip. It was replaced in the parking lot of the NAPA store and has over 110,000 miles on it. Will probably last forever since it knows it can be replaced free.
You are not paying extra for the warranty, you are actually getting a better quality part. At Autozone the "lifetime warranty" parts are built in China and the "1 year warranty" parts are built by children in a 3rd world country that I cannot pronounce. I think the China parts are supposed to be better . . .
Some folks will say because of not being installed in the intended original vehicle, even with receipts in hand, "That was the life of it. Time to 'fess up again." I have to shed a dark side to what I know of the business I know very well because it does happen to folks who don't deserve that kind of treatment and not by me.
With Autozone and others who offer a life warrenty, it applies to the original purchaser "for as long as you own the car". Cool by me, as I run my cars 'till they can't run anymore. It's as much a marketing tool as a warrenty since the customers think they are getting a better part (usually are) for the higher price but most people don't keep the car long enough to need the warrenty. Guy I worked with had shocks put on his pickup twenty years ago at a tire store, gets the life warrenty. Fast forward fifteen years, he's at the same store and the counterman tells him "my tech tells me you need new shocks." "Ok, put 'em on." At the end, counterman hands over the bill and my buddy hands over a fifteen year old recepit to get the price of the shocks deducted. I wish I could have seen the counterman's face.
i use 2 year warranty pads and rotors on my daily driver. Bring them in shortly before 2 years is up and they hand me new ones. good deal
Some of us are old enough that they feel safe offering the lifetime warranty because they don't expect us to be around that much longer.
I bought lifetime brake pads for my Ford Ranger back in 1984 it goes thru pads every 25,000 miles like clock work. It now has 385,000 miles on it, do the math, I think I got my moneys worth out of them.
Ya got me beat. Back in '99 I took my old daily into Sears for an alignment "Oh that's a BMW those are tough to align etc...(Which is Bullshit BTW) It's $89.95 but wait for $109.95 I can sell you a lifetime alignment agreement". Heh heh. Still got the car, gets aligned every 6-8 months. They don't like me.
You already did. It's all factored into the price when that is first established. They know most people don't keep their paper work. They know the average number of free replacements and they are factored in. I used to have to argue with customers that thought that they were getting a free lunch from Midas. Of course they had to buy rotors every time that they got free pads. No rotors...end of warranty. I sold Bendix for a year or so with a lifetime warranty. I don't know where those people are getting free replacement pads now because Bendix just stopped their warranty. So much for a lifetime warranty. While some people make out OK, there is no free lunch. I wonder if Midas is still giving away mufflers? Of course the pipes are extra and MUST be replaced to get the free muffler.
Lifetime warrenties are definatly worth it! Usually a better part plus free replacement = happy rodders!
How do they know what vehicle it was ever installed on when it's laying on the counter with a receipt?
I got Midas muffer on an OT car replaced every year like clockwork. About 6 times in 6 years the damn thing would rust and blow out the seams. They make them like tinfoil and never expect you to keep the car that long.
Used to buy my Batteries at JC Penny's. They were a very good battery (probably made by Exide) and carried a lifetime warranty. I was installing one in my 914 and it slid off the deck lid and hit the ground putting a small crack in it. They replaced it no questions asked. I think they bit off more than they could choose though, as they got out of the business a few years later.
my daily? sure... SBC... alternator, starter, etc. all from NAPA with a lifetime warranty. NAPA doesn't seem to carry early generators, though... makes it tough for the hot rod
l have a1957 chevy that has been in the family since '68. gramps gave it to me in the mid 70's and some of the lifetime warranty parts l bought at Al's auto, who was bought out by schucks and is now o'reilly's. the store here wanted to argue with me everytime l tryed and return the "lifetime" part. lucky for me l am a packrat and have most of the receipts for the stuff l bought. be firm, l politly tell the store guy, you bought the franchise, so , you now have to honor the warranty. if the store don't, do what l did, call corprate. l did once and now they don't like to see me come thru the door. Later
My black Deuce has a JC Penny lifetime battery that I bought in 1978, just before Nationals, Firestone now replaces it about every 5-6 years..... The Math has it at almost 33 years....
Please dont use the words Crafstman & bench vise in the same sentence to me. I was pressing a u-joint together several yrs ago & my 4" Crafstman vise went POP!. Giant crack all the way around the base.No I wasnt using a cheater bar/pipe(never did),and I had put way more force on it in the past. Took the vise back about a week later & the salesman says 'we dont exchange/replace broken bench vices". After conversing with this kid for awhile I came completely unglued. Look pal its a hand tool that says crafstman on it & its broken,,,,,he says no because bla bla bla. I dropped(slammed) the vise on the floor & walked away & security shows up. Long story short(er) I had to pick up my broken part & leave the store. Im glad I dont drink anymore.
This lady KNOWS how to get the most of her lifetime warranties. http://retrorenovation.com/2009/07/02/rachel-and-her-1964-comet-caliente-time-capsule/
lifetime warranty... I'd rather have a quality part that lasts. my OT driver had the original bosch alternator on it after 30 years it finally had a bearing go out. still charged, just started making noise. I was on my 3rd lifetime warranty alternator when it finally blew a headgasket so I retired the car. this car went well over 200,000 miles with many of the OEM parts still on it. lifetime warranty crap parts would be better if they gave you the replacement at the same time you bought the new one, so if it went out on the side of the road somewhere you wouldn't be stuck.
While most of you guys don't care for the mention of a '69 Camaro on this board, but because I've owned it for 40 years - hopefully I'll be forgiven. Back in the late 1970's, JC Penny stores included Auto Centers. I purchased a "Lifetime" battery for the Camaro. It was roughly $70, at that time. I've lost count of the number of batterys they've installed. The last few have been the top of the line Sears DieHard. The last time I went in for a battery replacement, they offered $150 to buy back my warranty - I thanked them and said no thanks. I have no intention of ever selling the car. I've owned it since I was 18 years old and working at the local Ford dealer (yeah, that made me a popular employee). Check out the license plate... Now you know where the 4EVER18 ID came from!
I've taken lifetime warrenty starters back to Autozne and all they wanted was the phone number you gave them when you bought it. Plug the phone number in and it brings up the items you bought that were covered with a lifetime warrenty with no mention of the vehicle it went in. I've bought broken Snap-On and Craftsman tools at yard sales and hauled them back and traded them in along with who knows how many that I bought from both and broke years later. I havent broken many snap-On's though but they aren't guarenteed aganist being lost.
I had one of those lifetime batteries in my coupe, it was great for a while until I found out the lifetime they meant was not mine or the cars ,but how long they were in the battery business.
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