Rising inflation has consumers looking for places to buy car and truck parts cheaper online and in store.
With rising inflation causing consumers to buy less and pay more, trying to save money is not even something we think twice about anymore . Naturally, the higher cost of “goods” is causing people to look online for the best prices they can get. Pinching the extra penny has become necessary instead of voluntary.
So when your vehicle breaks down this Spring, it’s likely you’ll be looking to buy car parts cheaper. Whether you shop online or in the parts store, price point is going to be important.
Also fueling the search to buy car parts online is a massive rise in costs at the local auto parts store. I work as an “independent” or indy tech at a used car dealership. This leads me to spend a lot of time researching prices of auto parts. I spend time out of the day looking up everything from headlight bulbs to remanufactured engines. From this experience, I can personally tell you that the parts store prices have risen dramatically.
Buying car parts online is usually cheaper than buying local.
I know people are going to give me grief for not buying my car parts locally, but at the end of the day my boss is running a business. If the cost of buying parts for the cars he’s selling is more than the profit potential, his business loses money. That’s why for months he’s been searching online for places to buy car and truck parts cheaper.
Since I do most of the parts research, I’ve spent a lot of time and money on various car parts websites. Below I’m going to give you the 5 online parts stores that are saving us money in 2022.
1.) Parts Geek
One of the better online car part suppliers that I’ve been using to save money and get quality parts is Parts Geek.
Having used Parts Geek for well over a year, I can tell you that the biggest advantage to buying parts from them is their vast inventory. Just today I ordered a set of camshaft hubs for a Volvo S60 that I could not find at any of the major competitors.
Buying parts from Parts Geek, you can expect to save up to 30% versus local or dealer prices.
2.) CarParts.com
Carparts.com has become well known for their excellent customer service and affordable car parts online. I can vouch for this online car parts service. I’ve purchased quality parts at a hefty discount from them on several occasions. Not once have I been left disappointed with the buying experience.
3.) RockAuto
This list of places to buy car parts online is in no way a ranking. I’m not telling you that Parts Geek is better than RockAuto or vice versa. This is simply a list of the most common places I shop for car and truck parts online. Each one of these online parts stores has their own pro’s and con’s.
RockAuto.com was pretty much the pioneer of the online auto parts store. The car and truck parts distributor was the first to become a household name amongst grease monkeys and DIY mechanics.
RockAuto excels in its options for quality and price.
Where RockAuto really excels in my opinion is the sites offering of several different quality options. By giving customers the ability to choose the quality of their car parts, RockAuto can appeal to buyers from teenage kids or backyard mechanics to professional technicians.
4.) Amazon
Not surprisingly, Amazon has become a leading distributor of car parts and accessories. Also unsurprising is that the worlds largest online retailer offers some of the cheapest car parts on the internet. Fast and affordable shipping, especially with Amazon Prime makes buying your parts from Amazon pretty simple.
One thing I don’t like about buying parts on Amazon is the lack of a “Does this fit your vehicle” option. Although descriptions are usually detailed and give plenty of details about the parts you’re buying, Amazon could incorporate a better parts fitment option.
Part fitmemt options is the only downfall of Amazon’s parts buying experience.
I didn’t feel that I needed to include pictures of Amazon’s user interface. The company has been a staple in online retailing for decades and almost everyone has used it. According to Statistica, 81% of US adults have used Amazon’s services. When it comes to reputable places to buy car parts online, that’s worth mentioning.
5.) eBay Motors
I have to be up front and say that I’ve used eBay Motors to buy parts far less than the other sites on this list. A bad experience with a counterfeit part turned me off to the platform a while back. Amazon has also been linked to counterfeit parts, particularly with “OEM” Toyota parts but I’ve yet to have a bad experience with parts from Amazon.
I have recently tried to give eBay motors another shot at my parts buying business, but one thing in particular made it a short trip to the site. I find their layout to be confusing and lacking much direction toward particular makes and models. Usually I’m looking online for a specific part, so I have no use for all of the related parts, etc.
Aside from selling car and truck parts, eBay Motors also sells used cars online. It’s likely if you shop on eBay for auto parts, you will find a considerably marked down price. It’s for this reason, I consider eBay motors an option for buying parts online.
6.) Google Shopping
If you simply Google search any vehicle followed by the part you want, the search engine will use its Google Shopping feature to show you relevant results from online car part retailers.
The reason I don’t use Google Shopping to find car parts often is because the search engine tends to show chain store options first in my experience. When I’m shopping for a part for a car online, it’s usually because I wanna find it cheaper than my local auto parts. Otherwise, I would just call my commercial parts guy and have it delivered.
That doesn’t mean for the average car owner, Google Shopping for car parts is not a good option. A lot of DIY mechanics will use Google to find auto parts locally and the average car owner will use it to get a price for a part they need.
Google was another online retailer I didn’t figure a picture was necessary.
7.) Online Auto Dealers
Many new car dealerships sell OEM auto parts on the internet. If you work on many brands and live in a rural area like I do, buying OEM parts on the internet may be your only option. I’m the small town I work in, there are only three brand dealerships. GM, Chrysler and Ford.
Given that I work on auction cars, it’s common to need parts for European cars like Audi, BMW and Volvo. It’s also common to need parts for Japanese brands like Toyota and Nissan. Having a place online to buy OEM parts for foreign cars that I work on has been a life saver in the past.
8.) 1A Auto
Putting 1A Auto so low on this list is kinda silly, but as I said before this is a list of places to buy auto parts online. It’s not a 1-10 ranking or anything like that. Each online parts retailer has their ups and downs. The key is finding the right places to buy each type or brand of car part.
Back to 1A Auto though. Aside from having some of the best prices on parts, they also offer hundreds or more DIY videos that could save you money on the repair as well. I find this extremely useful if you are a DIY or even a new tech. Research is key and 1A Auto has a good resource for step-by-step removal and installation procedures for many of the parts they sell.
Bonus- a couple places to buy the cheapest tires online.
9.) TireRack
Buying tires online is simple with Tire Rack and they offer some of the best prices in the tire industry. With financing also an option with Affirm , there seems to be a benefit to every level of tire buyer. Individuals, repair shops and used car dealers can all benefit from the options afforded at TireRack.com.
Credit requirements for Tire Rack may be an obstacle for buyers with low credit scores, but a range of credit options at Tire Rack make it easier than ever to get financed on a set of new tires.
10.) Walmart.com
Partnering with thousands of retailers online, Walmart.com has followed in the footsteps of Amazon and doubled down on their online business. One of the things I’ve found both online and locally, is that Walmart offers budget tires the average consumer can afford.
I personally run a set of Dextero tires on my 2008 Silverado 1500 that I purchased at my local Walmart. For a set of nice 265/70R17 I paid $108.00 per tire a few months ago. Inflation has caused a rise in prices since then for tires, auto parts, gasoline and groceries but at the moment they still list for just $120 per tire.
It’s come to the point where our tire distributor, Exxpress tire is unable to compete with the prices of tires online. Even buying wholesale tires has become a less affordable option for vehicle owners looking to replace their tires. That’s why I recommend buying your tires online, even if it takes a longer time to have them shipped.
Conclusion to this list of places to buy car and truck parts.
if you made it this far into the post, I commend you. These list posts are very long but at the end of the day they are a great way to find cheaper prices online for automotive and equipment parts. With inflation at an all time high, saving money is a must on everything from groceries to car parts.
