I got a set of Duralast rear brake shoes and they didn't fit could not even get the drum on one of the wheels , they were all together just wrong .i used to get my parts from pepboys until i started to here horror stories about them so i went somewhere new (AUTOZONE) well needless to say i went back to pepboys and they fit like a dream stop great and all .

well you need a set of duralast 514 shoes for future reference..... if i replied like you did to every time i got a part i wouldnt have a parts store left to go too.......

i've got wrong parts from everywhere myself........ it all has to do with who you talk to.... plus you have to remember we all are human.....

btw i do work at autozone and i agree brakes from autozone do suck but not because a parts guy gave you the wrong ones lol.

Man don't get me started on their drum brakes, long story short, bought shoes and drums, driver side went together fine, passenger side drum wouldn't go on, tried the other drum and same thing, never been a fan of the quality of their brakes since.

no offense, to anyone that likes autozones, but ive bought shoes as well from them, completely wrong, long story short, got pissed off sent them back, went to my work to get the shoes, i work for advance, autozone is right down the road from my house so i thought id just buy them since its been yrs. I just dont like autozone just mainly they never helped me out, and all there electrically parts sucks, no offense, the only motor part i bought from them that worked is my coolant temp sensor i got on the car which works amazing. everything else was a no no, tps, iac, distributor, all sent it back they only worked once and then quite, same went for my 94 silverado, iac never worked. i stick to borg warner parts. Its just the quality of the parts at autozone i dont like.

i only buy items that arent labeled valuecraft or duralast of thiers.

^lol

i generally will only buy universal parts from them. brand specific parts i don't try to skimp on unless its for a beater.

im just the opposite, ive never had any problem with autozone parts, ive have many more problems with orielys.

Just for future reference, Duralast is their private label. Only autozone has duralast. Their duralast batteries are made my Johnson Controls, same guys that do Diehard and Optima. Just something to think about.

"well you need a set of duralast 514 shoes for future reference..... if i replied like you did to every time i got a part i wouldnt have a parts store left to go too......."

They were 514 's and still didn't fit at all it's no knock on your you or your employer but they the pads were off by a lot .

Thats one thing about autozone that i dont mind buying, is there batteries btw, been very happy with duralast or diehard. Ive never liked the batteries from advance which carry autocraft. blah there over priced and not worth it.

I for one like Autozone.. I go there if I need something small or universal.

I'm with Bullydawg, I don't have much problem buying small misc. parts from them. Most everything I buy is performance oriented, so I usually go to Summit for everything else. (BTW, Duralast suspension components are just relabeled Moog's, they are a steal for the money, and good quality)

I've had good experiences with Autozone, in general. Got a cluch from them that was wrong (correct part #, however it was missing the pilot bearing and the clutch alignment tool was for one without a pilot bearing), but they exhanged it at a different store that was closer to my house for me, no problem. I don't really think any parts store is that much better or worse then any others. I go to the local Schucks/O'Reillys because I like the people there and they price match so it costs the same as anywhere else.

not a fan of autozone myself, oddly enough for the brakes as well lol, i replaced my front rotors, pads, and wheel bearings, rear drums, shoes, and hardware, got their parts cuz i was too broke from school and 4 months later, my rotors are warped, my pads are shot, the shoes are dragging and im not too pleased, cant blame them though, i skimped on the parts, they make cheap parts and i was dumb enough to buy them...

Other than that i only had a shipping issue with them once, got a free set of PBR calipers out of it though due to their mistake hahaha

Ah...autozone brakes. I never got any duralast brakes for my camaro, but when I had my Crown Vic, I got front pads from them. Went to put them on and they had the wrong clips to hold the pads on the caliper. Took them back and they insisted there were no other brakes for it and I must have been insane.

So I walked out and went to Murrays. Told them what I needed and they said there were two kinds. Brought both out and put them on the counter so I could pick the one that was correct. Installed without a problem.

I liked Autozone for a while until they started telling me I was wrong about the parts I needed. The last straw was when I spent five minutes arguing about the fact that the brake light switch and cruise control switch are NOT one switch. They told me I was wrong when I was sitting there staring at TWO switches 20 minutes earlier. Maybe its just the Autozones near me, but a lot of the people working there are extremely arrogant and think they know more than everyone else because they can look up a part on a computer.

I work for Autozone, and I can say the brakes aren't the best but if you read the sign it says discount auto parts, also you have a car that although popular in it's time there are more of them in scrapyards than on the road today it's just a sad reality. Personally I would probably get brakes from Autozone as I have in the past because of the warranty and price. Now if I was going to put my Z on the track I'd upgrade but that's neither here nor there. I am ASE certified in Auto Parts, and I get them wrong from time to time but you got your brakes and went home to find they didn't fit. Did you bring one of the old ones with you to compare the first time around? If not I honestly have no sympathy for you, and if you did then it's your own fault but don't go bashing a place for selling you the wrong stuff when you didn't check it out yourself before buying it. There may only be one listing for the vehicle but mass-produced parts have a habit of not always being perfect.Next time you go to an Autozone look for someone in a gray shirt which denotes management and try to get one of them to help you, normally but not always, you'll get someone who is an enthusiast and will be more than willing to help you out whether it's pre or post- purchase Later

i cant say to much bad about autozone i work there but i dont buy are stuff either maybe its just b/c im in the warehouse and i know how messed up it is so i figure the parts are to

.Next time you go to an Autozone look for someone in a gray shirt which denotes management and try to get one of them to help you, normally but not always, you'll get someone who is an enthusiast and will be more than willing to help you out whether it's pre or post- purchase Later[/quote]


I agree, The kid working the counter at my local store tried to sell me a throw-out bearing when I asked for a pilot bearing. He truly did not know the difference.

auto zones ok, you just have to make sure you talk to someone who knows what they are talking about (my auto zone guy has 2 thirdgens!) i usually switch back and forth between auto zone and advance auto parts though. they are less than a block a part from each other where i live so if one place doesn't have a part, i go check they other one. haha

most times its a minimum wage job and most true gear heads cant get a job that autozone or advace auto in my area due to we know to much and thay cant pay us, so we have to know ahead of time what we need per due to no fault of their own, yes i have gotten the wrong part from time to time, it happens

I work at Autozone, and I agree for the most part employees at our stores do suck. But Duralast parts are not made by Autozone, our suspension parts are made by Moog, Our Wires are made to the same standard as Bosch, our Brake pads are most likely made the same as all other pads (ours are lifetime warranty though). If your having problems with idiotic employees, speak to the store manager. And for everyones information most stores have the District Managers voice mail number posted right on the window, they will be more than happy to make things right. Dont go around bashing everything because of one bad experience, thankfully its a large company, TGO has killed many small companies due to immature public disputes from customers with little to no patience with anything (or anyone).

Auto Zone......

I used to buy parts from them, but not for years now.
I used to work for Pep Boys and I don't buy from them because there is none in the area.
But I was the one that got my own parts.

I have never had any luck with A/Z parts.
They do honor their warranty, but how often do you have to change the alternator to get one that will last for more than 1 year?
BTW: always have the new alternator tested before you leave the store, from any parts store!

The last straw for me was the fuel pump- you know the one in the tank!
The one that you have to drop the exhaust, axle and then the tank. I am not blaming A/Z for the genius design from GM, but when you have to go through all that labor for the 3rd time to replace a warranty item within 1 year...............

The "counter experts" are everywhere, not just at A/Z! They only know what the computer shows them, if they know how to operate the computer system well. They should never debate or argue with a customer - never! If you knew what Pep Boys paid there counter help you would understand their caliber of expertise. It is rare to find a knowledgable person at any parts store, when you do - they will have a customer as long as that person is employed there.


Dura Last Brakes?
Come on - these things stop your car and keep you from hitting other things (ie: trees, animals, people, other cars, etc.) Surely a little more $ could be spent to get a better quality brake shoe/pad.

I myself have ceramic pads on all 4. I do not like cleaning GTA rims often!
They stop pretty well too. I also have a car with drum, which I have Bendix.

ok heres my take most managers at autozone are there because they are old, no one likes a young manager....... #2 i know more about cars and parts than all my managers except 1 combined............ i'm a red shirt and far from the biggest genius in the world mind you........
as for our suspension parts being made by moog if fairly sure you are wrong........ perfect circle makes duralast suspension parts and i don't even want to know who makes our valucrap parts.

As for our fanciest brake pads they are trash too.... i have a set of duralast gold cmax's on my 89 camaro which is heat cracked all over and about to separate from the backing plate. this is autozones highest grade pad too, patent pending for the next year or two lol.....

btw ohm out your duralast wires compares to your boschs, boschs and duralasts are the same ball park ,but nowheres near built to the same specs. ohm the wires out based on footage and tell me who wins.......... (bosch actually even beats accel super stock wires).

seriously dont spread misinformation.............. research first dont guess.....

all i'm saying is look to the industry standard parts if you are looking for good quality parts. get wagoner thermoquiet brake pads for an everyday driver if you want ceramics they are much softer than cmaxes and have a dust that is less dark as well.

napa rotors and wiresets are better quality as well.... there is a reason why autozone doesnt do so well in the commercial sector. Dont get me wrong we are expanding but we have a ways to go.

I work for Autozone and I have worked for other parts jobbers too. You have the same thing anywhere you go. I personally cant stand guy who rely on the computer (autozone employees included.) I love when I go into a place and they ask me what engine I have when I forgot what my wiperblade size is!!! I have had this happen to me at NAPA once I bought a set of brake shoes and one side fit perfectly and the other side wasn't even close they looked the same but not right I brought them back to find out that they had two different types in the same box. I later saw the same thing at my work. duralast brakes are rabesteo brakes in a different package. EGR TPS and stuff like that are GP sorensons. Then engine coils caps rotors and things of that nature are made by bosch belts are goodyear my advice is to always stay away from valuecrap stuff not sure who makes that stuff but it is not good

What I think he means is the U-joints and things of that nature. you are correct on perfect circle parts as far as end links, balljoints, tie rod ends.

They are made by bosch but just like other brands that label things they are just not held to the same standards.

seriously dont spread misinformation.............. research first dont guess.....
I totally agree And I don't want to sound like an A**hole hear but to clear up the misinformation I thought I better speak up. The only reason I know this info is because I called a friend I know who works at corporate

and honestly its not autozones fault i we just distribute the parts i work in the warehouse its not like we take the stuff out and rebox it or anything

I will never understand ASE certification in parts. Being ASE certified doesn't make you a professional or mean you know whats going on. I say that because of some of the people I know whom are ASE certified (in stuff such brakes, suspension, etc).

As for bringing your pads in when you go to buy them, how often is that done? When a shop orders a part, they call and give the vehicle make/model, year, and what they need. They assume that the parts store has the intelligence to find the proper part with the information given. They never take the part to the place and match it, they match it when they get the new part. If it doesn't match up, then maybe they take it in to match it up.

I wouldn't stop going to a parts store because I get the wrong parts. I stop going when I get arrogant attitudes and get called an idiot (not so directly). The post I quoted was a pretty good example of that. To paraphrase, "Im ASE certified in parts. If you didn't bring the part to match, its not my fault you were given the wrong ones despite the fact my computer screen tells me what the part number is".

Sure, maybe that kind of attitude is acceptable to some people, but I have a low tolerance for arrogance. I am not saying all Autozone employees are that way. I have run into a few that I like, but its kinda rare at the autozones around here. You just have to think of Autozone as the Wal-Mart of the car world. Cheap parts and don't even bother asking an employee for help.

I agree, The kid working the counter at my local store tried to sell me a throw-out bearing when I asked for a pilot bearing. He truly did not know the difference.[/quote]

Haha yeah, I called and asked them to quote me for a felpro 1204 intake gasket...the guy said "hmmm, im not pulling anything up under intake gasket. Are you sure thats the part your looking for?". So with that said, yes sometimes the Vatozone guys can be stupid. But you gotta realize that its a store in a box kinda chain, they care more about putting up thier displays in accordance with the printout from corporate than they do much else.

Now being a FORMER Autozone employee I will take the opportunity to debunk some myths and reveal some actual cool stuff.
1: Bosch Platinum 4 plugs suck, period. Dont buy them.
2: Autozones ceramic brake pads suck, period. Dont buy them.
3: Autozone has a program called WITTDJR or "Whi-ti-ger", that stands for what it takes to do the job right. That program is the reason the red shirts will push hand cleaner, shop towels and those little packets of brake lube. Autozone makes a huge profit from those items.
4: Duralast windshield wipers really suck, I wouldnt waste your time on them.
Now on to some good things
5: Autozone will charge and test your old battery for free.
6: Autozone will dump your old oil for free.
7: Autozone can pull the check engine codes from your car, again for free.
8: Lastly, Autozone has a price match policy like most other stores. However they also can order hi-po parts for you from places like Edelbrock. Mix the two and your in buisness to match the craziest catalog price you could imagine...only. AUTOZONE DOESNT CHARGE FOR SHIPPING. If your lucky you can beat the spread on your local tax with the no shipping charge.

did you over look the little adjuster at the bottom? u have to run it back in to compensate for the thickness of the new shoes, as it adjusts out as the shoes wear over time. ive never had a problem with duralast. i put them on cars all the time with no noise, never used thier camaro shoes tho.

yea I backed the adjuster all the way down and the driver side went on a little tight but the shoes would not sit flat as if they were bent turns out the center was not at a 90degree , the pass side however the drum would not even go on .

As for you guys that work or have worked at Autozone or any other parts place you guys seem to be offended as if I was saying the the guy who gave me the shoes was the guy that put them in the box i know he is not , whoever makes there parts which someone had said was raybestos , they take the raybestos pads and shoes that don't meet there standards and put them in a duralast box. I was not looking to start a war because of my bad set of shoes was just venting / letting people know that there shoes may be a little off so if you buy them check them before you install to save some time and aggravation . As for being ASE certified in parts I looked at some of the test and 1 question was if you stock 2 sets of mud flaps 1 plastic 1 rubber which 1 do you tell the customer to buy answer tell them the pros and cons of both sets and let them decide . I know a couple of ASE certified mechanics and I wouldn't let them work on my bicycle . Anyway thanks for all the replies pro/con it will all help someone make a decision on there choice one day maybe.

lol best one I had was when I needed ignition parts for a 305 V-6 and dude was arguing with me one was never made. I just suggested that he step away from the computer and look in the book and sure enough 15 mins later he learned something new.

Haha yeah, I called and asked them to quote me for a felpro 1204 intake gasket...the guy said "hmmm, im not pulling anything up under intake gasket. Are you sure thats the part your looking for?". So with that said, yes sometimes the Vatozone guys can be stupid. But you gotta realize that its a store in a box kinda chain, they care more about putting up thier displays in accordance with the printout from corporate than they do much else.

Now being a FORMER Autozone employee I will take the opportunity to debunk some myths and reveal some actual cool stuff.
1: Bosch Platinum 4 plugs suck, period. Dont buy them.
2: Autozones ceramic brake pads suck, period. Dont buy them.
3: Autozone has a program called WITTDJR or "Whi-ti-ger", that stands for what it takes to do the job right. That program is the reason the red shirts will push hand cleaner, shop towels and those little packets of brake lube. Autozone makes a huge profit from those items.
4: Duralast windshield wipers really suck, I wouldnt waste your time on them.
Now on to some good things
5: Autozone will charge and test your old battery for free.
6: Autozone will dump your old oil for free.
7: Autozone can pull the check engine codes from your car, again for free.
8: Lastly, Autozone has a price match policy like most other stores. However they also can order hi-po parts for you from places like Edelbrock. Mix the two and your in buisness to match the craziest catalog price you could imagine...only. AUTOZONE DOESNT CHARGE FOR SHIPPING. If your lucky you can beat the spread on your local tax with the no shipping charge.

[/quote]

only thing i disagree with here is the charge for shipping, sure they dont charge for shipping ,but they do increase the price to cover it...... i just bought the last 2 oil filters from our hub store from my bike a couple months ago. this time i had to order the parts from the vendor the price jumped 3 dollars to cover shipping (they arent losing money dont let them fool you).

only thing i disagree with here is the charge for shipping, sure they dont charge for shipping ,but they do increase the price to cover it...... i just bought the last 2 oil filters from our hub store from my bike a couple months ago. this time i had to order the parts from the vendor the price jumped 3 dollars to cover shipping (they arent losing money dont let them fool you).[/quote]

At Advance we do the same thing as you listed, free check engine code check blah blah etc.... we test alternators. As far as i know we have no bad quality wipers, batterys are okay, and i would say we sell the best electrically parts than autozone does. Im not sure if autozone still carrys wells or not, but we are just strictly BWD Borg Warner parts as far as advances. Yes some ppl can be stupid over the phone to, but i try to have patience and help them out, because our computers are the same, and i just tell them what to do if they dont understand.

personally i work at autozone and most of our parts are good quality not all of course ,but most. like anything else you get what you pay for....

heres my take though, i'd much rather have moog suspension parts than perfect circle, i'd rather have a bosch fuel pump than airtex, i'd rather have wagoner brake pads compares to our cmax's which some company in germany makes if my memory serves me correctly.

i'm sure advance has certain vendors that arent there favorites either ,but the idea of a parts store is variety and different levels of quality.... they need to have cheap stuff just to get you by, and high end stuff made to last just like oem. the way i see it is you get what you pay for no matter where you buy it from.

Actually my comment was "I am ASE certified and I get parts wrong from time to time." Autozone paid for my ASE test and the night I went there were 35 other people taking the same test and only 5 of us passed. As for how shops order things, I work in the commercial side of the store every weekend and more often than not we have to send our drivers back out to the shops because the people who call in the order aren't the people doing the work and don't ask forthe right item. Generally I agree that arrogance is something that should not be percieved by the consumer no matter where you are shopping. And as for the how does the bringing in the pads or shoes work I said that because he said HE went in and purchased them, I agree with the statement of having everything tested before leaving the store, and honestly if the guy behind the counter doesn't have a third gen and the screen says 514 is the part number then he did what he was taught to do, even if he went old school and looked in the book the part number would still be a 514. All I was trying to state was look for someone in a gray shirt like myself, I am 27 so not an old manager but not super young and I have enough pride in my self and my job to try to be the best I can and in the eyes of the upper management getting your ASE is about as good as it gets.

Uhhhh, they never made a 305 V-6... they made a 3.1 V-6, but not a 305. The 305 is a V-8

I hope thats supposed to be a joke or a typo....

The 305 V6 is real.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMC_V6_engine

Autozone is no better or worse than any other parts store.

If we are talking third generation camaros, thats 100% correct. If we are talking about if it was ever made, it was. They made them from 1960 through 1978 - 4.25 in (108 mm) bore and 3.58 in stroke (90.9 mm). That is definitely some crazy stuff that I never knew before. .

Link for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMC_V6_engine

EDIT: looks like I was beat to the submit post button lol

Autozone doesn't suck. Drum brakes suck. Get discs.
I like autozone because they have a rewards card, that's the only reason. Does O'Reilly's or Advance give you a $20 rebate every time you make 5 purchases over $20? NO!

Ok, makes sense. However, going to a parts store I would never just ask for stuff for a certain motor. Give them the year, make and model and then go from there. Telling them you want parts for any engine/transmission/rear end without the car is pretty much worthless.

However, I can very much see someone standing at the counter when they say 1991 Firebird, "which motor" "the 305 V-6" .... "you mean V-8?" and it going downhill from there...

Well I assumed it was a camaro since this is, you know, a CAMARO forum.

Rock auto+summit=never go to a parts house again.

representing Advance Auto Parts:

We actually sell Moog brand chassis parts, not re-boxed.

Most of our brake pads, shoes, rotors, and lower end chassis parts are re-boxed Raybestos or McQuay.

Bosch platinum +4's and IR Fusions = Trash, period.

BWD electronics are very well made, and Cardone offers a wide variety of re-manufactured electronics and hard parts.

We have a direct source to Keystone Automotive, for many aftermarket accessories, just ask any team member about our "second source" program, which also includes availability for salvage parts from around the country (We can get all kinds of used third gen stuff, like wheels, body parts, glass and interior pieces, highly recommended)

Batteries are on par with other companies batteries. Our Gold series (formerly titanium) have an excellent running history.

Free oil recovery

Free code scanning

Free charging system check and battery charging.

Free battery installation



But as formerly mentioned, it's all in who you talk to. Here is a good tip! Go to the guy with grease under his fingernails!

~Austin
ASE Parts Specialist
Store 07130
Parkersburg WV

very nice i couldn't have said it better myself.

dont look for grey shirts or managers or ase certified even.... look at hands lolz......... so true.

my old store manager didn't know the difference from a tie rod end and a ball joint but he got his ase. don't get me wrong i'm not saying that ase training means nothing, its a tough test and says a lot ,but a smart person can pass p2 ase training you don't need to know alot about cars, my old manager was living proof.

autozone has its downs and ups. for example the fuel pumps fail every 3 three months. I get my oil at walmart (Castro gtx 10w-30) but only autozone is the only place that carries the Castro syntec 0w-30 in my town-for the bimmer, sure i could get 0w-40 mobile one synthetic at kragens for the same price, but Castro has less wear and isnt as noisy at top end. Today i picked up some grease at autozone, last night i picked up a tie rod selve that started smooth but at the adjusting range (17 1/8 inch)was a bit tuff(made in Taiwan btw) im going to try their duralast sway endlink bushings for the front, and have been able to get a whole set of rear energy suspensions sway bushing in the rear for a good price. my computer is autozone, my front and rear pads autozone, some various brake tools and grease gun, tps, iacv, cts, master cylinder, brake caliper rebuild kit, dizzy parts, battery, feelpro perma-dry valve cover gaskets, champion plugs, bulbs, window motor, I picked up a code scanner for a 2003 it workd awesome, fram filters, pcv valve, and havnt had issues with them along with using the rewards card, free 20 bucks thats neat. But yes i usually get on the computer myself and find the parts, trips them out.

for everything else like brake rotors, plug wires, maf, epoxy, strut mount i go through kragen. For steering parts, bearings, balljoints, starter, tranny filter, and shocks i go through napa. I made the exception of that on tie rod selve at autozone because i crossed threaded the one from napa. and they got the rotors for the rear at napa too. Things like fuel pump, shiftlinkage, proms, seatbelts, rear caliper rebuild kit, torque converter switch, and other various things i get at the dealership. I say acdelco is the best replacement parts on any 3rd gen. but lately the delco parts are drying up.

I always hate us being the other A word auto store. Every time a customer comes in and says..... yes i would like to check my warranty or i want to warranty this out. They under cover the bag, with clearly duralast parts inside, and i always say your in the wrong store sir. They always go oo..... itsnt this autozone. HELL NO! lol i dont say that, but im like thinking uhhhh dude, u seriously just come in here thinking its autozone. They usually always have there receipt with them, and im like yep your thinking about the other A place . people have their own opinions and likes to who they go to, i just wont be inside another autozone because of just the crap parts i always get, and i always perchase the top of the line stuff, and they never work. And advance really isnt ever gonna be as good as autozone, but we always price match as well, and we just started carrying just economy pads, for like 14.99 now, so we are expanding as well, the only thing i give autozones props for, is there batterys, i just replaced a durlast gold battery in my truck and it was in there from 2002, and just now replaced and it was still cranking over, it was just getting a lower voltage, so i said screw charging it, i just bought a new one.

That returns thing happens to us too. It seems like Corporate America likes making fools of people putting Autozone and Advance next door or across the street from eachother. Although it is kinda funny when the person will say " I know I bought this here, look here's my reciept." Honestly I apologize if I got under anyones skin it seems in general we all have a built in mini-hatred for parts stores. They're kinda like going to the Dentist it's a neccessary evil.

The advance i work at, is not near a autozone, autozone is about a good 3 miles down the road or further from us lol. The only shops in pensacola where our stores our located at is near a pep boys or oreilys. And nobody ever brings us parts from pep boys or oreilys. Which you would think people wouldnt get the wrong idea about where your nearest advance or autozone is for that matter. But yes usually even when im traveling you do see a autozone and advance across the street from each other, its just different where i live. Of coarse there is double the autozones in town than advance since we only have about 5 in the entire town.

Anyway back on subject, I actually do have friends that work autozone, but they said they would give me a break if i returned something, because usually they will agree with me if they know what i bought and did see it never worked. Bought 2 TPS sensors from autozone a while back, First one never worked, buddy of mine defective exchanged it, gave me another, 2nd one didnt do nuthin, exchanged it again, Now i think ppl will understand why i will never buy autozones electrically parts or motor pieces atleast. I went to my work and slapped on a BWD TPS from advance and bam my TPI was alive again.