AutoZone - Never Again

[DBONES152]

On Friday, I needed to do a front brake job on my GMC van. I started to head for my favorite NAPA store. About half way there, the road was closed due to a bad accident. Rather than going way out of my way, I turned around and headed for home. On the way home I remembered that they just opened a new AutoZone just a few blocks from my house, so I thought I’d give them a try.

I purchased 2 new rotors, a set of pads, 2 bearing seals, and a pack of bearing grease. Got one side done and everything fine. Put the second rotor on, and when I spun it, a portion would rub the anti-lock sensor. I played around a little bit and came to the conclusion that the sensor ring was out of round, and the rotor was defective.

Went back to AutoZone and explained that the rotor was bad and asked for a replacement. They did not have any more rotors in stock and said that I would have go to another store about 7 miles away. However, they said I would be compensated for my trouble, and they would call ahead to the other store and have the rotor waiting for me.

I drove to the other store, and said I was there to pick up the rotor that was called in. Naturally no one called so I explained what was wrong and the man went and got me a new rotor. I told him that I also needed a new seal, since the old one had to be pried out and is not reusable. The man rings up the seal, and I ask if there was any kind of discount as promised by the other store. I’m told that since the rotor is an exchange that there cannot be any type of refund. Then I said, “Why don’t you throw in the $2.99 seal and we’ll call it even, since the only reason I have to buy another seal is because you sold me a defective rotor.” “Sorry, I cannot do that,” was his reply.

Paid for the seal and left, never to return.

[firebirdcrazy1959]

You really can't blame him for that,he's just some pee on trying to do his $4.00 an hour job.Cut the poor white trailer trash a break.

[455Grandville]

Wife has a friend whos husband used to manage an Autozone. Long story short he told me they got a shipment of bad alternators & starters .The head office told them to keep sell the parts anyway ......

[Brandi Kay]

Wife has a friend whos husband used to manage an Autozone. Long story short he told me they got a shipment of bad alternators & starters .The head office told them to keep sell the parts anyway ......

bastards!

[mike nixon]

i believe autozone has a stupid test that the counter people have tp fail to be hired here. you can call the local store with a part number and they'll screw it up.

they're on my NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH list.

advance is a close second.

carquest is first, napa second, dealer is the common call order here.

used parts are customer supplied.

mike
mike

[dhcarguy]

Auto parts stores are not near what they used to be. When we were teens and driving $50. wonders, we frequented the local parts stores every weekend. The guys back then knew what they were doing. Most times they didn't even have to look up part #'s.They also knew what years and body styles would interchange. There is one NAPA store near by that two of the guys are on top of their game , but mostly all others suck.
Dave

[Larry Navarro]

...you are now entering...."the TWILIGHT zone"

they aren't on my list either.

[GT182]

Wife has a friend whos husband used to manage an Autozone. Long story short he told me they got a shipment of bad alternators & starters .The head office told them to keep sell the parts anyway ......

Brad, you must have a parallel universe AZ store there. The one here in Bear, DE had the same problem but with 66 wiper motors.

The one thing I've found with AZ is that their computer knows nothing about 66 and 67 GTO engines. Check it out sometime and you'll see what I mean. And no one will correct it either. :(

[455Grandville]

Brad, you must have a parallel universe AZ store there. The one here in Bear, DE had the same problem but with 66 wiper motors.

The one thing I've found with AZ is that their computer knows nothing about 66 and 67 GTO engines. Check it out sometime and you'll see what I mean. And no one will correct it either. :(

See if any of you can beat this for a stupid AutoZone story :
Back in highschool dads 2.5 Iron Duke Olds Cierra needed a valvecover. Idiot handed me a pair for a 3.0 Buick V6. I could see these were way off, and the kit had two of 'em ! Dumbass told me I could cut the cork and modify it to fit :doh:

[4dblnkldude]

The local autozone by me sponsors the local cruise night so I do buy from them from time to time, but yes the quality of the parts man went down. Look for some of the wholesale places that service the shops in your area, the prices are comparable and the parts are better, if they sell to the public. Nothing is more frustrating than "What year is it" Well front brakes are from a 71 grand Prix, the engine is from a 76 grand safari wagon, the rear is 67 firebird, and tons of small stuff from different years like most of our cars are. Some of their employee's dont know anything about cars, if the computer doesn't show it most of the time they can't help you. One guy had never heard the term four stroke and he was working there for two years I had to explain to him intake, compression, power, and exhaust. Some of these people make me upset. suck, sqeeze,bang , blow man get a clue or go flip burgers!

[Colin]

Yep......Autozone and Advance both pretty much suck. Sometimes I will buy brake pads at Advance.
Add J.C. Whitney to the list. I called probably 10+ years ago to order some new hood struts for the wifes Camaro. The guy on the phone was taking information on the car.........you know, year, make, model. Then he asked if it was a 2 door or a 4 door and I just hung up on him and never called back. A 4 door Camaro? Give me a break......everyone knows that Camaros and Firebirds are all 2 door cars, especially someone in the parts business.

[hurryinhoosier62]

I had an AutoZone clerk argue with me that my '91 Mazda B2200 was a B2300 and built
by Ford. I had to drag the cretin out to the parking lot just to convince him of his error.
No wonder AutoZone has such a @#$%&&* reputation!!!

[stimpy]

never will deal with them as they don't have parts with names I reconize , they have all there own branded stuff , I deal with either Napa , or Rock Auto (www.rockauto.com ) , with rock you have to wait for it to come thru ups but the prices are worth the wait , I just recently did a brake job on the fiance's Pt cruiser (rotors , hardware and pads ) and when i opened the pads box up I noticed they didn't look anything like a pts , so i called rock and said to give them the order number and the box number , and then the number on the pad side , hmmm not pts but S-10's (the box looked like it was dropped and the pads where haphazardly put in there) , and then he gave me a refund on the pads (since I needed them now and the soonest they could get them to me was a week) and told me if they needed them back they will send a ups call ticket for them otherwise it wasn't worth the trouble to send them back ( I have to hold them for 12 days ) then I called my napa and they had the pads and they delivered them ( been doing business with them for 12 years ) since the Fiance had my truck and I couldn't get them .

[limejudge69]

The local Autozone here is OK. There are a few "car guys" that work there. I ALWAYS look up what I need on their website, write down the part numbers, and then go to the store.The website also has pictures that I can match up with the part I need. I simply ask for the part (by their number) and they hand it over. They used to ask the vehicle info, but after telling them it's a 67 Firebird with a 69 428, a 68 GTO intake, and a 71 Firebird carb, they got real confused and don't ask anymore.

[stevep]

I have just started using the local Autozone as it deals with commercial accounts. I pick and choose what I buy from them. I have had good luck with certain parts. I needed brake parts for a 64 Caddy, they got them in 1 day. I needed wheel cylinders for a 64 2+2, they got them in 1 day. All the other local stores could not help me. I usually buy my brake parts from another company, but they had no access to older stuff. I will NOT use Autzone's front end parts. The Autozone got me trans mounts for 65-70 full size Pontiacs, which no one else could ever get me. But the manager (who I deal with) actually has a brain and will listen to what I say. Some of the Autozone counter people that I've seen are a waste of oxygen.

[Overkillphil]

Hey, I had one good experience with Autozone: I found a pretty good matching spray paint for my fleet of Lawn Boys! :D

Oh, they sell auto parts? Could have fooled me!:rolleyes: :gag:

[zbuickman]

Yep......Autozone and Advance both pretty much suck. Sometimes I will buy brake pads at Advance.
Add J.C. Whitney to the list. I called probably 10+ years ago to order some new hood struts for the wifes Camaro. The guy on the phone was taking information on the car.........you know, year, make, model. Then he asked if it was a 2 door or a 4 door and I just hung up on him and never called back. A 4 door Camaro? Give me a break......everyone knows that Camaros and Firebirds are all 2 door cars, especially someone in the parts business.and sometimes 3 doors:D
http://photos.blogabroad.com/standard/queretaro%20019.jpg

[TTS]

Autozone alternators and starters have always been crap.

I like the performance friction CM brake pads, I dunno if if they are AZ exclusives.

[Cliff R]

We are fortunate enough to have a NAPA store in our little town. Most of the employees there have over 20 years of experience. NAPA specializes in selling parts, fro my John Deere 212 tractor all the way up to heavy duty trucks. Auto Zone, Advance, etc specialize in selling car wax, car wash, and stuff to make your tires shine.....Cliff

[firebirdcrazy1959]

Back before both of the big guys came to town,NAPA was THE store to get parts here and they had a smokin machine shop business.They had 8 counter guys who all knew cars and parts and it was always packed.Now it's just the owner,Mike,Dave the counter guy who has been there for ever,Jim the machinist and a counter girl and Mike the delivery guy who i went to HS with.
I get my machine work done there because Jim knows his stuff and knows Pontiacs.When i need a part for a Pontiac i go to them,if i need fluids i go to Advanced Auto.The Auto Zone here really sucks big time.

[Old Blue 66]

Not a big fan of "The Zone" either. The store in my town has a bunch of different types of people working there. The manager cant say anything positive about anything and anther is constantly complaining and yelling across the store. Its just a trashy environment. They don't seem to be all that knowledgeable either.

[ho428]

Back before both of the big guys came to town,NAPA was THE store to get parts here and they had a smokin machine shop business.They had 8 counter guys who all knew cars and parts and it was always packed.Now it's just the owner,Mike,Dave the counter guy who has been there for ever,Jim the machinist and a counter girl and Mike the delivery guy who i went to HS with.
I get my machine work done there because Jim knows his stuff and knows Pontiacs.When i need a part for a Pontiac i go to them,if i need fluids i go to Advanced Auto.The Auto Zone here really sucks big time.


That's what I grew up with, we had several good parts stores with in house machine shops, 3 Anderson Brothers stores, 2 Kauffmans, all had machine shops, first name basis with most of them and that was just on my side of town and a couple more really good parts stores, the key for these is that were all family owned. No corporate ownerships. Once those started moving in the old guard started closing or selling out.
Can't really blame them, someone offers you enough to retire your family with.

What's really odd is there are so many more cars on the road than 30 years ago but fewer good parts stores. They're almost like Wal-marts now.
We still have a few hold outs but they're a dying breed. Even the buildings are not being kept up, guess they can't afford it and compete.

[OhMyGoat]

I called probably 10+ years ago to order some new hood struts for the wifes Camaro. The guy on the phone was taking information on the car.........you know, year, make, model. Then he asked if it was a 2 door or a 4 door and I just hung up on him and never called back. A 4 door Camaro? Give me a break......everyone knows that Camaros and Firebirds are all 2 door cars, especially someone in the parts business.

I used to have a 4 door Camaro...I think it was a 1964 or 1965 model. I can't remember, it was a long time ago. :confused:

Unbelievable!!!

[455Grandville]

Yep......Autozone and Advance both pretty much suck. Sometimes I will buy brake pads at Advance.
Add J.C. Whitney to the list. I called probably 10+ years ago to order some new hood struts for the wifes Camaro. The guy on the phone was taking information on the car.........you know, year, make, model. Then he asked if it was a 2 door or a 4 door and I just hung up on him and never called back. A 4 door Camaro? Give me a break......everyone knows that Camaros and Firebirds are all 2 door cars, especially someone in the parts business.

You should have told him it was a convertible station wagon model with a LS6 454 :D
Back in highschool some a'hole classmate worked there ; I used to call up for a radiator hose or radiator for a VW Bug (before there was a new one). Funny how he never figured that out after several calls.....

[hottrodd]

the days of good auto parts stores are about gone!!!!!!!!!!! autozone,advance,etc. have just about put them all out of bussiness, us car guys are probably 1-100 or less in custumers, the rest of the people are only there for wax, armor all, get there cars worked on at the dealer. it is a real shame, us car guys that really need the good-old part stores, are losing them !! to non-car people who support autozone,advance, etc!!:mad: :eek: :cry:

[Pontirag]

Auto part stores have evolved. No more machine shops no more technology cross over. I also blame our public school systems that teach children problem solving skills (or dont). They have only a few resources and little imagination so to think outside the box is "unimaginable". Besides, in this country nobody wants to pay for knowlege anymore. it TOO scary to have underlings that know more than supervisors. Nobody dares to hire based upon competency anymore. Ethics is starting to slip to.

[69BIRD]

Back in '02 I owned a'69 RSZ28 with the original DZ302 motor. I went to Autozone to get new plugs & wires. I said " I need some tune-up stuff for my 1969 Z28" he asked what size motor and I replied "302". He said "you mean 307". I said no 302. He said how 'bout 305? I told him the only motor available in a '69 Z28 was a 302. He said bull****, 302 is a Ford motor only, "I have 15 years experience in auto parts" and I must be mistaken. After 5 more minutes going round and round with this chuckle-head, I took him out to the parking lot and popped the hood and showed him the factory sticker on the air cleaner that reads 302 290 horsepower. He could'nt believe his eyes and just walked back into the store. Thats the last time I stepped foot in an Autozone.

[GTOWAGON]

I have been working in the auto parts buisness since 1979. The entire time i have only worked for NAPA or independant stores that cater to the wholesale crowd. THE ONLY THING AUTOZONE IS GOOD FOR IS AIR FRESHENERS AND CAR WAX!!!!!!!

[Rack776]

Heres some revenge for you guys, all you need is:
1: A free saturday (busiest time for parts guys is lunch/dinner when everyone's on break
2: Some time to kill (like when waiting for paint to dry)
3: a phone.

I used to work at A&A Auto parts when I was in my Early 20s
Back they were owned by Joe Amato the Drag Racer at the time we were a
cool speed shop, now they sell mostly import crap & truck bedliners.

For fun on a busy saturday morning who ever was on break at
the time would call the competition (Pep Boys, Auto Zone ect.)
and ask for one of the following-

-1966 Corvair Upper & Lower Radiator Hoses
This works best on a new guy pick a more obscure air cooled european model to stump a veteran

-1974 VW Bus Radiator Cap & Rotor (Use your best stoner accent for this one dude!)
You could go on for ever when the guy would ask Brake Rotor or Ignition Rotor - Just say yes and wait, then you can get mad him when he lies & says the radiator cap is out of stock & special order only.

-1983 Corvette Rear Brake Rotors & pads with the performance suspension option.
Argue non stop with the guy that it is infact a 1983 and his book/computer is wrong

- Pick any Porsche, Volvo, BMW and make up a part of your choice and see if it really exists A Variable ride control shock absorber sensor & main relay sounds good to me.
If it dont exist then have fun telling them Pep Boys had no trouble finding it but they were more expensive than the dealership.

-Ask for this one - This is a real product I saw it with my own eyes once - a guy came in our store trying to buy more with out going back to the dealer.
:idea: Get ready here it comes-
BMW approved radio antenna & winshield wiper cleaner.
A special $35 bottle of rubbing alchohol to clean the black exterior trim on a BMW.
I read the contents on the back of the bottle and it said 60% isopropal alcohol.
When I said we did not carry such a product the man said he would go back to the dealer cause he did not trust regular rubbing alchohol to clean his radio antenna!

The trick is to waste their time as much as they waste ours!
Have fun and keep it clean!

Jason
:stupid:

[69BIRD]

Jason

LMFAO!!