Avoiding Chinese Car Parts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
When it comes to car parts, many people are tempted to buy cheap options from China, especially when it comes to high-tech electronic components. However, as any mechanic will tell you, not all Chinese parts are created equal. In this article, we'll explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of Chinese car parts.
Unbranded Chinese Parts: A Big No-No
One of the biggest red flags when it comes to Chinese car parts is unbranded components that don't even have a name on them. This is particularly true for high-tech electronic parts like airflow meters, which are crucial for your car's engine. If you're shopping online and find a part that doesn't have a manufacturer's name or logo on it, it's best to avoid it altogether. As the speaker notes, "all real manufacturers put their names on the parts," so if there's no name on the actual component, it's likely to be a counterfeit.
The Dangers of Cheap Counterfeit Parts
Another big problem with Chinese car parts is the prevalence of counterfeit components. These fake parts can be made to look like the real thing, but they often lack quality and reliability. This can lead to a range of problems, from faulty brakes to engine failure. The speaker warns that "you're not going to save money if you get an inferior part," and that the risks far outweigh any potential savings.
On the Other Hand: High-Quality Chinese Parts
While many Chinese car parts are subpar, there are also some excellent options available. For example, radiators made by Chinese factories can be just as good as those made in the US or Europe, often at a fraction of the cost. The speaker notes that "these companies have to do a lot of research" and keep up with the latest trends in order to stay competitive. This means that there are many high-quality Chinese parts out there that meet or exceed international standards.
Buying Locally: The Best Option
When it comes to buying car parts, especially high-tech components like airflow meters, it's often best to buy locally from a reputable dealership or parts supplier. These places have the resources and expertise to ensure that you're getting a genuine part that meets your needs. The speaker notes that "local guys want feedback too," so if they find out that a particular brand of Chinese-made parts isn't working well, they'll often put them on their "do not buy" list.
The Importance of Research
In today's competitive world, manufacturers have to stay on top of their game in order to succeed. This means doing extensive research on different brands and suppliers, as well as testing and certifying their products before they hit the market. The speaker notes that this can be a challenge for consumers, who may not always know what to look for or how to identify high-quality Chinese parts.
The Role of Autozone
In recent years, retailers like Autozone have played an important role in helping consumers make informed decisions about Chinese car parts. By sourcing components from reputable manufacturers and standing behind their products with guarantees and warranties, Autozone has established itself as a trusted destination for car parts.
Conclusion
When it comes to Chinese car parts, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. While some components may be cheap and tempting, others may be high-quality and reliable. By doing your research, buying locally from reputable dealerships, and staying informed about the latest trends in the industry, you can make a wiser decision when it comes to choosing car parts. Remember: not all Chinese parts are created equal, so don't settle for anything less than the best.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enrev up your engines, today I'm talkingabout Chinese car parts the good the badand the ugly, so today I'm gonna start bytelling you the Chinese parts that youshould definitely avoid buying for yourcar, and numero uno do not buy Chineseparts that are unbranded that don't evenhave a name on them, I've had customersbuy parts for the cars online they bringit to me, and I look at it and I saythere's not even a name on the part, itmight come in a box that says made fromChina cuz here in the United States theyhave to tell you the country of origin ofthe parts, but there was no name on theactual part, all real manufacturers puttheir names on the parts, so you know whomade it, when the box says Made in Chinaand there's no name on the part I woulddefinitely stay away, I've got a customerwho actually does business in China heruns a factory there and he said there'ssome really horrible factories in Chinaand there's some really good ones too, youwant to stay away from the horrible onesand often they won'teven put their nameon the product, now my second warningwhen it comes to Chinese parts is stayaway from high-tech electronic parts onyour car if they're made in Chinalike this airflow meter, the air flowmeter is a very crucial part to your carit tells you how much air goes in theengine so the computer can put the rightamount of fuel, these things are highlyaccurate instruments, you buy some cheapknockoff it's not gonna work right don'tget me wrong I'm all for saving moneywhen you get your car fixed, but if thepart doesn't work you're not saving anymoney and the worst thing of allpossible bad things that can happen isthat you actually have figured outwhat's wrong with your car, then you gobuy one of these cheap parts, put it onit doesn't fix it, and you think I musthave been wrong it wasn't that, but inreality it was that but the cheap partyou got was no good, you put the powerdown but the part was bad and it cancreate a true rat's nest of repair whenyou get badparts, there are also bad counterfeitparts that come from China, they are madeto look like the original equipment onebut they're counterfeit, and in 2013 herein the United States they had cases thatwent to court and woncounterfeit airbags that came from China,and realized that you don't want to putyour safety at risk, here is an examplethere's some Chinese brake pads, now theyget certified by the Department ofTransportation, now I've seen Chinesebrake pads that came in the box thatsaid they were certified eco-friendlymeaning they didn't have asbestos andstuff, they did not have the DoT theDepartment of Transportation sealshowing that they are safe for stoppingyour car, they weren't certified by theDepartment of Transportation as beinggood for stopping your car what do youcare if it's friendly to the environmentif you get killed because the brakesdon't work right actually stopping a carnow ironically enough a lot ofmanufacturers days make their originalequipment brake pads in China, butthey're certified like I said there aresome good companies in China, but youwant to stay away from the unbrandedcheap ones that haven't been tested andsometimes they're just flat-outcounterfeits, just like those fake Guccibags, I actually had a customer that boughta fake Gucci bag she knew it was fakeand her friend had a real one and theyput them side to side and really theylook pretty much the same, but then againyou're not riding around in a Gucci bagand it isn't stopping you and savingyour life, and my last big warning isgenerally just stay away fromchinese-made tires, over the years I'vehad customers buy Chinese made tiresI even inadvertently bought some on mywife's car and they kept going flatbecause they were so soft, nails wentthrough them even though they weresteel-belted radials, there have beenvarious suits against various Chinesetire making companies it just seems thatthe quality control isn't there fortheir tires, I mean the biggest thing forsafety on your car is the tires you'redriving the tires, you don't want themto slip when you slam on the brakes youwant them to grab the road not slide allover the placeit's very important to have good tiresin that respect personally I just saystay away from Chinese tires period Iwouldn't buy any of them, there are somany valid tire companies out there inthe world why take a chance with theones made in China that have a history ofbad track records, fast separation thetires they wear out too fast they getflats more often, but now I'll talk aboutthe good of Chinese parts, they have factoriesthat makes them very good products at avery low price, we'll start right here inmy garagehere's my Daytona Jack it's made in Chinait works perfectly fine, here's my 20-tonpress on under all the junk here, it'smade in China and it works fantasticyesterday I put a radiator in acustomer's car it was made in Chinathey're plastic tops plasticbottoms and aluminum in the middle, theycost tons less sometimes a factory oneis $600 and the Chinese one is $89their just plastic and aluminum andthey're made by machines just crimped innone of that stuff's done with hand workanymore, when I was young they used tohand solder things, now it's all done bymachines so they make excellentradiators, so there's decent Chineseparts out there but as I said you wantone that has an actual name on it whenyou buy this stuff your best to buy itlocally, there's an Auto zone over there threeblocks away, I buy a lot of stuff fromthem, a lot of it's made in China butthey pick which people to use, they gottafigure out which ones are good and whichones are bad, and they give a really goodlocal guarantees, buy it online from whoknows where and what company made itthat's potluck, now I've never had toexchange any of the CV shafts made inChina that I bought at autozone they allwork perfectly fine, if I ever got aradiator it didn't fit right or if itstarted to leak early, they stand behindit locally give you another one noquestions asked, you're not gonna getthat if you buy the stuff online, Pluslet's face it your radiator is out, yourcar's overheated, your drive shaft is brokenyou can't drive it, if they send you thewrong one, or one that breaks then yourcar's gonna be up for a long time while yourwaiting for the parts to go backand forth, it's always better to buylocal, because the local guys hey theywant feedback too, if they find out thata certainbrand of Chinese made stuff isn't workingout, they put it on their computer theyget enough complaints, out goes thatcompany and they'll find another one, thesecompanies have to do a lot of researchit's a competitive world and if they'reselling nothing but junk to people guesswhat they'll go out of business, theyhave to keep their finger on the pulseof who's making good parts who's makingbad parts, and yes it does change all thetime, when I was a young mechanic nobodywanted Chinese parts everybody in thebusiness knew that they were junk, buttoday hey there's some very goodfactories out there that make stuff, youjust got to make sure that you get itfrom the correct one so you don't getone of these counterfeits or just acheaply manufactured part, because let'sface it everybody wants to save moneywhen they're having their car fixed butyou're not going to save money if youget an inferior part, or one that doesn'teven work and then you're confused thatgee I thought it was that but the newpart didn't work, now you know the goodthe bad and the ugly about Chinese partsso you can make a wiser decisionyourself, so if you never want to missanother one of my new car repair videosremember to ring that Bell!\n"
