Need help deciding on parts

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich) 11/12/2019 at 20:32 • Filed to: Toyota reliability isn't what it seems

0

8

The van’s power steering pump and rack needing replacement. My options are:

1. Allow the place I’m getting to source the parts:
Pros:
- They have a 2 year, 40,000 km warranty on any work they do
- If they have to replace a part because it is under warranty, the labour is on them
Cons:
- There’s a chance it’ll be more expensive if I get the parts through them

a) Use OEM parts. I have a feeling that the OEM steering rack is going to be ~$1200 CAD. Definitely more expensive than a re-manufactured unit, and the warranty will be shorter, but lower chance of failure.
b) Use a re- manufactured part. My friend (who works at the shop) says that they’ve had really bad luck with Cardone parts - who apparently does pretty much all the re-manufacturing. They had one truck in this past summer with the pump failing 3 times. The labour is covered under warranty, but that person was left without a truck for a good chunk of the summer because it was constantly back into the shop.

2. Source the parts myself:
Pros:
- Parts may cost less, and lower the overall bill.
Cons:
- They won’t cover any warranty labour on the parts if they fail.

I did manage to find a re- manufactured steering rack on Rock Auto - supposedly an AC Delco unit, for a very reasonable price. Thing is, is it actually AC Delco that re-manufactures the parts, or is it actually done by Cardone? And what’s the chance of failure?

Any thoughts, Oppo-hive-mind?

dogisbadob > BaconSandwich is tasty. 11/12/2019 at 21:05

0

The best reman steering racks are from Jorgen Auto

jorgenauto.com

Thisismydisplayname > BaconSandwich is tasty. 11/12/2019 at 21:09

0

It comes down to cost and value overall. If the shop can source the parts and stand behind them and the cost isn’t too bad, then that’s the best way to go. But sometimes that’s not the case.

Example, I go to put on my winter tires and notice a torn CV boot. Option 1 take to the dealer replace entire axle. Option 2 Indy shop, replace axle, option 3 Indy shop replace torn boot. Option 4 I replace axle, or option 5 I replace the boot.

So I called the dealer as I didn’t really feel like messing with it, $700 for the axle and $500 for labor, so that was likely a hard pass.  Figured I could source OEM parts for less, nope, OEM parts are right in line with what they quoted, so now I look into remans and off brands and they can be had for $200-$100, sounds reasonable, but then I research and see mixed bag with parts quality.  Two new boots cost about $60 shipped, so yeah I’ll be swapping boots myself.  The spread was quite a bit so it makes sense to DIY and source my own stuff.  Dealer would’ve been at least $500 as the labor to replace the axle is same as replacing the boots.  But if I thought about it, I might have found an Indy shop to do the boots for $200-$400, and I might have considered that.  So it really comes down to cost and quality of parts.  Sometimes you just have to pay the money, other times there are good alternatives.  

BaconSandwich is tasty. > dogisbadob 11/12/2019 at 22:41

2

I wonder if they ship to Canada.

dogisbadob > BaconSandwich is tasty. 11/12/2019 at 23:50

0

Jorgen seems to have an eBay store with this listing for your Sienna. The listing has an option to ship to Canada. I know eBay recently launched a local shipping program.

There is actually a link to that ebay store from Jorgen’s site. Of course, you can always use the form on Jorgen’s site and ask :o)

They even provide a prepaid label to return your core

BaconSandwich is tasty. > dogisbadob 11/13/2019 at 00:17

1

Very interesting!

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > BaconSandwich is tasty. 11/13/2019 at 07:55

0

I would avoid Cardone at all costs I have never heard anything good and taking all that time to install a rack that leaks would make me furious. As much as I think doing your own work is great it’s hard to argue with a warranty. Maybe talk to your shop and see (if that’s the route you want to go) about installing and warrantying the OEM rack, but if it’s an older car that may be overkill for how long you want to keep it.

I’m usually apprehensive of having shops source parts for me because they are always 5x more than I would pay for the exact same part. I know markup is how they make money but that is usually more than I want to spend and I have to tell myself I am buying the warranty, not the part

dogisbadob > BaconSandwich is tasty. 11/13/2019 at 10:43

0

oops I just noticed a typo

eBay *global shipping program

BaconSandwich is tasty. > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 11/13/2019 at 14:10

0

We plan on keeping the van for a long time. That's partly why I'm thinking of going OEM,even if it ends up costing a lot more.