I just finished with my 86 f-150 5.8 HO trying to get it to run right(from a prev post fri nite 86 starting problems.)I have a NAPA Store close by so I went and got a Coil, a starter switch, and a new starter solenoid, ALL of them Being NAPA ECHLIN brand. After putting everything on and cussing that the solenoid contacts welded together, I started looking at the boxes that all this crap came in and was very disappointed and pissed to find it was ALL made in China! Come on,I know Pep Boys and Oreilly and Auto Zone have cheap stuff, but now NAPA? What's next. I'm almost afraid to look for the origin of parts when I go to my Ford Parts Dept.
What's a guy gonna do?I'm a union worker and I always buy American but it's getting harder and harder to do. Just glad my doctor isn't Chinese--- yet!
Bud in AZ

Oh,I am taking the solenoid back for a refund.

 

Welcome to our world.

 

Most Motorcraft parts of late that I've been purchasing are made in Mexico, I've found.

Still better than China, In my opinion.

 

Looking at OEM Ford parts is not a good idea, either... You may have some luck with home-turf-made parts if you're buying for trucks of this generation and earlier (if you can actually find them new that is), but current parts come from far-flung reaches of the world. Mexico, China, Brazil, Spain, Japan, Liechtenstein, and Germany are some of the bigger ones. There are handfuls of specific parts made in the USA but not too many.

 

When I went through my 87, I got most of my parts from NAPA.Brake cables one made in US one China,wheel cylinders one US one China, grease seals one US one Mexico. Biggest issue right now is a USA made fuel pump - 5th one this one only lasted 5 miles.

 

Quality control is the biggest problem I've found. Made in the USA does not mean Quality anymore, like it should.

We can't even make good quality soda here. Why there is a fad of buying mexican soda, made from real sugar, instead of corn syrup like here in the USA. I can't walk through the store without passing a stand of mexican coke, or mexican pepsi bottles for example.

I drink RC though, so... anyway...

You have more of a chance buying decent parts from Ford/Motorcraft. Buying made in the USA though, you have just as much of a chance as buying at Napa. New Old Stock parts is the best bet.

 

Napa parts aren't any better than others.


Truth is, theres only 3 or 4 big companys that make the parts, they just stand Napa on one, Autozone on the other, etc and ship 'em out.

Napa sells 'em for more, cause they spend alot of money on advertisement. I NEVER buy from Napa.



As for made in china, it's getting to be all like that. Smart thing to do is stock up on old Ford parts and run those.

 

I would love to see verifiable sources for this claim.

 

I agree with IDIDieselJohn, at least to an extent. I find it hard to believe there are as many factories producing DSII control boxes for somewhat obsolete vehicles as there are auto parts stores. That goes for basically any part for trucks like ours.

When i did my wheel bearings I went to Carquest specifically because they were more expensive (thought buying more expensive parts meant better quality) Turns out they were made in China also. Brought them back, went to Autozone and for half the price bought USA made bearings. Never know.

I have been told (no proof) that there is only two or three auto battery manufacturers in the world, and that all auto batteries come out of these factories, just stamped with a different name.

 

RE: Batteries - Johnson Controls makes batteries for a large group of vendors including Motorcraft. Price difference in size and number of plates.

 

There is nothing wrong with having, stating or agreeing with an opinion or sharing knowledge one has garnered from someplace.

Making a claim and stating it as fact, though, falls under different criteria. Facts are documented and can be verified by credible & authoritative sources.

I have never learned anywhere in school or industry that "Truth is, theres only 3 or 4 big companys that make the parts" (SIC) and because this seems like such an outrageous claim to me, I want to see proof of this.

I am almost 50 yo and have a college degree in Business Administration, I'd think I'd be aware of this but the world changes and maybe he's right.

If that statement is true, it can be backed up by credible sources, and it's the author's responsibility to provide such sources.



I don't like all the rumor & misinformation that gets spread around on the 'net as fact, and we here in 80-86 try to keep this place free of such useless drivel that degrades the value & usefulness of this place as a whole.

 

About 15 years ago I had to buy a Fork Cap for my '89 H.D. FX Low Rider. I went to my local (then) H.D. dealer in Miami, Fl., Phil Peterson's new store. They had the cap in stock and it was in a pretty H.D. box packed in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. Of course the box said "Harley-Davidson" "Made in America" on it but when I got back to the shop to install the cap the bag had "made in China" right under the H.D logo and part number. I pretty much gave up on Harley's integrity right then. After all, they have been screaming about "American Made" for years and all the while using Japanese Forks, Brakes, Charging systems, Carburetors, Shocks and Wheels all made in Japan and who knows where?
It's all about money, profits and how much the corporate execs can get in their paychecks.

 

Johnson Controls « Batteries | Compare Reviews and Trusted Advice from Battery Experts

who makes motorcraft batteries « Batteries | Compare Reviews and Trusted Advice from Battery Experts

3 Automotive Parts Suppliers for Your Garage | InvestorPlace
Last one might not be too relevant.

 

The whole purpose of the National Auto Parts Association was to have a distributor of parts that were reliable from many manufacturers.

Napa stocks some high quality stuff. Some they stock is high quality crap though.

It depends on the manufacturer. Unfortunately as we are finding out, some parts are only made by companies of questionable quality control.

My local Napa stocks more quality brands than other stores. That's why I choose them. Their counter people are usually more adept than others. However quite a few are owned by Mom and Pop, so they can vary in what they stock from store to store. Their own parts brand is a mix of other manufacture brands as well.

National Automotive Parts Association - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

O'rileys stock both quality and crap brands. You have to watch the counterperson, or specifically request the brand you want.

Autozone I do not shop at...

Made in USA does not mean it's quality anymore either. Hence my Soda reference above. The quality soda now comes from mexico, not the USA. We really need to change that as a people, and make "made in the USA" mean reliable and quality again.

Perhaps we should be talking about reliable brands instead of Reliable parts houses.

The more reliable brands I've found through my experiences are...
Motorcraft:
Napa:
WIX:
BWD:
Trico:

etc...

Won't guarentee you, Made in the USA, buying from that list of brands though.

NOS is the way to go for that. It's funny (or really sad) but when I needed a starter solenoid, I bought 5 Motorcraft solenoids out of a junkyard for $5 a piece. These are more reliable than the brand new, made in china solenoids.

 

I know about the car batteries being made by only a few companies, that is even written up in Consumer Reports magazine. But, about the rest of the parts....