D-14 ignition coil rant

I replaced the front O2 sensor on my Subaru three years ago.  NAPAs price was $200+.  I am not kidding.  My Subaru dealer wanted $125 for an OEM sensor.  Sometimes it pays to shop around.

Edited by DougS - 26 Jun 2012 at 5:23pm

I hear you. I work for Autozone, and I unfortunetely experience that same problem, although not quite that bad. Napa has corporate stores AND franchise stores. The corporate stores are very similarly priced, however, the franchise stores are locally owned and can charge whatever they feel. Our place, is  usually fairly linear in pricing, but good luck finding a real parts guy. Autozone seems in my opinion more interested in hiring college educated, "experts" LOL . I have been there for 8 years now and have seen a bunch come and go. I would suggest you take that napa number and call AZ or O'Reilly, Carquest or whoever and have them cross reference that number. It may pay off real well.

I only buy local if I have to have it that day.  I buy from rockauto.com.

The NAPA store, locally owned, where my farm is located has competitive pricing and a knowledgeable sales staff. Usually if they don't have something in stock they can have it in the next day. The Autozones around here don't have any real parts people. O'Reillys is even worse - dumb and rude employees.

A young man I know worked for AZ for three years, he started right out of high school. He showed up on time every time, knew basic mechanics and was able to answer customer questions and find what they needed. He went the extra mile for customers and they would come in and ask for him. AZ promoted people that had been there half as long as long as he was, gave him only minimal raises and had him work from open to close and most week ends. The other employees would get p*ssed at him for doing the job right.

I will say Autozones scheduling across the board is rather unfair and useless, they seem to abuse the good help out of necessity really, and really should pay their better help a little more in my opinion. That being said, The good old days are gone at most parts stores. Its really a matter of the hiring pool not being very hands on any longer. Most kids expect a job handed to them right out of college, and they do not wish to have to learn much in the process. Even in the auto repair world, many of the vocational auto repair programs do a poor job of giving any real world training.  Kids just don't get out and help dad in the shop as much as they used to, and that translates into very few people using their head to help "rig up a fix" or find a part that works without punching it up on the computer. I think its not a problem that just one of the parts stores have, its really across the board for all of them, and its gonna get worse I am afraid.