I seem to be having a run of lousy luck with parts from NAPA. In the past two years, I've had to return a windshield wiper motor and power steering pump for my Impala that were defective. Changing the power steering pump on that car once is enough of a pain, but twice. :rant2:

In September, the starter died on the Cadillac, and the shop that replaced it got a new starter from NAPA. Last night, the starter died again! :rant2:

I'm trying to look on the bright side. It died in Corvallis where I work, and where the shop that did the repair is located. And it was before the shop closed, so when their tow truck brought it in (same driver who towed it in September; he either remembered me or the car), I was able to talk to the mechanic and make sure they could fix it today. I'm leaving for Christmas with my family tomorrow morning and have to drive 70 miles to the airport in Portland and I did NOT want to leave Betty at the airport for a week. I picked the Caddy up this afternoon and as is well again.

Anyway, the starter itself has a three-year warranty, so that's no problem. But the repair was done September 6, so I'm thirteen days beyond the shop's warranty. NAPA should cover the labor for the repair ($200), but their warranty person wasn't in today, so I won't know until next week. If they refuse to cover the labor, I plan to raise hell with them.

So, has the quality of NAPA parts gone downhill or have I just been really unlucky? The store is next door to my office, so it's very convenient, plus I've saved considerably on parts using my AAA discount. I've heard AutoZone stuff is crap, but what about NAPA? What's been your experience?

Napa "brand" electronic stuff I've had bad luck with, yes. Starters, window switches, relays and various random other parts don't seem to last as long if they come from a napa box...not to say the other chains are any better or worse, but electrical stuff I'd go with the next step up instead of the cheapest.

Ugh, who the heck does NAPA use for reman brake linings? (I'd buy new, but there isn't quite the demand to produce "new" brake shoes for 68 Cadillacs) All 4 of my front shoes (that I just replaced last spring...) have cracks all over the lining. Wish I could get new riveted shoes...

The rest of the stuff I get from them has held up pretty well though. I like the parts availability the most though. When the guy behind the counter says "Not in stock, we need to order it" It's usually there by 1pm the same day. Real nice when ordering stuff for my car, where it usually takes about 2-3 days for parts everywhere else.

I like the parts availability the most though. When the guy behind the counter says "Not in stock, we need to order it" It's usually there by 1pm the same day. Real nice when ordering stuff for my car, where it usually takes about 2-3 days for parts everywhere else.

That's true. In a couple of instances, they've had to order parts for Betty, and 1 day is the longest I've had to wait. What's nice, too is I can get many mechanical parts for Betty at NAPA for half of what they would cost from a restoration parts catalog.

I eventually caneled my contract thru napa for my firetruck shop , just got really tired of always getting the wrong part delivered to me and each vehicle getting another 3 extra hours downtime

By the way

Napa stands for
Need Another Part Azzhole

They do have a great inventory and if its not in stock, its usually quick, but quality has been an issue for me, like I said...

Ugh, who the heck does NAPA use for reman brake linings? (I'd buy new, but there isn't quite the demand to produce "new" brake shoes for 68 Cadillacs) All 4 of my front shoes (that I just replaced last spring...) have cracks all over the lining. Wish I could get new riveted shoes...

Do a look-up on "Trenton Brakes" & give them a call. They might be able to do something for you. Probably a 40 minute ride from Croydon.