Runaway Hubcap Replacement: 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla

My mom lost another hub cap from her car recently. I've replaced 2 or 3 of them over they years already. This usually occurs as a result of winter driving and vicious potholes, and consequently we have an unadorned black steel wheel.

It appears that this particular Corolla model has a high propensity for losing hubcaps. I have seen a multitude of these vehicles missing one or more hub caps.

So what to do about a replacement? And by that I mean an original factory replacement, not a generic auto parts store special. I called a hubcap shop in the area and was quoted a price of $65. That's pretty steep considering I would have to drive there to pick it up, which is a little out of the way.

Rather than do that, I went on Car-Part and found the same thing slightly used for $25 plus $10 UPS shipping from Waterloo Auto Parts (an auto salvage yard) in Iowa. I called them to confirm availability and placed the order. A week later it arrived at my office, saving me about $30 and an hour.

This isn't the first time I've used the site either. Another time my mom hit a pothole so hard with her previous car it bent a wheel, for which I also found a replacement wheel using Car-Part. It's pretty useful.

How to Price Auto Parts Fast

My pickup truck failed its safety inspection last weekend. One of the front shock absorbers needed replacement.

So I looked up the phone numbers for 3 nearby auto parts stores and let my fingers do the walking. Using the following script I've used for years, I called for pricing and availability:

Parts Guy/Girl: [Store name] Auto Parts. How can I help you?

Me: Hi, I need to get a quote for front shocks for my '91 Toyota Pickup

Parts Guy/Girl: Is that four wheel drive or two wheel drive?

Me: Two wheel drive.

Parts Guy/Girl: Which engine does it have?

Me: 2.4 liter.

Parts Guy/Girl: Ok, we have [Brand X] for $x and [Brand Y] for $y each.

Me: Do you have it in-stock?

Parts Guy/Girl: Yes, both types are in-stock.

Me: What's the part number on that?

Parts Guy/Girl: [part # X] and [part # Y]

Me: And how late are you open?

Parts Guy/Girl: Until 9 pm each night.

Me: And what's your name?

Parts Guy/Girl: [first name]

Me: Great, thanks very much.

In a couple of minutes I had called and found prices ranging from $20 to $62 each. So replacing the pair would run from $40 to $124 for parts. I wrote everything down so I knew which store had what for how much, and who I spoke to. That always comes in handy if you show up on site and the rules have changed. You can hold someone accountable.

Then I price shopped online using Google and Amazon. The prices were in between, not including shipping and waiting.

Next I called up the manager of the service station where I had the inspection done (he was out when I was there) to get a labor quote. Ninety dollars. Ok, fair enough.

So I just went to one of the local shops and picked up a pair of shocks for $40. Total bill will be about $130 plus $16 to get the truck reinspected.

The moral of this post is that when you know what needs to be done and it's pretty routine, use a script to get it done quickly.

Price Shopping: Seatbelts

I need a new driver’s side seatbelt assembly for my Toyota MR2. The driver’s side belt is frayed. For many parts one could go with used parts. But for safety devices I’d go with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts. So I called four local Toyota dealers.

It quickly became apparent that it helps to have the VIN number of the car, not just the make and model, to help speed the parts lookup process.

All the dealers said they’d have to special order the parts from the nearest warehouse, stating that it could arrive as soon as the next day but that it would definitely arrive within a 3 to 5 day window. Also, because it would be a special order all sales were final.

The level of knowledge and experience varied. One guy asked me if this was for the front or back seat (MR2s only have 2 seats). But overall they were quite helpful, offering installation advice and tips.

In the end I spent 15 minutes to make four phone calls and received four quotes ranging from $156 to $192 for the same part from the same warehouse, a $36 difference. Time well spent.

The takeaway is to know what it is you need, or the right questions to ask, and get the name of the person you speak with at each shop. And of course, always take notes.