Buying replacement parts for your car can be expensive, but there are some excellent ways to save some money when shopping for parts. Buying used car parts can be significantly less expensive, but you need to use a little caution and make sure you are purchasing the parts from a reputable dealer or vendor.

Where to Find Used Parts

The most common place to find used car parts for your vehicle is at a local auto salvage or recycling yard. The auto recycler may have many parts for many different cars, or they may specialize in specific car parts, so it is a good idea to contact them by phone and ask about the parts you are looking for before you make a trip to the yard. 

The salvage operator buys old cars and trucks and then removes the usable parts from them to resell. In many areas, you may find several salvage yards, and it is a good idea to call all of them to get prices on the parts you are looking for. The salvage operator sets the price based on historical sales and demand, so the prices can differ from one yard to the next. 

If the salvage yard specializes in truck parts or early muscle car parts, you may not find a part for a newer car there, but give them a call anyway. Sometimes a salvage yard ends up with a car they didn't plan on, and they may sell the parts cheap just to get rid of them. 

Type of Parts to Buy Used

Some of the most common used car parts that people buy are things like starters, alternators, power steering pumps and racks, and many other things that are expensive to get from the dealership or an auto parts store. Entire engines and transmissions are commonly sold through salvage yards, but you should avoid wearables like brakes, tie rods, ball joints, and similar parts. 

The wearable parts may seem like they are in good shape, but if the part has a lot of internal wear, you could replace it and then have a failure again in a few weeks or months and be right back where you started, searching for a replacement part that you probably should have bought from a parts store in the first place. 

Warranties and Return Policies

When you are buying used car parts, you need to remember that there is not likely going to be a warranty on the parts. The parts' cost is much lower, but if the part fails, you may only be able to get the salvage yard or dealer to replace it with another part. Ask the seller if they have a replacement policy because in many cases, you only have thirty days to replace the part if it does not work.