Murray's Auto Parts

[Mike Marttila]

I would not recomend using Murrays as a reliable parts supplier. If you have problems with the parts you buy good luck getting satisfaction for the corporate offices, They will blow you off if you can get ahold of them. They may be good for oil and filters but I would not use them for any other parts. Use your regular parts houses. You get what you pay for. My two cents!!!

[Dan Szwarc]

Mike, you need to be more specific about your problem.

I have found that Murray's has a great return policy for lifetime products. However, the quality of some their parts leaves something to be desired. I have heard that their starters are crap. Alternators, too.

What happened?

[Mike Marttila]

Their in tank electric fuel pumps are junk, their timing chain sets are too.
Mike

[Dan Szwarc]

I can't remember if the timing set I put on my '66 was from them or Napa. I'll have to check.

What kind of problems are you having with it? I thought Murray's used TRW/Federal Mogul gears which were always spoken highly of. Were yours some other brand?

[Mike Marttila]

Dan
The timing sets were for a plymouth minivan and a ford truck. Both were wrong parts. I don't buy parts for the lincoln from them. I don't like doing the job twice. I will use my local parts supplier for now on.
Mike

[Dan Szwarc]

So your complaint is that the parts were wrong and the help are morons. Did you return the wrong parts for a refund?

[Mike Marttila]

Yes, the timing set for the plymouth had the wrong cam gear in one set and the wrong chain in another. The fuel pump I kept. I was acused of not knowing a bad part, that's where the corporate problems began. I dropped the fuel tank three times to get it to work out because they had a bad sending unit { wire missing}. I have been in there numerous times and got the wrong parts. I will end up saving money by not having to go back twice or going to another store after their screw ups because they don't have what they said they do. Just my two cents
Mike

[Dan Szwarc]

Understood.

[jimkf]

I used to work for Murray's and many years ago, when they really started growing, they sold good quality parts and reasonable prices. Then, the corporate bean counters got involved and cost cutting became the rule. Parts for cars more than 10 years old were becoming harder to order thru the warehouse and when available, were shopworn. Variety and price selection were no longer as generous as they used to be.
As for starters and alternators being substandard, that problem can be laid squarely at the feet of the consumer. They carried quality units, and cheapo rebuilts...guess which one everyone wanted. So, they stopped carrying the high end stuff, except where it still sold or there was no alternative. That meant that the return rate climbed significantly. Vendors soon started to clamp down on what they would take back and that trickled down to the stores. Return policies aren't as liberal anywhere as they used to be.
I'm no longer in their employ, my choice, so I have nothing to gain by sticking up for them, but like many auto parts stores, they're stuck between vendors who stiffen return policies and customers who abuse them.
I have the same problem with parts from some of my local vendors, Auto Zone and Advance. Most of the stuff is Wal-Mart quality, at best. If I want something that will last, I pony up the extra few bucks and go to NAPA or the equivelent.