Insights from dealership parts guy

[cvar]

I just spoke to Mazda dealership parts guy. Here are some insights he shared. Dunno if they're true?

He said the plastic clips holding the hard brake lines to frame are ONLY available by purchasing the whole bed. Ford's reasoning, he said, was that on some lesser model the line happens to clip to the bed. Now THAT is plain stupid. He wanted brake-line clips for his Ranger, too, and yet he could not get them separately from Ford. That makes no sense.

He said the "Cash For Clunkers" law had a sneaky perk for automakers. They're no longer required to stock parts beyond 10 months after warranty expires. That limits Mazda requirement to 3 yrs + 10 months. Afterwards, you're on your own, kids.

 

[chrwilkins30]

That's just dumb but understandable.

How are the clips help on with a bolt or something like a Christmas tree clip?

 

[wildbill23c]

Then walk out on their lot and take off the number of clips you need from a new vehicle on the lot. Dealers do that crap all the time as well if they need something they can't get right away they'll go out on the lot and find the part they need on a new vehicle, so by the time someone comes along to buy a vehicle its already been "parted out". As for having to buy a whole truck bed for brake line clips that wouldn't surprise me with ford, they have built and designed some pretty stupid ideas.

As far as the parts thing, that wouldn't surprise me either given the current administration is a bunch of no good lying tree hugging useless thieves. Glad I don't own a newer ford product.

 

[adsm08]

Then walk out on their lot and take off the number of clips you need from a new vehicle on the lot.

That would roughly be called theft. Most municipalities consider that a crime. It's a good way to get arrested.

Dealers do that crap all the time as well if they need something they can't get right away they'll go out on the lot and find the part they need on a new vehicle, so by the time someone comes along to buy a vehicle its already been "parted out".

Yes, we do. Usually only if the customer is waiting or drives a significant distance to get there and needs the car back before we can get the part in. We then leave a note on the keys, order the needed part and put it back on the donor vehicle, effectively restoring it to factory condition. They have not been "parted out" before they are even sold.


In the future please have some clue about what you are talking about before making idiotic statements.

 

[wildbill23c]

Exactly my point, the dealers do the same exact thing to a vehicle that you might be purchasing. Hell if that's the case and you have to buy the whole bed, then take the whole bed then. That's the problem with this country its being run by the worlds largest thieves and yet here is another bunch of people crying because someone suggested that you go get the parts from a "donor" vehicle.

Last time I checked this was a forum and a ton of BS gets posted here daily that has nothing to do with vehicles or repair. Some of the stuff that's posted on here is illegal but its still on here.

If someone on here is dumb enough to really do what I said that's their own fault. I for one would goto my local hardware store and buy cable clips that screw in, I think the last time I bought those they were like $4-6 for like 20 of them and would solve the problem and avoid the huge dealer markup on an unnecessary truck bed LOL.