Safety/Possibility/wisdom of rebuilt parts

Hello:



I just got a shocker: I went in get my state inspection for my 2002 Subaru Forester and was told that I needed a complete power steering rack and pinion and also two rear struts. The parts are very expensive.



I don’t doubt that my vehicle needs replacement parts. The vehicle has close to 130,000 miles on it.



However can I get REBUILT complete power steering rack and pinion and also REBUILT two rear struts? Is this feasable? possible? safe? wise?



I would like to save a few bucks, if possible.



Thanks.

First I’m surprised you need steering gear items at that mileage. Even on an American econobox you don’t need steering parts till much later. Your struts are about par for wear.

Rebuilt parts from reputable spources are as good as new ones and they even have a warranty. I would not hesitate to use them. I lived overseas for 5 years and Mercedes cars ran for over 20 years using either remanufactured parts or local clones.

In Japan at 10 years most cars are scrapped, so there is not a viable remanufacturing industry there, unlike North America, where cars are run until there life is used up.

Even Midas will give you a resonable quote for the work needed, using remanufactured parts.

Industrial equipement is rebuilt many times and there is a large after market for parts.

A properly rebuilt rack should be fine. It will save you quite a bit.

I know some struts can be rebuilt, but I don’t think many of them are. I don’t think a 2002 Forster will have rebuildable struts.

I would get a second opinion on the rack, assuming you have no other reason to believe it may be bad. With that kind of mileage I would expect the original struts to be well past their prime.

Properly rebuilt part from a QUALITY company is fine. In fact in some cases it’s far better then NEW OEM.

I too am surprised that you need a new rack with only 130k miles. That seems awfully low to me.

Doc has reported his personal experience with rebuilt parts, and no one can fault anyone for accurately reporting his personal experiences. Most people report the same thing about rebuilt parts.

However, I have been driving since around 1960, and my personal experiences have been totally different. I used to primarily buy used cars, and when it needed repairs, the mechanics would tell me, “Rebuilt parts are just as good as new, and they are cheaper.”

I used to also have to replace the same part after not too long a time, and I blamed the cars for this.“Grrr! Stupid worthless car needs the same thing it had before. I am junking this piece of garbage.”

Then, after years of this, we got a new 1988 Nova (Corolla by Chevrolet). At 96,000 miles a CV joint went out. The shop said “Used CV joints are just as good as new,and they are cheaper. Besides they are guaranteed 12,000 miles.” So I said go ahead, as I had always done.

Thirteen thousand miles later, the CV joint went out again. In the 64,000 miles between 96,000 miles and 160,000 miles, we put 5 just as good as new but cheaper rebuilt CV joints on that car. With labor and all the parts, it would have been much cheaper to put in new parts in the beginning. Finally, my son went out and got new lifetime guaranteed CV joints at one of the car part places, and they still ran great at 248,000 miles when he junked it. He junked it because the rebuilt carburetors he put in, since new ones were not available, failed every thirteen months. He tried and tried to get a carb shop to rebuild one, but they would snarl at him, that one doesn’t rebuild those things, a rebuilt one is just as good as a new one, but it is cheaper.

Well, there were two reasons he junked it. He had a local high quality engine rebuilder rebuild that motor at 200,000 miles, and the builder put in a (SURPRISE!!!) rebuilt water pump, and it started coming apart at 248,000 miles. I suppose we could have put in another wonderful, just as good as new but cheaper rebuilt water pump, and driven it another year or two, with a new rebuilt carb every thirteen months, and a rebuilt water pump every 48,000 miles, but I told him it’s time to move on.

Once I fully realized what was happening, I went back through my car journals and memory banks, and it was always that way. Rebuilt parts lasted only from 10% to 25% as long as the original parts lasted, My present personal policy is, when I can’t find new parts for my car, it’s time to junk it and get a newer one. Or, maybe go ahead with that one rebuilt part, which gives me time to get another car without panic mode.

From long experience with this topic, I assume I am ruffling some feathers, especially the pros, but as Doc did, I am reporting my personal experience. When I say ruffled feathers, most guys get all red in the face and shout nasty, ugly things at me. I would be better off insulting motherhood of Mom’s apple pie than to tell the truth about rebuilt parts. Shouting insults at me did not make one of those rebuilt parts last a mile longer.

Correction: there was one supplier of rebuilt parts, Whitlocks, which was run out of business by AutoZone competition. They had a line of rebuilt parts, at much higher cost, which had a lifetime guarantee. But, when I am told a rebuilt part has the standard guarantee of 12 months; 12,000 miles, I reject it.

Don’t misunderstand me. I do not recommend OP buy new parts if he can get rebuilt ones much cheaper. But, first, I recommend thinking about what you want from this 130,000 mile car, OP. If you plan to trade around 150,000 miles it will almost certainly go that far with rebuilt parts.

If you plan to drive it 300,000 miles, go ahead and use the wonderful just as good as new but cheaper rebuilt parts. Write all this down, and note how much you “save”. Either those parts will run you the full 300,000 miles if everyone else is right, or they will crap out around 165,000 miles if I am right. All I ask is if they do give out at around 25% of the mileage of the original parts, don’t get mad at the car and trade it. Go back and put in good, OEM parts from the manufacturer and drive it another 130,000 miles, which will be the full 300,000 miles. Ditto for any other rebuilt parts you put it in. Try it; see what happens; if they fail at 25% of original miles, put in new parts instead of blaming the car. If they last as long as the original parts, that is good, too.

You will know before you have the rebuilt parts put in. If there is a 12,000mile/1 year warranty, it will go out at around 25% of original parts. IF they give you a 60,000 mile warranty, those parts will be good for a long haul. Yes, I know the OEM parts will also be guaranteed only for 12,000 miles, but you know the original ones lasted 130,000 miles, and new ones probably will too.

Now, listen to the screams of rage.

As you said it’s YOUR personal experience. I’ve had many many rebuilt parts last MUCH LONGER then new OEM parts…especially if there was a design flaw in the original part. The rebuilt part FIXED this flaw.

A couple I remember from years past…

76-78 Chryco Aspen/Volare’ carbs were notorious for bad float problems. The OEM float was this new material that would get saturated with gas and SINK (OPPOSITE OF FLOAT). The rebuilt carbs fixed this with a different material for the float.

70’s Opel Transmission - The OEM tranny used a soft metal for one of it’s bearings. The new rebuilt tranny used a harder metal and lasted MUCH MUCH LONGER.

I believe that most cars in Japan are fairly well used up after 10 years. Not only because the cost of keeping it insured/tagged keeps going up, but also the harsh driving conditions most are subjected to(think NYC).

check around for pricing. Parts for your vehicle (new Monroe Sensa-Trac $100 ea & reman Cardone rack $310) run around $500. All come with lifetime warranty, which is my preference on these types of parts. You may need to pay labor again, but you don’t pay again if the part fails. An OEM quote is probably much higher, and these parts are all fine.