Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Bluefield, WV
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:05 pm Post subject: Dorman, good or bad?
I changed jobs recently and the new shop likes using Dorman replacement parts. The last place I worked used mostly OE. As I remember from years ago Dorman was pretty decent, but I've had nothing but problems.
Since I'm on flat rate this is cutting into my paycheck, so I think I should have some say. Anybody else seeing problems?
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:48 am Post subject: Re: Dorman, good or bad?
Hi Eric,
Eric J. wrote:
I changed jobs recently and the new shop likes using Dorman replacement parts. The last place I worked used mostly OE. As I remember from years ago Dorman was pretty decent, but I've had nothing but problems.
Since I'm on flat rate this is cutting into my paycheck, so I think I should have some say. Anybody else seeing problems?
I am not impressed with any of their "knock off" parts. Intakes, window regulators, distributors, etc. When the line started coming out a vendor brought a few samples out. Cheap parts cost too much for me, I can only afford the best available.
Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:58 am Post subject: Re: Dorman, good or bad?
Eric J. wrote:
I changed jobs recently and the new shop likes using Dorman replacement parts. The last place I worked used mostly OE. As I remember from years ago Dorman was pretty decent, but I've had nothing but problems.
Since I'm on flat rate this is cutting into my paycheck, so I think I should have some say. Anybody else seeing problems?
An example of cost vs price. I have used Dorman a few times over the past several years, when in a pinch for a part, because the client needed the vehicle as soon as possible. In almost every case the Dorman part did not stand up to expectations.
Why should this be cutting into your paycheck? It is not your job to be the warranty company for your place of employment. You did not supply the part, most likely you had no say in where the part came from. The shop supplied the part, it failed, they should pay you to reinstall it a second time.
Yes, you should have some say. When a part fails the shop looses in several ways. The client is unhappy and will start to doubt how professional the shop is if they cannot install good parts. The shop looses because they have to pay to do the job twice. The shop also looses the potential income that could have been made during the time the warranty repair was being preformed.
It is in everybody's best interest to minimize warranty jobs. Most of the time the techs are in a better spot to see poor preforming parts than the manager is.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:09 pm Post subject: Re: Dorman, good or bad?
Hi Tom,
Tom Ham wrote:
louis wrote:
Hi Eric,
Eric J. wrote:
I changed jobs recently and the new shop likes using Dorman replacement parts. The last place I worked used mostly OE. As I remember from years ago Dorman was pretty decent, but I've had nothing but problems.
Since I'm on flat rate this is cutting into my paycheck, so I think I should have some say. Anybody else seeing problems?
I am not impressed with any of their "knock off" parts. Intakes, window regulators, distributors, etc. When the line started coming out a vendor brought a few samples out. Cheap parts cost too much for me, I can only afford the best available.
I was wondering if it's just us. It seems like parts from many, many vendors are steadily dropping in quality. We continue to use more and more OE parts each year for that reason. The high quality aftermarket lines are getting to be fewer all the time.
I feel the aftermarket stuff clearly has a great deal of defects. On checking I find it often does not even meet their specifications. Wheel cylinder bores, .003" over sized, surface finish and even Rockwell hardness way off. These are just the few specifications I can check. How far off are the things I can't check?
What concerns me even more is the problems I am seeing even with domestic OEM parts. More and more they too are showing up off specification.
I don't think it matters very much to the client if the repair fails because of my workmanship or failure of the part I have chosen. Either way it is inconvenient and may leave them searching for more workable solutions in the future . . .
Thanks Tom, I really appreciate your reply and hope you will continue to share your insight in the future.
Good point Tom! It seems we can buy plenty of cheap knock off parts and only minimal OE or quality aftermarket parts.The cheap stuff is always in stock and usually the parts are poor quality,poor fit,or leaving you to track down related hardware to do the job right.Even dealers are buying cheap junk instead of selling original equipment parts.Is that what customer are demanding or is it the profit margin attracting shop owners.In the big picture you can only go so far to save a customer a buck before you start to cost yourself and the customer money. Just my 2 cents.
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