I know what your thinking asking for the old parts back is my solution to this auto repair problem. Yes it is but I have a twist up my sleeve and I want to talk about asking for the old parts back in more depth.

The problems with asking for the old parts back from your auto repair are many. Number one what you are really saying is I don't trust you, right to your shops face. Another problem is if you ask for the old parts back from lets say a tune up you may get six old spark plugs and a smelly fuel soaked fuel filter. You do not want to carry around a wet fuel filter, and when it comes to the old spark plugs they could be out of anybody's vehicle. Some times the part numbers on the old spark plugs is hard to read on very old plugs. If you can read the part number you can call a parts store to verify the spark plug part number belongs in your vehicle. When you are talking about getting the old parts back when the auto repair is brake job, trust me you do not want the old brake pads back. They are in most cases unidentifiable and very dirty and dusty. Plus there is no readable part Number to verify if they are off of your vehicle. So again they could be from someone else's car repair.

Ok here is my twist on this ask for the old parts problem.

Don't ask for the old parts from the auto repair but instead ask for the boxes from the new parts that were installed. Now confirming part numbers with a third party parts store is easy. You will not have to deal with dirty smelly old parts. You still have the trust issue to get around but you can be creative on this subject. We can tell the repair shop we collect automotive boxes for your box collection.

Yes they will think your weird but they will not think that you don't trust them. Or tell them you want the new boxes so when you need those parts again you know the correct part numbers. Its funny when even a known felon will get mad at you when you do not trust him. When it comes to larger more expensive parts you can tell the shop you want to save the box for warranty purposes just in case the new auto parts fail. This will make it easier for both you and the shop to receive credit should there be a parts warranty issue in the future.

If you don't care what the auto repair shop thinks of you, which is ok because you're the one paying the bill. Ask for both the old parts back inside the new boxes. This is the most effective way of confirming the parts were actually installed on your vehicle. Just to make this very clear it is your right as a consumer to ask for your old parts back. This is true in all 50 states in the U.S. The only time this plan will not work is if there is a core charge on the old part. As I explained earlier some parts are returned to the parts supplier for re-manufacturing purposes. When cores are returned to the parts vendor for rebuilding they are returned in the new boxes

It is still your right to receive the old parts back from your auto repair but you will have to pay the core charge. The core charge can be a very small fee. It can also go in the other direction costing almost as much as the new part. So ask your shop what the core charges are up front before you request all the old parts and new boxes.

About the Author

Mark R Gittelman is an ASE Certified Master Technician. Mark provides free DIY auto repair tips on his car questions web site. Also available is a mechanics secrets revealed The insiders guide to auto repair