At the shop one of the more common things we see, and hear about are repairs that just didn’t last.  Usually its “cheap part” related.    Such is the case with the  “Made in China”  clutch disc pictured below.

Broken, Made In China Subaru Clutch Disc

Broken Subaru Clutch Disc

This part lasted a little over a year, and is actually a clutch job we had previously quoted out and lost to a competitor due to our “perceived higher price”.  But when there was no warranty 14 months later, we got the chance to do it right for the customer.

When it comes to repairs and maintenance on your Subaru there is really not much from China that should ever be installed in your car.  If you are calling around for a price and the price is your main concern, you truly need to understand that repairs are not going to be the same at every shop.   A good independent Subaru Service facility will use Subaru parts, and parts made by the vendors that supply Subaru and really nothing else.  Shopping for Subaru Repairs are not the same as comparing who has the best price on the same pair of Nike’s.  The shoe is a known, it will be the same where ever you buy it and its reasonable to look for the best price as most likely the retailers have a similar cost basis.   A good Subaru shop using the best parts they can will have a much higher parts cost than a general repair shop does and as such the price will be lower then the dealers but may not be the lowest you will receive when shopping around..

A general repair shop (one that works on everything) will use what is available to them by their primary vendors.  Vendors we don’t use, Vendors that other Subaru shops across the nation wont use  because its a completely different type of business and line of parts, parts names you see at parts stores and see on TV, parts that just dont belong in Your Subaru.    I can list a thousand part names that have no business being installed on your Subaru.

The  companies that make clutch parts for Subaru.    None are sold at the popular parts stores because they have the O.E. Business  and wont get involved in a race to the bottom for prices.

So when calling around for prices on services, or looking for parts for your weekend Subaru Repair project, be aware of what you are buying,   In the case of this Clutch paying to have it done twice in 14 months obviously didnt add up to any real savings.

Thanks For Reading

Justin

All Wheel Drive Auto

Helping you get the most out of your Subaru!