Anyone have a good place to get discounted genuine GM parts? I just bought a new to me 2010 Chevy Tahoe and I need some parts from the dealer. I've always preferred OEM parts over after market when practical.

It has been about 10 years since I owned a GM vehicle (1990 Suburban). At the time I shopped at GMPartsGiant. I just checked and they are still live. I'm sure there are others.

I found some on Google, but I was hoping someone had direct experience with one. I need a reverse sensor (parking assist) and I can find OEM for $160 - $180, but was hoping it could be less. I might just go aftermarket for $20...

I need a few random things. For example, both rear buckets are missing the plugs for the arms rest..where the nut is to tighten the arm rest. How in the heck did BOTH of them go missing...

If you need the box/bag to say GM, you'll likely pay for it. However, if you search you may find the actual GM product was made by AC Delco or Denso etc. I found the same product directly from the part supplier instead of the brand name car manufacturer. Your reverse sensor is likely from a parts supplier, not GM.

Good luck.

I have used GMPartsHouse.com for ~6 years. Prices are cheaper than I can buy them at the dealership.
Gene is a great guy to work with too. I spent a great deal of time on the phone with him when I converted my C5 Corvette from Auto to a 6-speed. I highly recommend him.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
Your reverse sensor is likely from a parts supplier, not GM.

Understood. Poor wording on my part.

Gmpartsdirect

Try RockAuto.com.

I've been out of that line of work for almost a year now. I was a GM parts counterman,an assistant manager and a parts manager for a bit over 47 years in total.

A couple pieces of advice. Depending how many dealers are close to you get price quotes from them. Prices can vary due to a formula called "matrix", in a nutshell a formula for changing sale prices, usually up from factory suggested retail prices. There are pros and cons in the use of this, again the short version is that it takes the same amount of time to process a sale of an item selling for a dollar as it does for an item that sells for one hundred dollars.

Another thing, some of the dealers with an online presence will sell an item for as low as two or three percent over "book" cost. There are some other discounts available when large orders are purchased from the OEM, they are maybe four or five percent, not a lot. Anyway, a dealership cannot survive on the three percent over cost, you have to pay for the building, pay the counter people (I was a counterperson for close to fifty years, it cost my employers a lot more than the "chain" parts stores pay I guarantee you to get and retain me and others) and on and on with the expense structure.

So they advertise it cheap and make it up on the shipping and handling. As a rule of thumb you better be getting it for at least 20% off MSRP after all that. Any less, is it worth the hassle if you make a mistake and order the wrong part or the part comes in damaged, more down time for you. What if the catalog is wrong (happens more often than you think,many times a real counterperson knows that ahead of time) I'll bet you have some grief in sending it back by either the dealer blaming you or some other reason to either not give you full credit or to even to not refund at all.

Try to get a good relationship with a local dealer and ask the counterperson if they can work with you. Most all of the dealerships I worked at when I was a counterman would work with the customer. When I was in management I allowed my counterpersons the ability to give ten to fifteen percent off as a courtesy if necessary by their own decision. Anything more I had to approve.

I've purchased OEM bulbs and wiper blades and such from gmpartsdirect

thatgmpartsguy.com

I have dealt with him directly, and he is GTG.

I buy a lot of AC Delco parts on Amazon. You can even get AC Delco parts for your Honda apparently.

quote:

Originally posted by Lunasee:
I have used GMPartsHouse.com for ~6 years. Prices are cheaper than I can buy them at the dealership.
Gene is a great guy to work with too. I spent a great deal of time on the phone with him when I converted my C5 Corvette from Auto to a 6-speed. I highly recommend him.

I bought a lot of parts from him when I had my 2003 Z06. I think he was selling FSMs for about $200 at the time. Best money I ever spent on a car.

I bought a lot of hydraulic parts from him as well as a C6 Z06 flywheel/clutch/pressure plate set up.