Changing Mustang GT 2004 alternator w/aftermarket

[mohammad bahzad]

Dealer alternator cost: $233
Aftermarket Chinese Alternator price: $116
a good $117 difference in price
They say it is as good as the dealer/Genuine alternator. I am not convinced to used a chines alternator for my babe especially for a critical part such as the alternator

Any preview experiance with aftermarket alternators? any recommendations?

BTW, I dont know what is the brand of the aftermarket alternator.

Topic

[Greg]

You should be able to pick up an OEM rebuilt unit from your local auto parts store

[mohammad bahzad]

are those rebuilt ones reliable? I have had an offer for a rebuilt alternator for $80 with one month warranty

[Richard Kirshy]

I can only offer this…
If you decide on a rebuilt / reman. unit, go with a name brand unit.
The old saying “you get what you pay for” still carries some worth.
Buy cheap, buy twice.

[zero]

Reman units can be hit and miss. Some runs of some brands will be shit and fail right out of the box or soon after. A decent parts tore will warranty them and they’re good units more than they’re bad.

Assuming the offshore one you quoted the price for is a random ebay type part with no listed manufacturer. A decent rebuilt unit might be in between the 2 prices. I feel obliged to suggest you consider the OEM part. Consider that it’s probably the original unit in there, it’s about 12 years old. If the car is in decent shape and the owner is likely to keep it for several years, the extra price for a completely new part upfront might be worth it.

If it’s purely a budget issue, consider a unit from an automotive recycler. They usually carry a guarantee of some sort and are probably half the price of the rando white box special.

[Author]

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