Do you need to buy used auto parts? These days, you can find a website to buy almost anything, so why is it so difficult to buy used auto parts online? When the average internet savvy consumer looks for used auto parts online, it’s usually shocking how few options there are or what BAD options there are. Between the seemingly ancient technology and the difficulty of determining if it’s the right part for you vehicle… most people are left thinking with used auto parts, why is it so hard?
Even the Best Websites Have Limitations
If you are struggling to find the correct part for your vehicle, you are not alone. Even the best websites for used auto parts struggle connecting buyers with the correct used auto parts because of the difficulty of interchange. Interchange means the part fitment. Not only do auto parts have part numbers from the manufacturer, they also have an interchange number, because multiple parts with different manufacturers may fit exactly the same. For example, the fender for a Mercury Milan, a Lincoln Zephyr, and a Ford Fusion all have different part numbers from Mercury, Lincoln and Ford but they are all exactly the same parts and will fit on these vehicles interchangeably. The same goes for many parts on a Tahoe and a Suburban and a Silverado. The list goes on and on. Used auto parts are complex, but this is actually a good thing for you as a buyer because if you have an F150, it takes the same engine as a Ford Expedition! This opens up more cost effective possibilities for replacing your F150 engine with a quality used one.
Difficulty in the Details
One challenge in buying used auto parts online is selecting the correct part for your vehicle. Although the Pete’s Auto Parts website, and most other salvage yard websites, take you through your vehicle year, make and model, and ask you to select the options that are relevant to choosing the correct used auto parts for your vehicle, it can be confusing. When you are looking for the best website to buy used auto parts, you don’t just need to know your vehicle you need to know all the options. For example, if you are buying an engine for your F150 like in the example above, you’ll need to know the engine size (could be 2.7L, 3.0L, 3.3L, 3.5L, or 5.0L,) and then depending on which size engine you have you may need to now the fuel type (gasoline, diesel or CNG) and the 8th digit of the VIN. One of the very best ways to make sure you are getting the correct used auto parts is to shop by VIN!
Start With Your VIN
Your vehicle identification number, or VIN, is found on your vehicle in the driver’s side lower corner of the windshield, it’s also found on the sticker on the driver’s door or just inside when you open the door, it can also be found on your vehicle registration or insurance documentation. The VIN is specific to your vehicle. There are certain digits that will be the same on many vehicles, such as VINs that start with 1, 4 or 5 were manufactured in the United States, whereas VINs that start with 2 were made in Canada, 3 Mexico, J Japan, K South Korea, S England, W Germany, Y Sweden or Finland!
The VIN can tell you many things (not just where your vehicle was made, but who the manufacturer was, the vehicle model, engine size and type, the year, the plant that assembled the vehicle, and finally the last 6 digits of the VIN are a unique vehicle serial number. When you call a specific manufacturer or a car dealership, they will often ask you for only the last 6 digits of your VIN as they can look it up that way in their system. At Pete’s Auto Parts, we need the entire VIN because we are searching all makes and models of vehicles, not just one!
Whether you shop at Pete’s Auto Parts or any other place to purchase used auto parts, if you provide the VIN, it can ensure you are getting the right used auto parts for your vehicle. The best website to buy used auto parts from is the one that gets you the correct parts, on time and as described! We believe at Pete’s Auto Parts we can help you find the parts you need. Our sales professionals are ready to assist by phone, text or email. If you prefer to do your own searching, you can find our parts at used auto parts search page.
Correct Paint Code
One of the huge advantages to buying used auto parts is the ability to find them in the same paint color as your vehicle, saving the expense of paint! Now there are some limitations to how useful this is, if you are buying a rare part in a rare color you may not find a match, or if you have stored your vehicle inside all it’s life and you buy the correct paint code off of a vehicle that has been stored in the sun all of it’s life, even if they are the same paint code they may look *slightly* different! But for most customers, used auto parts are an excellent solution to not having to pay for expensive paint! Every day, at Pete’s Auto Parts, we connect customers with parts that are in the same paint code as their vehicle. How to find your paint code? Well it depends on the manufacturer. Many are located on the sticker inside the driver’s door jamb, but not all. The best way to find your paint code is to google the year and model of your vehicle along with “paint code location” and you should discover exactly where it is. If you provide Pete’s Auto Parts with your VIN, we can often find the paint code by decoding it. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us or any used auto parts supplier even if you don’t know your paint code, we can help!
What About Damage?
Many customers are concerned that used auto parts will have damage. This is a legitimate concern, as about 18% of used auto parts do have some issue. But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. First of all, if you want completely undamaged used auto parts, MANY used auto parts will meet that criteria, and in 2025, we can easily send you many pictures of the part before it ships or before you drive to us to pick it up, to ensure you will be happy with the part. We do that for customers every day, and many other used auto parts suppliers do as well, if you choose someone else. Also, very small blemishes, imperfections, or signs of age that are acceptable to you can mean huge savings. At Pete’s Auto Parts and at MOST used auto parts stores, we price based on condition. If we have two identical headlights for sale, but one has a light scratch and the other is undamaged, the one with the light scratch is usually priced $25 – $200 less than the one that is undamaged, depending on the light. If you are replacing your left headlight, and your right headlight isn’t perfect, you may not mind a headlamp with a light scratch, and it can save you money. The same goes for buying a door with a tiny parking lot ding. It’s very acceptable to want an undamaged part – make sure to share that with your used auto parts salesperson and they will make sure that’s what you get!
Online Isn’t Everything
Keep in mind that not all used auto parts we have access to are listed on our website. The same is true for just about every quality used auto parts supplier. As a proud member of Team PRP, and a member of the RDC and CDC networks, Pete’s Auto Parts has access to many hundreds of thousands of parts at our partner facilities that we can ship in for very reasonable costs. There are a number of advantages to ordering through Pete’s Auto Parts, including that we have a trucking system that runs between facilities and is much less expensive that shipping parts on LTL freight trucks or small package carriers like UPS or FedEx. Whether you choose to buy from Pete’s or anywhere else, when you are shopping for used auto parts, it pays to pick up the phone, or send a text, and talk to a real person about your needs. Dedicated salespeople go the extra mile to hunt down the used auto parts that are the best option for you! Plus they work on commission, so you are helping them even as they help you!
Warranty Matters
Additionally, when you are shopping online for used auto parts and you decide to purchase from Pete’s Auto Parts, our parts come with our warranty (you can read more at https://petesauto.net/warranty/) and if there is a problem with the part, we will give you your money back and handle the return shipment so you don’t have to deal with that. When you buy used auto parts from Pete’s, you are supporting a small business with roots in the community!
Contact Pete’s Auto Parts Any Way You Prefer
If you want to contact us by phone, call us 8am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday! If you prefer to text, shoot us a text – we’ll respond 8am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday but feel free to text outside those hours and we can always get back to you later. Prefer to email? Send us an email (to your favorite salesperson, below, or to sales@petesauto.net) If you like to use skype or facebook messenger, you can find us there, too! Some clients want to walk into our office and speak to a salesperson face-to-face instead of calling or texting, and that is just fine by us! Amy and Tommy are available in the front office 9am to 4pm Monday through Friday, besides their lunch breaks of course.
You should always feel free to call or text our main number 616-669-6592, but if you want to contact someone specific directly, here is the info in alphabetical order:
- Brian: 616-797-7978 brian@petesauto.net X216 (office in our sales and business office)
- Dan: 616-797-7973 dan@petesauto.net X213 (works from home)
- James: 616-797-7969 james@petesauto.net X210 (office in our sales and business office)
- Tommy: 616-797-7964 tommy@petesauto.net X224 (office at Pete’s)
- Amy: 616-797-7962 amy@petesauto.net X231 (front counter at Pete’s)
We’ll Help!
Some customers really want to find the best website to buy used auto parts online, and that is fine, if you don’t want to talk to us, you can purchase online without having any human interaction. We think our website is pretty great and you will be able to buy used auto parts online through Pete’s Auto Parts if that is what you want to do. But we want you to feel comfortable contacting us for pricing & availability if you need it! When you contact us to buy used auto parts with your VIN or vehicle info, we’ll look up the parts you need and provide the pricing and the time frame we can have your part ready for pickup, delivered or shipped.
Summary: Buy Used Auto Parts
We hope you know now that www.petesauto.net is a great site to buy used auto parts online, but that many customers struggle to choose the correct fitment and you should never be afraid to call us, text us or email us, with your VIN so we can make sure the part you are buying is the correct one for your vehicle. Or even if you decide to go somewhere else, we encourage you to reach out to any quality used auto parts supplier with your part needs! We firmly believe that buying used auto parts is the best choice for many reasons: you’ll spend less money and be a good steward of the environment! Also, at Pete’s Auto Parts we know used parts are reliable and available, and because the best parts for your vehicle are the same parts the manufacturer intended to be on your vehicle — they made them after all!
If you want to buy used auto parts online, check out our buy used auto parts search page, or please reach out to us by calling or texting 616-669-6592 to learn more about our top-notch used car, truck, van and SUV If you’re looking for the best website to buy used auto parts, visit our used auto parts search page at www.petesauto.net/parts/. Alternatively, you can contact us at 616-669-6592 to learn more about our top-notch selection of used car, truck, van, and SUV parts. We take videos of our vehicles running, which you can find by heading to our youtube channel. You can also find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/PetesAutoParts