Dealership for parts??

[JVALLES]

Hi everybody, I am new here. I just bought a 98' honda civic today and I'm so excited ! But I need some advice.
I want to maintain this car the best way possible without going broke. So I went to auto zone today and bought everything I need for a tune-up, bought new belts( fan,alt.,timing), anti-freeze w/flush etc etc. But I just heard right now that I shouldn't have gone to auto zone, I should have gone to a honda dealership to buy all this, if I want my car to last. Is this true ???
Does it really make a difference???

[gasisontheright]

never heard of that before. and personally i've never experienced buying a part from auto zone that's any less quality than the dealer. screw the dealer way to expensive.but that's my opinion. i buy everything i need through kragen cause i get stuff halph off and auto zone. but this is a good question cause i would like to see what other people have to say about this.

[97-ferio]

factory parts are always good to get for your car...but most times, the local Honda Dealer will overprice items...if you're able to get in good with the dealership, or get a job there, then maybe you can get discounts on parts. otherwise, there's nothing wrong with getting parts for your car from the local autozone or checker's. it all depends on you, and how much money you're willing to dish out to prolong the life of your car.

[Siege911]

Certain parts that Autozone makes will not be as quality as factory, but I've gotten most of the parts for my old 84 accord from there (except for obscure parts that had to be had from the factory) and never had a problem with them. For tune-up items, you should be fine.

[octw01]

best thing you can do know some people that actually work at the dealership or major auto parts stores, works for me.

[96Cex]

I've gotten CV boots from AutoZone that flat out didn't fit. What a pain in the ars it is to take apart the whole halfshaft and find out the boot diameter is way too big. I'll buy parts at a discount shop but expect occassional aggravation.

I try to buy from this honda dealer when possible since my local dealer charges list prices on everything. If youre buying enough for the discount to cover shipping and hassle it's worth it.

Honda Automotive Parts

You have to weigh the discount with the importance of the part. I'll always buy a Honda timing belt because the cost difference might be $30 but the repairs if the belt fails will be disastrous. But for an alternator, I'd go with AutoZone because if it fails no big deal, the light comes on you drive home on battery and fix it.