Lalin

I would like to buy a spare tire kit but not directly from an Acura dealer as they are asking around $480.
I did a search on line and found out that every online retailer with names like acuraoempartsdirect or acuraoemparts are actually Acura dealers.
Are there independent spare parts retailers that sell for less?
I also noted that in all the web sites you cannot search for 2019 MDX spare parts. 2018 MDX is the newest they have. How is that possible? To make matters worse, when I key in my VIN number they all say "no results found".

Michael2NB

Assuming the same lug nut pattern as the 2018, I think you can go with the same model in 2018.

merlin the wrench

Look on Amazon and then ask your dealer if they will come close to matching. I got the trailer hitch kit from my local dealer for less than Amazon or other online places, but they do know me well in parts and service for the last 27 years.

mrgold35

It wasn't an issue a few years ago; but, some online places have cheaper prices and make up the difference with really high shipping cost and long shipping times. Another advantage with a good local dealership parts department is they "usually" don't charge for shipping AND they can sometimes get the item sooner because they are always ordering parts daily. Online sales tax is hit or miss depending on your and store location.

I would factor in item cost, what they charge for shipping, any sales tax, shipping time, and return policy compared to local dealership.

moose66

Do we still get a little discount from places like acuraoemparts.com? Used to be something like 5% I believe. Not much, but may offset some of the excessive (my opinion) shipping costs they want to charge. I've bought from them and Bernardi's in the past. In both cases, they beat the dealership who would not budge from whatever they were asking for their parts/accessories.

andysinnh

Generally, the online dealers that sell parts (oemacuraparts, acurapartsforless, bernardi, etc) sell them for 30 percent under list , and then tack on shipping costs. If you look at each site you can find where they're located, and if you find one closer to you the shipping can sometimes be less. But overall the 30 percent figure is fairly standard across these sites. I'm fortunate that after nearly 30 years dealing with our local Acura dealer they'll provide me with a decent discount (not 30 percent, but cheaper than the shipped-cost from most online sites) when I buy a part. But that's likely treating me as a wholesale customer given my history. But it shows it doesn't hurt to ask the parts manager what he could do.... This relationship helped me out big time in trying to find a spare tire kit for the RLX Sport Hybrid which was on national backorder, and they were able to find one through an order escalation. Bottom line - sticking with a dealer and working with them over many cars does have its advantages.....