LKQ??

I've seen some of you mention LKQ in threads and I saw one of the local yards got a "Under New Management" with an LKQ sign that has an octopus wearing a hat.

So what is LKQ? Are they a network of salvage yards or what?

Yeah, they're just about everywhere.

Yep, they been recently taking over all the self service style junkyards in south Florida.

Prices went up with the takeover. The previous ownership had a website where you could check the car inventory and was updated daily, thats gone too.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I've seen some of you mention LKQ in threads and I saw one of the local yards got a "Under New Management" with an LKQ sign that has an octopus wearing a hat. So what is LKQ? Are they a network of salvage yards or what?

LKQ is a company that is slowly but surely vacuuming up the aftermarket parts biz in the US. They are buying up salvage yards as well as aftermarket companies like SPI. A couple years ago it was almost comical how many places we COULDN'T get parts from because they were in the process of being absorbed by LKQ - light assemblies, radiators, oil pans, etc.

People in other threads have noted that they used to be able to get X radiator design but now all they can get is Y. That's LKQ's inventory consolidation talking.

The local U-pull-it used to be an LKQ, but changed hands about a year ago. Prices went up with the new owners.

All over in TX too.

Problem is they are too quick to crush so the supply of the old parts are drying up in the process.

So are they a you pull it yard or no?

Yes, they are a u-pull it, though they seem to be trying to minimize that aspect of the business as much as possible. The big u-pull-it yard here in Austin got bought out by them about a year ago. They now charge an entrance fee...yes, seriously.

fidelity101 wrote: So are they a you pull it yard or no?

LKQ is a you call them and they find you the part and ship it to you from one of their locations. So they probably discourage walk-ins.

We needed a knuckle for an A8 once, after we noticed that some monkey replaced the tie rod and overtightened the pinch bolt, cracking the knuckle. They had one in Georgia, two days later we got it. It was cracked, so we sent it back. Two knuckles later we get one that wasn't cracked, and I don't think they even charged us shipping on any of them.

calteg wrote: They now charge an entrance fee...yes, seriously.

Every self-pull junkyard I've ever been to charged an entrance fee.

The alternative is a non self pull yard where prices are set at some fixed percentage of new. Like, when I had a Subaru and needed a rear wiper motor, a reman motor was $400, the salvage yards wanted $240 and no warranty.

The one that I was talking about used to be and may still be. It was easier a few years ago to do the pull part thing, but I think they made it more difficult. I did notice, since it went LKQ, they have taken all the good truck beds off the rack that sits next to the street. There were probably a dozen.

There is a yard near me that you can just walk in and ask for the specific part, if they don't have it, they have a couple other yards that may. It was the only place I could get a good drivers side seat belt for my Durango for $50. Otherwise I would have had to pay $300 to the dealer.

Knurled wrote:

calteg wrote: They now charge an entrance fee...yes, seriously.

Every self-pull junkyard I've ever been to charged an entrance fee.

Same thing here. It's only ever been like $2 or $3 though.

This gotta be the same outfit that recently tried to buy a large industrial site around here that had been razed several years ago. After I researched it they advertised pick n pull and full service yard, was surprised they were nationwide too. Dunno why but I really don't see the benefit of that except for maybe bringing southern parts up north. Somehow the deal fell through.

LKQ has a HUGE, and i mean HUGE amount of inventory on Ebay.

They're a self-serve yard that also dismantles the less damaged cars themselves and sells online to maximize their profits. They ain't dumb.

In all honesty, it's exactly how i'd run it.

That $2 entrance fee is to cover all of the people I see walking in there and adding 8 injectors, 10 fuses and a bunch of nuts and bolts to their pockets and then walking out.

They have an octopus mascot that only has six tentacles. It drives me crazy.

Oh. They also throw on a "core" charge for just about everything you buy. You have 30 days to bring the "core" back. So their advertised prices for, say, wheels are actually higher unless you plan on bringing back a set you don't want vs. grabbing an extra set for track tires or something.

In Savannah, LKQ has a "full-service" location for the newer stuff and a "U-pull" yard for the older/beater stuff.

You can search inventory online for the full service yards. The best you get with the U-pull is a list of the cars that were brought in for the last shipment.

LKQ bought both sites from another owner. That owner opened another U-pull place called Cash-n-Carry and kicks LKQ's *ss for business.

calteg wrote: Yes, they are a u-pull it, though they seem to be trying to minimize that aspect of the business as much as possible. The big u-pull-it yard here in Austin got bought out by them about a year ago. They now charge an entrance fee...yes, seriously.

That one does both. There is a service counter that is tapped into the regional non-DIY centers, and then there is the traditional yard that used to be Capitol. I've used both parts of it. Saves me driving to New Braunfels to pick up motors.

The good part of LKQ is that the quality tends to be better/more consistent. That comes from their heritage as an insurance-driven service. LKQ stands for "Like Kind and Quality" which is an insurance term for the standard your replacement panels are required to meet. Note that it doesn't say "new". Sometimes refurbed OE is actually better than new aftermarket.

As was said, though, LKQ tends towards assimilating the best wrecked vehicles, stripping them for the fastest-moving highest-dollar parts, and then crushing to make room for more. Which is bad for older cars and small items.

BTW, the Wrench-a-apart on 71 has taken up where Capitol left off when they sold out.

Funny, LKQ here was used pre-pulled parts only here and recently switched to a u-pull yard. Prices were decent with both because the counter guys were/are willing to deal. Examples are $285 50k mile lsx 4.8 back when they were a prepull yard and $125 complete front wheel drive front subframe including steering rack, axles and hubs now they are a upull yard.

LKQ self service yards near me all have their inventory and prices listed online. One of the yard even has pictures with their inventory listing.
They just added a punch card which allows you to earn 10% and up to 50% discounts. I'll be pulling a Subie motor with my half off card! I'm buying stuff all the time.

They decided to buy up and consolidate a very fragmented industry.

We have a pull your own part place in Northern Kentucky, its called Besslers I think. They charge an entrance fee, when you ask how much they will charge for (fill in the blank) part, they will quote you a price. After you spend 45 to an hour pulling the part and bring it to them to check out, they say, "oh, we didn't know you meant that" and they jack up the price while you stand there. Crooks. So I never went back.

LKQ sucks. JMO.

Our dad works at LKQ but more on the large truck and fleet truck side. From my wife's and my experience they've been ok with parts...we've needed some minor parts same day and they had an extensive selection ( Honda side view mirror: bare, painted, color matched, heated, single/pair and any combination of that ) and for same day pick up at a fair price.
My dad showed me around the warehouse he works at...MASSIVE! Very organized and clean too. All sorts of parts and pieces in varying stages of disassembly depending on what you or your repair shop needs.

plance1 wrote: We have a pull your own part place in Northern Kentucky, its called Besslers I think. They charge an entrance fee, when you ask how much they will charge for (fill in the blank) part, they will quote you a price. After you spend 45 to an hour pulling the part and bring it to them to check out, they say, "oh, we didn't know you meant that" and they jack up the price while you stand there. Crooks. So I never went back.

I had almost the same experience there. Of course I also had a bad experience with one of the yards up in Middletown, wanted $45 dollars for a sway bar mounting bracket that I could get brand new with Poly bushings for $35, wouldn't budge on price.

For those upset at the entry fees.... look at it this way. When's the last time you got that much entertainment for two bucks? I'll go to my local U-pull with no agenda just to poke around wrecks and look for bad ideas.

djsilver wrote: In Savannah, LKQ has a "full-service" location for the newer stuff and a "U-pull" yard for the older/beater stuff.

Right, depending on your experience, people here seem to be talking about two different things.

Up here in Michigan, the "pull your own" yards are awesome. Pricing is usually very cheap, and it's the same clearly listed price for anything regardless of car/size/etc. for most items (i.e. no dealing with a counter guy who sizes you up and what car it came from then makes up a price). Yards are large, well organized, and inventory changes over often.

The non-pull your own side is industry/insurance focused. You don't get in that yard, and it's high priced. Computerized inventory/online sales, etc.