That $5 junkyard alternator from a guy in Arlington, was he actually right or just lucky?

John Murphy · 2026-10-25T15:10:03.805695+00:00

This older dude at a pull-a-part in Arlington kept pushing me to grab a used alternator off an 04 Corolla for $5 instead of paying $90 for a rebuild, swearing the OEM ones outlast the cheap parts store ones. I slapped it in my 03 Matrix and 8 months later it's still charging fine, but now I'm second guessing if I just got lucky or if he knew his stuff. How do you tell a junkyard part that's actually solid from one that's about to die on you?

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That $5 junkyard alternator from a guy in Arlington, was he actually right or just lucky? | Car Mod Budget Builds - Rigidtalk