Frequently Asked Questions
Ordering, fitment, shipping, returns and warranty — answered. Still stuck? Call (281) 377-6841.
Finding the right part
Every listing on USAutomotives.com carries vehicle application data, and the fastest way to use it is the Find Parts For Your Vehicle tool — select your year, make, model and engine and the catalog narrows to parts that apply to your vehicle.
Year, make and model on their own are not enough. Two identical-looking vehicles from the same model year can use different components depending on engine, trim, drivetrain, production date, factory options and market. Always read the full listing and any fitment notes before you order.
If you are not certain, call us at (281) 377-6841 or email [email protected] with your VIN and the part number before you order. Once a part is installed it is no longer eligible for a standard return. See Orders & Fitment for the full policy.
Yes. Type a manufacturer part number, SKU or OE reference number straight into the search box at the top of any page. Our search matches both the primary part number and known alternate cross-reference numbers, so a number read off the old part in your hand will usually find the replacement.
You can also search by part name — “front brake pads”, “CV axle”, “A/C compressor” — and then narrow the results to your vehicle.
The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is the 17-character code unique to your vehicle. It is the most reliable way to confirm fitment, because it encodes the engine, trim and build details that year, make and model leave out.
You will find it on a plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side, on the sticker inside the driver's door jamb, and on your registration and insurance documents.
Send it to [email protected] along with the part you are considering and we will confirm the application for you.
Often, yes — the online catalog is a subset of what we can supply. Email [email protected] or call (281) 377-6841 with your VIN, the part you need and the OE number if you have it, and we will tell you whether we can get it, what it costs and how long it will take.
They describe where a part comes from, and the terms apply per listing — always check the individual product page:
- Genuine / OEM — supplied in the vehicle manufacturer's own packaging and part number.
- OE / Original Equipment Supplier — made by the same manufacturer that supplies the vehicle assembly line, sold under that supplier's own brand and box.
- Aftermarket — made by an independent manufacturer to fit and function as a replacement.
We stock all three so you can choose on price and specification. See Product Information for more.
Yes. Every part we sell is new unless the listing explicitly states otherwise. We do not sell used or salvage parts.
Some rebuildable assemblies — typically A/C compressors, axles and similar components — are sold as remanufactured and are clearly identified as such on the product page.
Not necessarily. Manufacturers change packaging, labels, colors and markings without notice, and some listings use representative or manufacturer-supplied images rather than a photograph of that exact production run.
The written description and part number govern, not the image. If the part number matches and the fitment data applies to your vehicle, it is the correct part. If you believe what arrived is genuinely a different product from what you ordered, do not install it — contact [email protected] first.
Ordering & payment
We accept all major credit and debit cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover — and electronic checks (eCheck / ACH) at checkout.
Payments are processed through Authorize.Net. Your card details are handled by the payment gateway and are never stored on our servers.
Yes. The whole site runs over encrypted HTTPS and card payments are processed by Authorize.Net, a PCI-compliant payment gateway. We never see or store your full card number. Our Privacy Policy sets out what we do collect and why.
No — you can check out as a guest. An account is worth creating if you order regularly: it stores your shipping addresses, keeps order history and tracking in one place at My Account, and makes returns faster because we can pull the order up instantly.
Contact us as soon as you can at (281) 377-6841 and we will try. Cancellation is possible before an order ships, but it is never guaranteed once the order has entered processing, packing or carrier fulfillment — in-stock orders often ship within hours.
If it has already shipped you will need to receive it and use the standard return process.
Sales tax is applied where required by law, based on your shipping destination. Any applicable tax is calculated and shown at checkout before you pay.
Yes. If you are a professional repair shop, fleet operator or reseller buying in volume, email [email protected] or call (281) 377-6841 with the part numbers and quantities you need and we will come back to you with pricing and availability.
We work hard to keep prices, stock and specifications accurate, but errors occasionally happen. Where a material pricing, inventory or catalog error affects an order we reserve the right to correct it and to cancel the order before fulfillment — and if you have already been charged, you are refunded in full.
If you spot something that looks wrong, send us the part number at [email protected] and we will review it.
Shipping & delivery
Yes — free standard shipping on eligible orders within the 48 contiguous United States.
A small number of products are excluded because of size, weight, hazardous-material rules, freight requirements or special handling. Where a shipping charge applies it is shown before your order is processed. Free shipping covers the cost of the service; it is not a guaranteed delivery date.
In-stock orders placed before 2:00 PM Eastern Time on a business day generally ship the same day, though same-day shipment is not guaranteed. Please allow up to one business day for processing and handling.
Orders placed after the cutoff, at weekends or on holidays begin processing the next business day. Some orders take longer because of order verification, stock, carrier restrictions or special handling.
Most orders to the 48 contiguous states arrive within a few business days of shipping, but every date shown on the site, at checkout or in tracking is an estimate provided by the carrier — not a guarantee.
Do not book installation, a shop appointment or travel around an estimated delivery date. Weather, carrier delays, holidays, peak volume and incorrect addresses all affect timing once a package leaves us. Full detail is in our Shipping Policy.
Yes. Orders to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands may carry a partial or additional shipping charge depending on destination, package size and weight, product type, hazardous-material restrictions and available carrier services. Any charge is shown before your order is processed.
Our standard checkout ships within the United States. If you need a part delivered outside the U.S., contact [email protected] with the part numbers and the destination and we will tell you what is possible.
You will receive an email with tracking information when your order ships — so please make sure the email address on your order is correct. You can also see tracking and order status at any time under My Account › Orders.
Check your tracking and your order confirmation first. If tracking has stalled or the package appears lost in transit, contact us at (281) 377-6841 or [email protected] with your order number and we will review the shipment and open a carrier investigation where appropriate.
Contact us as soon as possible at [email protected] with your order number and photographs of the damaged part, the manufacturer packaging, the outer shipping carton, the packing materials and the shipping label.
Keep everything. Do not discard a damaged part or its packaging while a claim is open — carriers routinely require an inspection before approving one.
Larger orders are sometimes split across more than one package with separate tracking, so check whether a second shipment is on the way. If it is not, contact us at (281) 377-6841 with your order number and we will investigate immediately.
Returns & refunds
You have 30 days from delivery to start a return. To qualify, the part must be new, unused, uninstalled, unmodified, complete and in resalable condition, in its original manufacturer packaging with all hardware, accessories and instructions included.
All returns are inspected. The full terms are in our Return Policy.
Email [email protected] or call (281) 377-6841 with your order number and the part number, and tell us why the part is going back. We will confirm whether it is eligible and send you return instructions.
Please don't ship anything back before contacting us — unannounced returns are hard to match to an order and slow your refund down.
If you are returning a part because you changed your mind or ordered the wrong one, you pay return shipping and the original shipping charge is not refunded.
If we shipped the wrong part or made another fulfillment error, we pay — we send you a prepaid return label.
No. Once a part has been installed, mounted, used, modified, painted, drilled, cut, programmed or contaminated it is no longer eligible for a standard return.
If an installed part is faulty, that is a warranty claim, not a return. And never modify a part to make it fit — once it is cut or drilled it cannot go back.
Items that cannot be resold once opened or used, including:
- Opened automotive fluids, oils and lubricants
- Chemicals, aerosols and sealants
- Products with broken or removed tamper seals
- Custom or special-order products identified as non-returnable
- Programmed, coded or vehicle-specific electronics identified as non-returnable
This does not affect your rights where we made an error, the shipment was damaged, or the product is defective or recalled.
Put the manufacturer's original box inside a separate shipping carton. Don't stick shipping labels onto the manufacturer packaging, write on it, tape over it heavily or cut it — the box counts as part of the product, and damaged packaging can reduce or void your refund.
Use a trackable service and insure valuable parts. Until a return reaches us it is at your risk.
Returns are inspected before a refund is approved. Once approved, the refund is issued to your original payment method. Your bank or card issuer then needs its own time — usually a few business days — to post it to your account. Sales tax is refunded as required by law.
A core charge is a refundable deposit added to certain rebuildable parts — A/C compressors, axles and similar assemblies. It is refunded when you send your old unit (the “core”) back to us.
The core must be complete, the correct type for the part purchased, and in a condition suitable for rebuilding. Any core charge and its requirements are shown on the product page. Return shipping for cores is normally your responsibility unless stated otherwise.
Warranty & after-sales support
Parts we sell are covered by the warranty of their respective manufacturer. Duration, coverage, exclusions and remedies vary by manufacturer and by product, so check the individual listing.
We help you file qualifying manufacturer claims wherever we reasonably can, but final eligibility and the remedy offered are determined by the manufacturer. Full detail: Warranty Policy.
Contact [email protected] or call (281) 377-6841. Have the following ready, because we will need most of it:
- Your US Automotives order number
- The part number
- Vehicle year, make, model and VIN
- Vehicle mileage and the installation date
- Photographs or video of the failure
- Diagnostic information and installation details
The part usually has to come back for inspection before a claim is approved.
No. We do not reimburse installation or removal labor, diagnostic charges, towing, storage, rental vehicles, vehicle downtime, lost income or other incidental or consequential costs. An approved warranty claim or return covers the part itself.
This is standard across the parts industry, and it is why we would far rather spend ten minutes confirming fitment with you before you order than process a claim afterwards.
Coverage follows the manufacturer's terms, but damage caused by improper installation, misuse, modification, accidents, incompatible components, poor maintenance, contamination, racing or off-road use is typically excluded.
Contact us promptly at (281) 377-6841 or [email protected] and do not install it — once a part you knew was incorrect has been installed it can no longer be treated as a fulfillment error.
Once we have verified the mix-up we send a prepaid return label and get the correct part out to you.
Call (281) 377-6841 or email [email protected]. Our support hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM CT.
You can also use the form on our Contact Us page. Quoting your order number, part number and VIN in your first message gets you an accurate answer fastest.
