Best place to buy a radiator?

[tommudd]

Last ones I bought ones, I got 16 of them from MOPAR, all had/have symbol
I was figuring up and I can remember of 9 from NAPA and AUTOZONE that I had to replace plus the ones mentioned below
also add to that, two more on that were on my 05 when my step father owned it
Down one weekend ( lived 5 hours away ) and it was over heating , so new hoses /thermostat
3 weeks later they call and say they think its doing the same thing
I forgot to grab a MOPAR at home, so went down took it out and returned it to NAPA getting a new one
Well it lasted 7 months then went wonkers
By this time I had retired and moved closer to them and brought a MOPAR from my shop,
over 6years later and now I own it and NO ISSUES

NOTE SOME MAY HAVE BETTER LUCK OR ARE JUST PLAIN LUCKY, JUST POSTING WHAT i HAVE DONE/ BEEN THROUGH

 

[duderz7]

Last ones I bought ones, I got 16 of them from MOPAR, all had/have symbol
I was figuring up and I can remember of 9 from NAPA and AUTOZONE that I had to replace plus the ones mentioned below
also add to that, two more on that were on my 05 when my step father owned it
Down one weekend ( lived 5 hours away ) and it was over heating , so new hoses /thermostat
3 weeks later they call and say they think its doing the same thing
I forgot to grab a MOPAR at home, so went down took it out and returned it to NAPA getting a new one
Well it lasted 7 months then went wonkers
By this time I had retired and moved closer to them and brought a MOPAR from my shop,
over 6years later and now I own it and NO ISSUES

NOTE SOME MAY HAVE BETTER LUCK OR ARE JUST PLAIN LUCKY, JUST POSTING WHAT i HAVE DONE/ BEEN THROUGH

I hear ya, just still struggling with the fact that the "mopar" one I just put in says motorad on one side and has a chrysler emblem on the other. Wish I would have taken a picture. I had ordered a Mopar one previously from the interwebs from a mopar distributor and sent it back because it only said motorad on it. Then paid $25 bucks more at the dealer for one that looks identical, but now includes a chrysler symbol. If I remember right I think I paid about the same for the motorad one that just came out from Napa, and it was still working fine after about 6 or 7 years. Keeping it as a spare.

 

[Duster]

I actually just now got through posting this same thing to someone else.
Mopar does not make radiators, they source them.

On some years Mopar radiators did not have typical leaking issues but did have issues with cracking. I had the cracking issue.

I've had better luck with a Carquest radiator from Advance Auto.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I've had 4 radiators in my KJ since it left the factory in July of 04:
1. Factory lasted till 8 years old/108k miles (replaced in 2012)
2. Napa radiator lasted 5 years/60k miles till 168k (2017)
3. Mopar radiator lasted about a week before developing a huge leak at the bottom
4. Mopar radiator #2 has been going since then, so 5 years and 56k miles. (2022)

 

[Deb'nKJ]

Not sure you can go by appearances, after all one 'stat looks much like another & I'd be surprised if Chrysler/Jeep/Mopar/Fiat/whatever appears anywhere other than on the box, after all that would cost more!

Of course things are rather different here, many, if not most, of the few dealerships have long gone but they wouldn't have any parts for, knowledge of or interest in anything over, say, 7 years old. Perhaps because of that, for as long as I can remember, most vehicles are repaired/maintained with what we call pattern parts, of which there are many reputable suppliers. Therefore, unless money is the only consideration, we tend to buy anything from a known brand of that part. Rads. are a bit of an exception because, generally, you had them repaired & if they had to be replaced they'd be supplied by the rad. shop. That said I've taken pot luck with the last 5 I've bought on line (all for Americans), so I guess I've been lucky, but as they didn't cost much more than the fuel for 2 return trips to the only trustworthy repairer I know, it was worth the gamble.

 

[JimfromAus]

For any Australian members, I replaced my radiator with a new one from these guys on the Gold Coast:

Jeep KJ Cherokee Radiator 3.7ltr V6 Petrol Auto/Manual 2001-2008 *New*

Jeep KJ Cherokee Radiator 3.7ltr V6 Petrol Auto/Manual 2001-2008 *New*

www.autopartssupply.com.au

It was AUD $265 (less than $200 USD). It’s been in for about 6 months without issue so far. And it’s a very straight forward job to replace yourself.