My 2000 Dodge Durango had a leak in the power steering unit. I put it off until I could afford to replace it when another issue popped up on the car so I decided to kill 2 birds at the same time. After buying a power steering pump (it was only the pump, as a complete assembly isn't available, nor is the reservoir by itself) the thing wouldn't stay sealed. Leaked like a sieve. After fishing two missing old seals from my leaking core it still leaked badly. I wound up taking the $120 pump back and had to buy the complete assembly at the dealer for $400!

On to the next problem: The Voltage was not as high as the car usually started at and dropped off to 8V when the car got a mile or so down the road. I replaced the alternator on it after my battery tested 12.45V and the guy said the alternator tested bad. That still did not fix the problem, so I bought another battery as mine was 5 years old+. Still the same woes. I took the alt off and it tested good so they didn't sell me a bad one at least, just one I didn't need most likely.

Fast forward to this week:
So the dealer diagnosed it with a bad PCM (thats where some genius put the voltage regulator, they used to be in the alt. itself or on the firewall and easy to replace). $600-700 for the part(it's the cars computer) plus $150 diag + $150 for PCM reprogramming. I again thought of saving some money and went back to the O'Reilly's auto store knowing I'd seen them cheaper on the stores website. They only special order the part through a 3rd store, but they did have one for $449.99. A savings of a few hundred dollars, so I said ok and proceeded to call the dealer to confirm it was ok to use.
The dealer told me they match any price and to get a printout of the quote and they'd match it with the genuine Mopar parts. Long story short I couldn't get a printout of a quote as it was an outside vendor (even though this vendor had a supposed 3 year warranty). Therein lies the snafu, they seem to make concessions maybe to the automotive repair industry to not carry certain "special order" parts. Sure you can get infi colors of wiper blades, but if you want a price quote on an expensive computer part then it's not available. The same issue with selling the power steering pump, but not the reservoir or it's related special grommets/fittings.
God forbid the plastic reservoir itself should leak and need replaced. We don't carry that complete sir. And you'll need a puller to get that pulley off don't forget. Easier to just pay the extra money at the car dealership, if you can afford it. And that's what they want you to do. If they make a car that lasts forever, or as well as you think they can, then why would you ever need to buy another? Where's your repeat business? I miss the days when they were easier to work on myself. The next car I acquire hopefully will be some nasty dinosaur from the 60's that gets 14 miles to the gallon and kills daisies when you drive by them. No computer parts involved,
just dumbed down technology and the unquenchable desire for gasoline.

And I'll never go back to that store ever again, seems I can't get the right part I need there ever. I'm the problem customer now, because everything I buy I wind up bringing it back because there's a problem. Seems I'll have to go to another place when I need new fancy wiper blades.