Global Auto Recycling at 31W450 Spaulding Rd, Elgin, IL 60120

I’d give negative stars if I could. This place is a joke. I ordered a rear differential two weeks ago and have called multiple times about it. Every call ends with excuses, broken promises, or outright lies. I bought it for a customer and now it’s a total waste of time.

The customer service here is awful and unprofessional. I called to order a transmission—first call was fine—but when I called back because the one they sent didn’t work, they were rude and hung up on me every time. After months of this, they finally sent another transmission, but they knew the 90-day window was long gone. I didn’t even bother testing it this time—I lost the money because I didn’t want to go through the hassle again. Not worth it at all.

I messed up by forgetting the papers they told me to bring, and I showed up twenty minutes before they closed after running late all day. They never got mad, just helped me out despite my forgetfulness.

I’m out over $1,000 now, all because they sold me a bad engine. Others say the same thing—just don’t go there. I bought it through eBay, which has a 30-day money-back guarantee, but their site claims 90 days on engines. I tried calling before buying, but they put me on hold forever, and when I finally got through, they’d tell me to remind them who I was. Eventually the warranty expired. Worst part? They wanted me to pay $500 shipping to return a junk engine they sent. When I pushed back, the guy named Joe insisted the pictures I took were fake and claimed they’d already covered $600 of the shipping. I had to remind him that I paid that $600 upfront as part of the cost. Then he had the nerve to say they try to help and that’s how they treat people. I might still be in that 90-day window, but once I stopped replying to emails, they went quiet and stopped answering. Now I’m working with my bank to get my money back. I used to sell parts myself, and these people don’t stand by what they say. I ran a compression test on the engine they sent—completely shot. Joe called my pictures fake, then claimed they wash engines so water might leak out. No way. Any mechanic would tell you that water coming out of the chambers means the valves aren’t sealed. The first guy, Bill, actually offered a full refund if I sent pictures, which I did. Then he disappeared. After that, someone named Bill took over and flipped the whole story, saying I was trying to trick them. It’s only my word against theirs, but it’s the truth.

I wouldn’t go back there after what happened. You’d think they’d check parts before shipping, but they sent me the wrong transmission twice. First one didn’t even have the ID sticker on it. The second try still wasn’t what I ordered.

Used parts cost more than I expected, but they’re neat and their inventory system makes life easier compared to places where you’ve got to yank parts off dead cars yourself. If you’re hunting for junkyard parts for a beater, it’s worth a stop.

Don’t waste your time or money here. The people working there act like they’re doing you a favor just by existing, and half the parts they sell are junk. I got a "working" part that was clearly broken, and when I called them out on it, they tried to gaslight me into thinking I was the problem. The whole place is run by clueless people who don’t know what they’re doing—and they’ll lie to your face about it. If I could give this place negative stars, I would. Stay far away.

Joe and his team at this junkyard are the real deal—no nonsense, just good, honest help. I’ve been coming here for years, and they always find what I need, even when other places send me away empty-handed. If you’re hunting for used parts, skip the rest and just go here. They treat you right, and that’s rare these days.

Honestly, I was dreading the whole car salvage process—two vehicles, paperwork, who knows what else. But Francisco and Joe at Global Auto Recycling made it so easy I almost forgot how much of a headache this usually is. They were on time, answered every question without making me feel stupid, and never once gave me that "we’ll see" vibe you get from too many places in this business. Two separate pickups, zero stress. If you need someone to handle your junkers right, these guys won’t mess you around. ---

Been coming here for 20 years, and I still don’t bother looking anywhere else. They’ve got the part I need 99% of the time, and when something’s wrong with what I buy, Joey and his crew don’t just say "too bad"—they fix it. Yeah, it’s a small local yard, so they won’t have every single part from the ‘50s sitting in a bin, but if they don’t have it, they’ll tell you straight up instead of wasting your time. Moved out of Elgin years ago, but I still drive back because I trust them to not screw me over. That’s rare in this game. ---