1935tb-11 - Posted - 07/26/2026:  05:44:32

anyone bought spark plugs lately ??

i guess i am still living in a cave ,,, going to change plugs in my wifes mazda cx5 ,, it has the 2.5 sky active engine in it. its has been about 60,000 since any were put in it.

so i thought i would check on oem plugs,,, LOL $26.25 EACH ?

whoa !! wait a ding dang minute ,,, that can't be right . but it was.

   so i do some checking and found that NGK makes the plugs for mazda along with denso. so i find the NGK plug for it instead.. and got all 4 for $54.53..... thats still high in my book but still half price of the oem plugs.



i was just shocked at the price of a spark plug......

Edited by - 1935tb-11 on 07/26/2026 05:45:20

Dean T - Posted - 07/26/2026:  06:17:47

I was just thinking about this recently. 50 years ago, you cleaned and gapped your plugs every 6 months or so, and replaced them every year or two, along with the distributor cap, points, and condenser, and sometimes wires. If not, your car progressively ran worse and worse until you did. 10 years ago, I bought a used Honda Accord off of Graigslist. It ran fantastic then, it still runs fantastic now. I’ve never done anything to it, except change the oil, and filters. Lord knows how old the plugs are, if not original… and the car has over 225,000 miles on it. I’d gladly spend that kind of money on modern plugs, if they last forever. The hassle free operation of modern vehicles is priceless.

1935tb-11 - Posted - 07/26/2026:  06:26:59

yeah they do last seems like for ever ,, but i was still shocked at the price..... her cx5 has 177,000 on it now.. still looks new and runs ok,,, but i thought i heard a little skip so i will do what little i am capable of and change out the plugs... and clean the throttle body.. beyond that i am in the dark.

steve davis - Posted - 07/26/2026:  06:41:36

I bought a set of Champion Iridiums for my 2018 Hyundai Accent which is approaching 90k miles.
Got them at Autozone for less than $50.
I stayed away from Champions for a few years,but after some friends had good results I decided to try them,again.
I'll be putting them in,shortly.

rinemb - Posted - 07/26/2026:  07:11:09

I just bought one for my mower. Some brand I never heard of, paid 12.00

Texican65 - Posted - 07/26/2026:  10:43:20

Good choice Terr….NGK is about as good as you can get these days. That’s all I will run anymore.

BanjoLink - Posted - 07/26/2026:  12:07:20

I need them changed on my Tahoe, but am not going to pay between $300-$500. I did it myself on my last Tahoe and swore I would never do it again .....but geez .... almost $500! The problem on the Tahoe and all GM V-8s is the #8 plus right up against the firewall. Anyone got any ideas?

Edited by - BanjoLink on 07/26/2026 12:07:43

banjoy - Posted - 07/27/2026:  10:46:19

RockAuto.com

When I had my little green Kia, the dealer wanted $400 to replace 4 spark plugs. Right.

localhost - Posted - 07/27/2026:  11:21:24

Just make sure that the car doesn't need something particular that only OEM plugs have. I just learned this on a 2009 SAAB I acquired. Even though other plug makers have plugs that are cross referenced, the OEM plugs have a particular feature in them (some type of additional grounding) and every SAAB forum is adamant that for this motor you MUST use the OE plugs or it ends up killing the coil packs.

But overall I typically get plugs on Rock Auto for everything else.

steve davis - Posted - 07/27/2026:  12:59:01

When I have questions about my car that I'm not sure of I talk to my local mechanic who I've known all my life.
His shop is about 5 miles up the road.
His Dad and Grandfather were also respected mechanics.

My advice about letting the dealer work on your car is "Don't!"
I did have to go to a dealer once to buy a diode bridge for a Datsun alternator.

Buddur - Posted - 07/28/2026:  06:34:54

Can't go wrong with NGK.