Twice now my head unit has fried in my truck. Which would I be better off doing, replacing the stock again or changing to an aftermarket? Nothing fancy, just something comparable to the factory system. I have the premium system with am/fm/cass/cd changer, and it looks pretty expensive to replace it all, and from what I understand, aftermarket head units won't work the factory changer. Any ideas or rough estimates of what it would cost? I know nothing about stereos, just that I like having one in the truck. Thank y'all!

 

Go to Crutchfield.com and request a free catalog. That's what I did. I'm sure you'll find a head unit that you will like. Just my 2 cents.

 

Factory parts are generally ridiculously expensive when bought separately. I would not be surprised if an aftermarket HU and cd player would be around the same price as the factory HU alone.

Start with Crutchfield, then places like etronics.com. I saved money with etronics vs. local and Crutchfield. Crutchfield customer service is excellent though and they send you complete wiring and kits for HUs..

By the way, do you know why the first two fried. You should have the wiring checked to make sure it does not happen again.

 

I agree with Tuchy...have your wiring checked out!

If you can get the factory HU replaced for free then definitely take advantage of it.

Aftermarket HU's are so much better than factory!

 

Aftermarket all the way!!! I always preferred the stock appearance, but factory gear just can't touch the sound quality of aftermarket.