It's the luck of the draw. One NAPA alternator lasted 5000 miles then caught fire. The replacement from NAPA is still running years later.
I say you do what the others are saying and get the mid-80s alternator from a store that promises a lifetime warranty and live with it. There's no reason to slag NAPA, I bought a rebuilt from Advance Auto that was bad right out of the box. Of course they replaced it and that one is doing fine as well.

Name a store and someone on the board will have a horror story. I am convinced that this is the direct result of us consumers shopping for price above everything else. We run the good guys and suppliers out of business and then b!@#$ about the ones that are cheap enough to live.

If I had my druthers I would take a dead alternator to a local rebuilding shop and they'd fix it. Sadly for us Denverites, that shop is gone and a highrise condo sits in its place.

Progress!

R. (feeling old this morning)