Free Auto Parts Purchase Order Template & Generator
A parts order is written against a vehicle, not a catalog. The VIN sits at the top because the same year and model can carry two alternator outputs and two belt routings, and the line below it names the supplier's part number, the quality tier being bought, and whether a core deposit rides on it. The order also says how fast the part has to reach the bay, because the car is already on the lift.
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| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brake rotor set | 2 | $168.00 | $336.00 |
| Ceramic brake pad set | 1 | $115.00 | $115.00 |
| Priority delivery | 1 | $38.00 | $38.00 |
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Use-case checklist
What to include in a auto parts purchase order
The cost of a wrong part is never the part. A 200 amp alternator ordered by year and model on a truck built with the higher-output option bolts in, charges wrong, and comes straight back off, so you have paid a tech twice for one job and the customer's vehicle sat overnight for nothing. Core deposits leak in the other direction: $75 sits on the invoice as a refundable deposit, the old unit ends up on a shelf in the back instead of on the next driver run, and the return window closes on a credit nobody was tracking. Multiply that across a shop turning several core parts a week and it is real money written off quietly.
- buyer, supplier, vehicle, VIN, and PO
- part number, description, and quality level
- quantity, unit price, core, and tax
- delivery method and required time
- fitment, substitution, and return instructions
Example starting lines
| Description | Qty | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Brake rotor set | 2 | $168 |
| Ceramic brake pad set | 1 | $115 |
| Priority delivery | 1 | $38 |
Complete it cleanly
Include vehicle and VIN, supplier and buyer part numbers, brand or quality, quantity, unit price, core charge, delivery priority, return terms, and substitution approval.
How to make an auto parts purchase order in 6 steps
Open the purchase order generator
Start from this page so the purchase order opens with fields and sample lines already set up for repair shops, fleets, and parts buyers. No account is needed to create or preview.
Enter both parties
Add your business name, address and contact details, then the supplier name and address exactly as they should appear on the record.
Add the auto parts lines
Replace each sample line with the real work or goods. Make sure the document shows buyer, supplier, vehicle, VIN, and PO, part number, description, and quality level, quantity, unit price, core, and tax.
Check the figures
Totals calculate as you type. Confirm quantities, rates, any tax line and the final total against your own records before you send anything.
Set the reference and dates
Give the purchase order a unique number and the correct date so it can be traced later and matched to related documents.
Review and download the PDF
Include vehicle and VIN, supplier and buyer part numbers, brand or quality, quantity, unit price, core charge, delivery priority, return terms, and substitution approval. Preview is free; a PDF download costs $4.99, or is included with Unlimited.
Worked example
Charging system repair on a truck already on the lift
Ferncliff Auto Service diagnoses a failed alternator on a 2017 F-150 5.0L, repair order RO-20461, on August 18, 2026, and orders from Crossline Parts Warehouse on account 7710. The VIN goes on the order because this truck carries the higher-output charging option.
- Crossline RMA-6428 remanufactured alternator, high-output option verified against VIN last eight HKE47712 - 1 ea at $214.00 (new OE listed at $398.00)
- $214.00
- Crossline SB-0846 serpentine belt, 6-rib - 1 ea at $38.40
- $38.40
- Crossline TA-2215 belt tensioner assembly - 1 ea at $86.90
- $86.90
- Coolant, premixed 50/50 to the manufacturer's stated spec - 2 gal at $22.75
- $45.50
- Parts subtotal
- $384.80
- Core deposit on the alternator, refundable when the old unit returns inside the supplier's 30-day window
- $75.00
- Sales tax, shown here at an illustrative 6.25% on the parts lines; the core deposit is carried outside it in this example
- $24.05
- Hot-shot delivery to the bay, 90-minute priority
- $18.00
- PO AP-4471 total authorized
- $501.85
- Net parts cost carried to RO-20461 once the core credit posts
- $426.85
The core is the line that gets lost. It is a deposit, not a price, and it comes back only if the old unit ships in the box the new one arrived in, PO number on the carton, before the supplier's window closes. Treat the tax line as illustrative: the rate, which lines are taxable, and how a core deposit is handled all depend on the jurisdiction, so confirm yours with your accountant.
When this document is the right choice
Use this purchase order to authorize a purchase before a supplier fulfills it. A purchase order comes from the buyer and authorizes an order. The supplier later sends an invoice that references the PO number for matching and payment.
Frequently asked questions
Why put the VIN on a parts order when I already gave the year, make, and model?
Because build options split the catalog. The same truck year and engine can carry two alternator outputs, two belt routings, or two brake package part numbers depending on how it was built, and year-make-model alone cannot tell the supplier which. The VIN lets their catalog resolve to one part number, and it gives you the record that proves you specified correctly when a part that bolts on turns out not to work.
What exactly is a core charge and how do I make sure I get it back?
It is a deposit on the old unit, added to the invoice and refunded when the failed part goes back to the supplier. Getting it back is logistics rather than paperwork: put the old unit in the carton the new one arrived in, mark the carton with the purchase order number, and send it on the next driver run rather than shelving it. Suppliers set their own return windows, so check yours and track the credit until it posts.
The supplier lists new, aftermarket, and remanufactured for the same part. How do I record which one I bought?
Name the tier in the line description and put both prices on it, as in the example where a remanufactured alternator at $214.00 sits beside a new listing at $398.00. That record does two jobs. It tells whoever writes the repair order which tier the customer was quoted, and it stops a later shipment of a cheaper tier at the same price from passing unnoticed. Warranty terms differ by tier, so note what the supplier stated.
The part does not fit once the vehicle is apart. What should the order have said?
It should already carry the VIN, the supplier's part number, and a line noting that returns for fitment are subject to the supplier's policy, which is worth reading before you order rather than after. Who absorbs the labor depends on your agreement with the supplier and on what the diagnosis actually got wrong, so do not assume it falls either way. Keeping the part in its packaging with the order number attached preserves whatever options exist.
The remanufactured alternator fails again in three months. What do I need from this order to make a claim?
The purchase order number, the supplier's part number and quality tier, the invoice, the install date, and the mileage at install, all tied back to repair order RO-20461 so the second visit reads as the same job. Whether the supplier covers any of the labor, and for how long, is set by their warranty terms rather than by custom, so read those before you tell the customer anything. Note the failed unit's date code before it goes back in the box.
More purchase order templates
Start with the closest business workflow and adjust the details.