If you just bought a new car from a dealer or a high-quality used car from Grade Auto Parts, you should always think about car repair.
There is only one guarantee in the life of the car – in the end, it will break, or you will fall into the bend of the wing, requiring major repairs. And an understanding of the fundamentals of the repair process – and the parts used during the repair – is crucial to restore your car to good working condition and to keep it working for many years.
This is why you should understand the difference between OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and spare parts.
OEM parts are manufactured by the car manufacturer – for example, Toyota will create OEM parts for its Camry, and they will be of the same quality as the original parts. Spare parts, on the other hand, can be manufactured by a huge number of third-party manufacturers.
If you need to repair your car, we recommend that you choose OEM parts whenever possible – and here’s why.
1. The quality of spare parts does not match
If you have a regular car such as the Honda Civic, literally dozens of companies selling spare parts offer thousands of different parts.
Although these parts may be cheaper than the original parts, their quality does not meet the requirements. Although high-quality spare parts can be as good as original spare parts, cheap parts can disastrously fail, resulting in further damage to your car.
If you do not understand the market for aftermarket components, it is impossible to know exactly what quality you are getting. However, if you choose original parts, you will always have guaranteed quality.
- You can finish with “Crash” or parts of salvation
Some car dealerships at discounted prices do not even buy spare parts – they take components from other cars that were sent to the warehouse or were involved in serious car accidents.
Although this reduces their costs, it also means that if you do not indicate that you need genuine parts, you may have a serious defective spare part that could put you at risk when driving. 3. Spare parts may not be warranted.
Some of the more expensive spare parts have a warranty, but this is quite rare. When you install a spare part in your car, you can only hope that it works efficiently, and if not, you can do nothing about it.
On the other hand, original parts are almost always provided with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty, as well as a one-year labor warranty. This ensures that you get the right part the first time — and you can replace it if something is wrong.
OEM parts are always shipped directly from the manufacturer. Spare parts can be obtained from used cars, warehouses or third-party suppliers – and there is no guarantee that they are new.
Therefore, although it may take a little longer to order spare parts from your mechanic, it is almost always worth the wait – you are guaranteed a new, high-quality part that will provide exceptional performance.
- Only about 25% of spare parts are “certified” to ensure uniform performance
According to Jack Gillis of the Association of Certified Automotive Parts, most parts are simply not manufactured to the same performance standards as OEM parts. A CAPA study found that only about 25% of parts can provide the same level of performance as OEM parts.
This applies not only to mechanical systems, but also to critical systems, such as bumpers and other structural systems, which can be replaced with inadequate spare parts, which means that your car is less safe.
Interested in OEM repair? Come to ride now!
At Grade Auto Parts, we understand that OEM parts are not always an option. For older cars, spare parts may be the only choice, especially if the manufacturer no longer supports the car. But we always commit ourselves to using high quality parts whenever possible.
If your car needs repair and you need OEM parts, we are always ready to provide and use OEM components. And if you are interested in aftermarket parts, we have a huge supply of high-quality, CAPA certified spare parts.
Your safety and quality of life is our primary concern at Grade Auto Parts. So come today, and let service specialists repair your car – and take you back to the road as soon as possible!