When looking at buying replacement parts for your car, it is important to know if its OEM or an aftermarket part. OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer and these parts match the original part on your vehicle.
OEM
There are both positive and negative reasons you need to look at when getting an OEM part. With an OEM part there is a greater expectation that the new part will work just as well as the original. When it comes to body work OEM parts are recommended because they fit properly and have the same crumple zones for crash safety purposes as the originals.
OEM parts can be ordered through several different places including car dealers, E-bay, Amazon or the original manufacturer. When you are looking for an OEM part online it will normally state that it is. Most OEM parts will come with a manufacturer’s warranty that lasts for at least a year. There some negatives to using OEM parts. If you use OEM parts for an auto repair, some insurance companies may require that you pay an additional fee. Also, OEM parts that are sold by automotive dealers are generally more expensive.
Aftermarket Parts
As with OEM parts there are positive and negative things you should look at when getting an aftermarket part.Often, aftermarket parts are built by the same companies that make the OEM parts. From this experience, they can engineer a better part.Aftermarket parts can be ordered from the manufacturer as well as companies like Amazon and E-bay. Normally, aftermarket parts will cost less than OEM parts and can be of a higher or lower quality then the OEM part.
There are some negatives to buying aftermarket parts. Aftermarket parts may not fit exactly like the original parts did. They will also decrease the book value of your car and repairing a leased car with aftermarket parts may cost you all or a portion of your security deposit. Another problem concerning aftermarket parts is that there can be an overwhelming amount of selections. An example of this can usually be seen in the sparkplug selections for most cars. Aftermarket parts can be designed to perform differently then OEM parts. An example of this is high performance sparkplugs which can generate more horsepower but have a shorter life expectancy.
Ways to determine if an aftermarket part is a quality part
Look for parts that have a warranty and guarantees as well as customer service support that is based in the U. S. Also having an installation video made by the manufacture is another positive sign.Generally, the lowest priced aftermarket parts are low quality.
All OEM parts are made to the same specification as the original while aftermarket parts are not all of the same quality. If you’re inexperienced in repairing your car going with the OEM part is probably the best idea because it meets all of the specifications for your car. If you have experience repairing cars, that experience can be used to show you which aftermarkets parts will meet your needs.
