Aftermarket Auto Parts Vs. Dealer Parts: What Can You Trust?

The dealer will make a very strong case that these parts are superior to any other parts that might be purchased at lower prices through an auto parts warehouse or discount store. They will probably conveniently leave out the fact that you can purchase discount parts online because they don't want you to know about that options.

There is some comfort that comes with purchasing dealer parts for your vehicle. You probably believe that someone who works for the dealership will be more knowledgeable about your vehicle and the parts they put on your car will be designed just for your brand and model of car. The problem with these beliefs is they are a bit misleading.

It's true that a dealership will have parts made just for your car, but it's not true that they have some expert level of knowledge of your vehicle that no one else has. A reputable car repair service will have all of that information on your vehicle as well. Going even further, you often don't need the expertise of any of these professionals to get your car fixed properly. You can purchase discount parts at lower prices and put them on yourself or take them to someone else who can put them on only for the cost of labor.

Salvaged Parts

One option for getting cheaper auto parts is to purchase salvaged parts. These parts are taken off of other vehicles that have broken down but which still had these parts in good working order. The parts are removed from the other vehicles, cleaned up, tested to make sure they work properly, then resold at a discount price.

Salvaged parts should always be marked as salvage, so there should be no surprise when you receive it. You should only purchase these parts from a reputable service that you trust very well. This is the only way to know that you are purchasing good salvaged parts with lots of life left in them.

Aftermarket Auto Parts

When you purchase parts away from the dealer but in brand new, unusued condition, you are shopping in the aftermarket sector of the industry. This is where people buy parts if they know how to fix their own vehicles and don't want to pay the super high prices charged by the dealers. These are also the parts often purchased through auto repair shops not connected to a particular dealer.

These parts may not be the brand name put on your car originally by the dealer, but they will be exact replicas. They will be designed specifically for the car you are driving, just like the parts you buy from the dealer. There will be different models and types of parts available for different vehicles, so you are still buying parts made just for your vehicle.

You can get the best deals on aftermarket parts when you shop through an online auto parts warehouse. They can give better prices than your dealership because they aren't working with the brand name your dealer wants to sell you on.

It's like purchasing a purse from Target rather than going to a boutique and spending a few thousand dollars on a purse that functions just the same. The difference is you aren't carrying your car parts around as a fashion statement. You just want functional parts in good working order that cost as little as possible. That is what you get in the aftermarket.

Shopping Online

The fastest way to get the best deal on the parts you need is to shop around online. You can get a good idea of what the parts you need are going for, even if you prefer to make your actual purchase offline. Many of your local businesses selling car parts probably have a website where you can get their prices and do some comparisons before walking into a store. Do your comparison shopping and you will see that auto repair doesn't have to break you.