Aftermarket parts vs OEM parts!

Aftermarket car parts vs OEM car parts!

When taking your vehicle to a dedicated dealership service department you can nearly always be sure you are getting OEM (“Original Equipment Manufacturer”) parts. These parts are made by the company that makes the vehicle and many perceive them to be higher quality than aftermarket car parts, but is it actually true?

Well, there is no right or wrong answer, as with many things in life there are pros and cons to both.

Firstly we need to define what an aftermarket car part actually is

Well, an aftermarket part is a part that was not made by the company that manufactured your vehicle. In the aftermarket, there are many varieties of quality, you have brands that are excellent and brands that aren’t, but either way it is always wise to ensure that aftermarket parts do indeed come with warranty just in case anything is ever to go wrong.

BONUS TIP: be sure to ask the parts interpreter at a spare parts shop to get their insightful opinion.

Pros and Cons of Aftermarket car parts 

Pros –

 • They are typically cheaper than OEM parts,

 • Certain brands actually provide greater quality than OEM parts,

 • With aftermarket parts you generally have a wide variety of options to choose from,

 • There is typically a greater supply of aftermarket parts which can squash most wait times.

Cons –

 • Greater difference in quality between brands (which can be confusing),

 • Certain brands will not provide warranty with their parts,

 • The variety of options can make it difficult to pick which brand you will go with.

Pros and Cons of OEM parts

Pros – 

• Much simpler decision-making process compared to aftermarket parts.

• With OEM parts you can nearly always be sure they will be decent quality.

• OEM parts always come with warranty and give you a peace of mind in case something goes wrong.

Cons – 

• OEM parts can be quite hard to source sometimes, oftentimes people must resort to places like eBay or other online marketplaces to try and source these parts in a reasonable manner of time.

• Some Aftermarket brands may actually be of higher quality than OEM.

So now you know the pros and cons of each, which should you go with?

Which option to go with usually differs on a case-by-case basis, where oftentimes it’s best to leave that decision up to professionals. If you are ever unsure about OEM vs aftermarket car parts, the best point-of-call is to contact a professional, as this could save you a whole lot of time & money if you make the wrong decision.

Here at Auto Parts Central, our team is comprised of industry professionals with decades of automotive technical knowledge. If you have any questions regarding anything automotive, we can help! Contact us today!