Why are customers hesitant to use quality parts. OEM or Aftermarket parts?

Since we launched the business in 2006 we have always fit quality parts. For us logically its more economical to fit quality OEM parts as opposed to cheaper low quality parts. There are so many reasons for doing this, mainly due to the fact that the OEM parts will have a longer lifespan. They may be slightly more expensive to start with but ultimately, they will last a lot longer.

However, we do have customers who come to us after having work carried out in other garages needing repairs on parts that have recently been fit to the vehicle. These parts can be less than half the price of the OEM standard we would fit. When put into perspective, it’s no wonder the parts don’t last as long.

Safety Aspects

Apart from the economical side of things, OEM parts regularly have supersession’s.  This is to do with identifying there is a defect with the design of the original. They then modify the part to improve it. This is another downfall of aftermarket parts as they are always based on the original design, so they are not up to date. Making them less efficient immediately, as the part would have been superseded if there wasn’t an issue with it. There may also be properties within the materials of the parts unknown to the aftermarket supplier. Making these parts break easier or cause the vehicle to have a different feel to the drive.

A lot of the time the aftermarket parts are backward engineered. This isn’t always is a bad thing is a part has stopped being produced as the vehicle is very old for example. However if you want your vehicle to be the safest it can be, its best to stick with OEM parts.

Braking

A good example of the differences between OEM and aftermarket parts is brakes. Brakes have to be made to a minimum of R90 standard. However that’s only a base standard. The OEM parts rating goes way above and beyond the base standard. This means a lot of the cheaper brakes are only just making the minimum standard. Why would you be happy settling for the base standard on what is essentially a safety feature? Obviously safety on the roads should be paramount and incase of a potential collision, the quality of your brakes could make a massive difference. You can read more about this here on a blog by TMD friction. They manufacture OEM brakes and are local to us too in Hartlepool!

Tell us your opinion. What would you prefer on your vehicle, OEM or aftermarket?