OEM parts vs Aftermarket, which do you opt for on your vehicle?
There is a difference between cheap aftermarket parts and Uprated aftermarket parts. Aftermarket parts are made to perform the same function as OEM but they are produced by a third party. OEM parts are as the acronym suggests, original equipment manufacturer. These parts are tested by the auto maker that installed them on your vehicle when it was new. Aka a tier 1 supplier such as Sachs, Mahle and ZF.
Uprated Aftermarket parts are reverse engineered to find the strengths and weaknesses of OEM. The performance specialists can then create parts which perform in some cases better than the original part. This can be done by slightly altering the design or the materials of the product.
Cheap aftermarket parts are created usually using less quality materials and tend to fail much quicker than OEM parts. Yes they are cheaper to purchase initially however if they fail quicker its more economical to fit the correct parts for the job from the start! This is why as a business we only replace faulty parts on a vehicle with OEM parts or if requested Uprated aftermarket parts such as Revo, Racingline and Superpro.
OEM and genuine…
There is a difference and that is that genuine parts are made by the manufacturer and branded and priced as such. OEM parts are as explained above however branded by a third party and priced much cheaper. OEM suppliers are companys such as Lemforder, TRW and Textar. They are usually made in the same factory and go through the same testing as the genuine parts therefore are essentially the same.
What about my warranty?
Always refer to the manufacturers guidelines when looking to use aftermarket parts and consider whether you vehicle is still under warranty. If its still under warranty fitting aftermarket parts may invalidate it if anything were to go wrong.
Obviously we also have to square up our priorities with our budget, vehicle maintenance can be expensive. However this is why we recommend using OEM parts. We carry out extensive vehicle checks before just stating ABC and parts need replacing.
If your looking at upgrading parts to uprated contact us here: We can give you advice for what you are aiming for and send you an estimate!
OEM parts vs Aftermarket