REPLACEMENT PARTS: OEM,
AFTERMARKET, REBUILT,
REMANUFACTURED
OEM parts are made by the carmaker according to new car standards and
specifications. Some repairs warrant OEM parts. Those include repairs for
drivability problems for proper engine operation or in body repair of fairly
new cars. OEM parts are the best and sometimes only option. Here’s a true
story to make my point: Years ago, the shop I worked at was approached with
a new line of ignition parts by our parts distributor. They claimed that these
parts were of OEM quality but at a much lower price. We could save our
customers money, make money, and thus compete with the competition. We
installed 12 sets of the new ignition parts over the next couple of weeks and
10 of the 12 cars stalled without starting again. The “OEM-quality” parts we
installed all failed. We had to tow every car back into the shop and replace
the faulty parts with OEM ignition parts to get the cars running again. We
also recalled the other two cars that the parts had not failed in just in case.
This is a perfect illustration of OEM parts outranking the aftermarket
product. Use OEM in repairs where you want to be sure of dependability and
performance.
Aftermarket parts are made by companies other than the carmakers.
There are good aftermarket parts out there, and there are substandard
aftermarket parts on the market as well. One has to be wise in choosing what
aftermarket parts to buy. For example, I steer away from cheap ignition parts
made by offshore companies because they tend to lack critical components
essential for long-lasting and dependable service. Below you will find a
guide to follow when buying aftermarket auto parts.
Rebuilt parts have been rebuilt to operating condition. Only that which
was essential to replace to get it operating again was replaced. Rebuilt units
are cheaper than new or remanufactured ones. Sometimes rebuilt parts are the
only units available on the market to perform a specific auto repair. As the
illustration above shows, its advertising says “Rebuilt CORVETTE Headlight
Motors.” New headlight motors for this particular year and model Corvette
are probably unavailable, so the only option would be to go with a rebuilt
unit. Rebuilt parts have their place in auto repair.
Remanufactured auto parts have been completely rebuilt to new