MANUFACTURER AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
The manufacturer and the country of origin are especially important with respect
to quality. Offshore companies want to capture as much of the market as they
can, so they often put out products that are inferior in both design and the raw
materials used. These factors greatly reduce the durability of their parts. For
instance, offshore brake rotors can cost about one-fourth of the price of domestic
rotors. But they simply don’t hold up under normal operating conditions because
they are made of poor quality steel. For this reason they warp prematurely and
wear out quickly. Ignition parts also fall into this category of “wonder-priced
parts.” They might look the same, but an internal inspection reveals their inferior
design compared to the genuine product.
Aftermarket parts should at least match up to the expectations of the OEM
parts. I illustrated the disparity between offshore and OEM ignition parts on
television a few years back. I presented two brand new ignition modules
designed to fit a GM vehicle. One module was an OEM GM part; the other was
an offshore knockoff that cost about $60 less. I opened both modules to show the
audience that the GM part was stuffed with electronic components, while the
electronic components of the offshore product filled only 25 percent of its case.
As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Now this is not to say that all aftermarket companies offer substandard
products compared to OEM. On the contrary, there are great aftermarket parts
companies out there that reverse engineer OEM parts, find their weaknesses,
correct the design, and come to market with a superior product. You just have to
make sure you use these good quality parts from good companies. Talk to your
parts supplier or repair shop and ask for such information. Your repair facility
should be offering you good quality parts that meet manufacturers’ specifications
with fair warranties. In return, you should expect to pay for just that. Don’t
shortcut on auto repair. You and your family are driving and riding in that
vehicle.