One of the biggest debates in automotive circles today is whether a car owner should get OEM replacement parts or choose aftermarket parts from third party companies. On the surface, this seems fairly simple; of course you should go for OEM parts. What can be better than the original part a company manufactures for its units? Well, what if we tell you that an aftermarket part is not only cheaper than an OEM, but can also be more reliable, cheaper and provide better performance than the original? Surprised? Let’s check out the comparison of OEM VS Aftermarket parts:
OEM Parts
OEM parts are usually available directly from the manufacturer’s outlets, meaning you can only find them at brand name stores. Now there’s a really unique problem with OEMs in terms of availability; they are both easy and hard to find, depending on the make, model and year of the car. For example, you can still find OEM parts easily for a 1990s Toyota Corolla, even if it’s more than 20 years old. On the other hand, it would take you a lifetime to locate an OEM ball bearing for 2000 Dodge Neon, all because of the high sales volume of the former as compared to the Dodge.
As you may have imagined, the price of an OEM will also be directly dependent on how rare the part is. In the case of Corolla versus Neon, Toyota will cost you almost half for the same part in Neon.
Pros:
- Always come with a warranty
- Available directly from the manufacturer so no risk of counterfeits
- Fixes right into place without any modifications
Cons:
- Hard to find (depending on the car)
- Expensive
Aftermarket Parts
We are pretty sure that the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word ‘aftermarket’ is ‘cheap’ or ‘subpar quality’. In actuality, aftermarket parts may be more specialised to do a certain task than OEMs, meaning they might be better at doing a particular job. For example, high performance aftermarket air filters come with a larger concave surface area to allow for more air to flow in, thus permitting more combustion cycles to take place at one time.
Other than that, aftermarket parts are also more readily available. It goes without saying that they are cheaper too, which is in fact the main reason why people sought them out. But certain things go against them too, and they have more to do with the way they are procured than the part itself. See, most aftermarket parts are available at different online stores, but they usually come without a warranty. As with any other thing, aftermarkets have started to be counterfeited by cheaper companies, so you never know how well the part will work. And if it causes any damage to your car, you are screwed as there’s no warranty.
Pros:
- Cheaper
- Readily available
- Can perform better
Cons:
- No warranty
- High risk of counterfeits
- It’s a risk buying a part from an unknown brand