Unless your insurance company specifies that only OEM car parts that can be used, the shop must be able to offer more choices in types and brands for your car. Used parts of all types can be 50 percent less expensive than the original equipment, but if you choose poor quality parts, you may end up paying a lot more than OEM parts. You should choose everything that can be reused or at least recycled. These are advantages and disadvantages of each type of part you may find in the market:
- Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts are issued by the vehicle manufacturer. They tend to cost more, however they include a warranty, are often more durable and are specifically designed for your vehicle.
- Spare parts, are made by independent providers (a.k.a. aftermarket suppliers). They can be of poor quality or a perfect match with OEM parts. Ask your service garage about the origin of all spare parts they use and whether there are warranties available.
- Refurbished parts, are previously used or damaged parts that were disassembled, cleaned and adjusted – often using kits. Make sure that all parts are under warranty and come from trusted and reliable sources
- Rebuilt factory parts, in general, they had been rebuilt by a major company with large assembly line. Quality depends on how they are recycled. Try to enter the brand name in a popular search engine to get more information about the parts.
