In general, spare parts can be divided into two large groups:
Original spare parts
These spare parts are distributed through official dealers of car manufacturers. They always have the original packaging and markings of the car manufacturer. The quality meets all requirements and is guaranteed by the car manufacturer itself. The official dealer of the car manufacturer has all spare parts for this car in stock. If any part is not in the dealer's warehouse, it is delivered from the central warehouse in a short time.
Non-original spare parts
The definition of "non-original" does not say anything about the quality of spare parts. This means that they are not sold in the car manufacturer's packaging and are not distributed through official car dealers. The backbone of this group is made up of well-known spare parts manufacturers that supply parts to the assembly lines of car manufacturers. Since their equipment and technologies allow them to produce parts for cars of many other manufacturers, they produce parts not only for the assembly line of one or several car assemblers, but also for sale on the open market. These parts have the packaging and markings of the spare part manufacturer. The quality is not inferior to original spare parts, and the prices can be much lower than those of original ones (the difference can be up to 50% in favor of non-original ones). The range is slightly more modest than that of original spare parts. The program includes the most popular and most in-demand parts.
Many large Western spare parts dealers use their own packaging, purchasing a large range of non-original spare parts in large quantities directly from manufacturers and selling them under their own brand.
Non-original spare parts are usually distributed through free spare parts stores, free auto repair shops and service stations.
Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the spare parts purchased. Avoid purchasing very cheap spare parts (compared to original and non-original famous brands), because they often do not meet quality and safety standards. If a low-quality decorative molding only negatively affects the appearance of the car, then installing low-quality brake pads or an oil filter can pose a threat to the safety of passengers or cause enormous damage to the engine, so that the cost of repairs will be many times greater than the amount saved by buying a cheap spare part. Therefore, you should use the services of official dealers (original parts), or reputable sellers of non-original spare parts.
There is also the possibility of purchasing refurbished parts, in which case you return the old part. This primarily applies to complex, expensive parts such as the engine, generator, starter, etc. This option is sometimes offered by both official dealers and independent sellers of spare parts.
This also saves some of your money, in most cases quite significantly. At the same time, the company selling the restored unit gives almost the same guarantee for it as for the new one.
Identification of spare parts
The car manufacturer constantly improves its products, constantly making changes to the design. It may happen that within one series and one version of the car, some units and assemblies may differ slightly from each other, and a spare part from one, for example, an earlier version will not fit another. Therefore, when purchasing spare parts, it is very important to provide the seller with the most complete information about the car. The more accurate information about your car you provide, the less likely it is that an error will occur.
In addition to the standard set of data, including year of manufacture, body type, body version, chassis number (VIN number), engine number, etc., the seller may be interested in the following data:
- Is there any additional equipment installed on the vehicle? (for example, an additional heater, a more powerful generator, air conditioning).
- Gearbox type.
- Is there a catalytic converter?
- Type of fuel injection system, etc.
- Place of installation of the part.
If for some reason the documents reflecting this information are missing, it is recommended to consult with specialists about this, for example, by visiting a company center.
Sometimes, when purchasing a particular spare part, it can be very useful to take the old part to be replaced with you for comparison.