Can You Demand Oem Parts In The Repair Of Your

OEM parts, or Original Equipment Manufactured parts, are just as the name implies: they are made by the original auto manufacturer. No matter how well a car is built, no model is perfect. Thus, as car owners , all of our vehicles will need repairs and/or maintenance from time to time. When this occurs, the person needing work performed will have two choices. He or she can have the work performed at a dealership that sells and services the make of vehicle in question. In other words, if a person has a Ford Taurus that needs a fuel pump, the car can be taken to an authorized Ford dealership, and it will be replaced with a perfectly identical fuel pump that was either manufactured or sourced by Ford Motor Company and placed into the car when it was built at the factory. In the other scenario, the person may decide to take their Taurus to an independent repair shop. There are thousands of such places everywhere, but in this hypothetical case, we’ll call it Bob’s Auto Repair. Typically, places such as Bob’s will purchase aftermarket parts for common vehicles that are less expensive. This is one reason it is almost always cheaper to have repairs done at places like Bob’s. The parts are not only less costly, but the hourly labor rates are also lower due to less overhead. However, there is a trade-off. Aftermarket parts are oftentimes inferior to OEM parts and will fail sooner. The original manufacturer painstakingly employs trial and error in the selection of their components before deciding what will go into their products. Sometimes this backfires, resulting in recalls. When a vehicle is still under a factory warranty, a dealership has to be the one doing the repairs, anyway. Nevertheless, the conscientious car owner absolutely has the right to demand OEM parts when repairs are needed, whether they are performed at an authorized dealership or at a place such as Bob’s. Of course, the cost will be higher, but the peace of mind in knowing that their pride and joy has original factory parts will negate this. Should a place such as Bob’s refuse to order OEM parts, then the owner can simply seek repairs elsewhere. With all of that said; however, there can come a time when OEM parts are no longer available. In the past several years, let’s look at the downsizing of the US auto industry. Some very familiar car makes have been killed, including Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Saturn, Pontiac, and the latest; Mercury. Unless any sub-models of these makes shared identical OEM parts with models that survived the chopping block, they will eventually become obsolete. Thus, if the car is driven for several years or even decades later, aftermarket parts will become an owner’s only option. This will also apply to just about any model of car that has been discontinued as well. For instance, 2010 is the last year for the Volkswagen Passat in the US market. If a person is still driving one of these cars around in 2030, it’s a sure bet that some aftermarket parts will be under the hood. However, deciding whether to use aftermarket or available OEM parts is always the right of the car owner, not an independent shop. Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil