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You appear to contradict yourself in the last sentence. “If you’re price shopping, though, you should be aware there is a lot of crap out there.” I agree with the last part, there is indeed a lot of crap out there. Price nor reputable dealer does not always guarantee quality. A very reputable body shop in my city replaced a factory headlight assembly in my car with “a quality aftermarket assembly” Even though it looked the same, the light pattern was all wrong. The part was certified by CAPA as quality. When I consulted with an industry consultant of the highest reputation, he indicated that CAPA was formed by the industry to build credibility for poor quality aftermarket parts. His professional opinion as a consultant to government in the US was that the aftermarket light did not meet legal requirements. The price difference was $360 for OEM and $300 for aftermarket. Another local auto electric repair showed me the starter that had quit in my car. The machined end caps where the bearings are seated were machine in an oval, not round. The armature was rubbing against the stator. He said that since a Canadian company purchased the brand-name, the quality is no good since they moved manufacturing to the third world. He indicated that he has difficulty finding reasonable aftermarket quality. He showed me that brand new aftermarket batteries on the shelf in a retailer had bad cells by using a hand held battery diagnostic multimeter. Again, it is difficult to find quality in the aftermarket. I recently ran a winter driving readiness safety promotion at work and confirmed his findings on the batteries. Any of that house brand tested bad. A 10 year old BMW battery still tested well above the labeled CCA. I could give many more examples but have already written more than I should. I have learned that in the last ten years, the quality of aftermarket has gone down substantially. Ask around chat up the local repair shops for what they prefer based on failures and warranty. Remember, they lose money if the parts are crap.
MB
What has been neglected to mention in this article (albeit it biased from the writers stand point) is that every Automotive manufacturer such as Honda, GM and others have part standards that must be met. Aftermarket parts have a different standard to meet. Being in the auto parts business for 30 years I can say there is a fitment difference. There are times when an aftermarket part corrects a factory problem; however, this is the exception, not the rule. My advice is to buy parts wisely – not for price but for quaility. I have seen too many purchase for price and then walk back into my dealeship door complaining on how the aftermarket part did not fit properly.
Realize that the aftermarket has a range of quality / price options to choose from. A name brand product versus a “white box” product will differ in quality in most cases. Choose from a recognized aftermarket supplier such as a NAPA product and you will find the product will meet the required level of quality. In many cases they may actually exceed the original equipment quality. Not all aftermarket parts are entry level quality.
“A very reputable body shop in my city replaced a factory headlight assembly in my car with “a quality aftermarket assembly” Even though it looked the same, the light pattern was all wrong” (quoted from above). I worked at a headlamp OEM supplier. Headlamps are a crucial area where the OEM part (either with the car makers name stamped on it, or the suppliers name of whoever holds the original ‘service order’ contract to the OEM – which in some cases you can buy the OEM part thru the car makers dealers “GM”, “Mazda” etc, or thru a supply network with say “Bosch” or “Magna”, etc stamped on it) is THE part to buy. Companies in the OEM head/tail lamp business have invested millions in computer modelling, photometric labs, precision grinding, measuring, injection molding equipment, vacuum deposition and coating equipment to make a stellar product. They will wring every last lumen out of that light bulb as they can and place it in an ideal spot on the road using complex optics. An aftermarket supplier will use a fairly generic reflector design that is ‘legal’ (legal to minimum standard is a pathetic beam, almost inadequate for a modern car) – which can be modified slightly and used in many different headlamp housings. They don’t have the resources to develop a better reflector, the equipment to ensure the reflective coating is as pure as possible, and the geometry of the molded reflector is ideally suited to the car it is being installed in.
There are various levels of replacement parts
OEM – the original design of the part. However, this part can be updated and made better over the years, if there really was a design flaw. It also can be made by different suppliers. There is usually only one original supplier when the car is in production (sometimes there are 2-3 different companies supplying the same part)
OEM service – can be made while the car is in production, or out of production. Made using the original tooling and methods. Level of quality scrutiny typically is not the same as when the part was in normal production. However the performance should be as good as new – some cases better. A different supplier can buy the OEM service contract, since old tooling can take up a lot of factory space, some smaller parts companies are solely in business to buy service contracts. The volumes are lower, but the per-part profit is quite high.
Licensed aftermarket – Made to the dimensions and minimum specifications of the OEM. Generally these are “performance” upgrade parts. The data on the car was purchased and licensed from the car maker, and someone is going into business to make replacement or upgrade parts.
Unlicensed aftermarket – Offshore ‘junk’ falls mostly into this category. The supplier buys a whole car, or OEM parts for a car. Measures the dimensions and reverse engineers a part to sell. The quality is usually sub-par and the fits aren’t as good.
OEM is generally the best, unless it’s a true upgrade part.
Well, allow me to add my 2 cents. I have 25 years experience on both sides of the fence, and there is truth to both sides… so shoppers need to be diligent when shopping around. Common sense too… if something is too cheap to be true, it probably is junk. In the aftermarket, sometimes the part has been modified, not not always. I remember when TRW and Sealed Power engine mounts for mid 90′s Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable was designed according to the older Ford part, while at Ford the new mounts were of the newer improved design. So, it can go either way. When people fret over something like a rad cap, they’re wasting their time usually… these are all made by 2-3 manufacturers who make them for everybody. Having said this, here is the reality people should know. There is a lot of “white box” made in China junk… suspension and brake components. Now, what I know and will reveal here is unknown to the public. Many of my old customers would purchase this “White Box” stuff (brake pads for $8.00, or ball joint/tie rod ends for around $10.00)… but they turn around and charge their customers the full retail price of the brand name parts (TRW, Moog, Bendix, Raybestos, etc.). This is not only robbery and dishonest, but some of these parts shouldn’t really be installed on vehicles. I remember shaking my head, as these parts were so poorly made… ball joints that were semi-loose when they should only be able to move under load. These parts are typically for someone with an old beater who wants to get another few months before scrapping the car/buying the replacement car. I don’t condone this either, but this is the way it is. Another thing to keep in mind too… many of the Automobile Dealers use the cheap “White Box” parts when certifying vehicles to sell as “Certified Pre-Owned” vehicles. Let the buyer beware I guess, but again… using cheap parts (and the term here applies not just with respect to $$$) is deceiving customers. If people are paying for quality and brand name items, they should be getting what they are paying for. On the flipside, there are many garages who will only use quality parts, and who use all the expensive diagnostic equipment and do regular training. THE MAJOR PROBLEM, is that this industry is very poorly regulated… as many garages who fall into arrears or who may be forced to close, just change their name and open up again. Beware of “numbered companies”!!! I would advise everyone to stay away from them… but to each their own. This is what I saw in my experience, and I only wish that this industry was regulated more and that people could come forth as whistle blowers. Why should this matter??? Because we drive our cars among everyone else on the roads, with pedestrians, cyclists, etc., and even at high speeds on the highway… where people can get killed if accidents happen. Safety matters, and for this reason the quality of parts and work is extremely important!!!
Another point to keep in mind. All corporations are under pressure to increase profitability to their shareholders, so moving production from the core (industrialized countries) to the periphery (developing, or Third World countries) is inevitable, and has started already. Some of the high end brands have components made in Mexico, Tunisia, etc., as they are under increased pressure to keep costs down. Profit dictates everything, and so although it is contrary to customers’ expectations, it really isn’t about the customer anymore!!! More money goes into marketing and advertising than in research and development as corporations focus more on their brands than the actual products that they make… which is congruent with the whole notion of selling the “lifestyle”. Why should an automobile be any different to the same market forces as an iPod, Levis jeans, Gillette shaver, etc.? Unless there is a crisis, whereby a corporation’s market share falls tremendously, they won’t alter the ship’s course! Most people don’t or won’t understand this, as economics is not the most interesting thing for most people… which is what makes this system function so well since people won’t question what they cannot understand. Components (parts) are so much cheaper to make in the Third World, and the profits so high, that if they have to give you 2-3 headlights under warranty, they will still make money. Most service actions or recalls are the result of poorly manufactured junk, but that was made cheaply as per the corporate mandate… quality control is one of the major areas that is compromised in the Third World facilities, as quality control is very expensive (QC people make very high $$$). Meeting the minimum standard of anything is not a sign of progress or environmental sustainability… designing and making things that last is. People should take them to task on this, not just for our own sake from having to pay so much money, but on principle.
It is interesting to see that many people share my experience with sub-standard equipment. I really appreciate all the advice and insights. One point that I made but not very well that was restated above is that the industry of aftermarket parts has little regulation and is, by and large, self regulating. I was disturbed when I wrote to my government to inform them that there were many vehicles being repaired with headlights that did not meet legal requirements. It was he that reassured me that CAPA was doing a thorough job in ensuring quality. CAPA and many other organizations portray themselves as overseers of quality. They are mostly concerned with building credibility when they deserve none. My other thought. If I didn’t happen to know of a lighting consultant to the Big Three and government lawmakers, how would I be able to prove that the light was not legal? the moment I presented his letter to the body shop, they agreed to change out to OEM. In an area where hitting deer on the roads is a country pastime, there are lots of lights getting changed. I understand now why so many oncoming cars seem to have strangely aimed lights.
I took 2 control arms one cost $120 and other cost $350 to quiet a few mechanics and asked for the difference. Nobody could point out which one was 120 and which one was 350 or how they are better or worse. They were both made in China.
On one side I installed the $120 and other of $350. Both are still working good. This was about 5 years ago.