You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car

Disagree

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by Castor Troy

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After-market does not mean counterfeit. In most cases the after-market companies are the same ones that supply the genuine parts to the manufacturers.

Now this is not to say that you should not be aware of and avoid counterfeit parts, because you most definitely should. Counterfeit parts are cheaply made pop-offs of not only genuine manufacturers parts but also of quality after-market pieces. They usually are made of sub-standard materials and can vary from having poor wear characteristics to being out and out dangerous.

So, what is an after-market part?

An after-market part is a quality part made and distributed by a known manufacturer of automotive parts. Examples of quality after-market stock replacement parts would be TRW, Moog, Champion, Clevite, NGK, McCord, Fel-pro, Detroit Gasket, Wagner brakes, etc., etc. All of these companies, and many more, not only sell their parts as replacement products under their own brand names, they also supply OEM parts to manufacturers and in some cases to each other. An example of this is timing chains and gears. For years if you bought TRW or Sealed Power timing components they would have Cloyes, which manufactured them, cast or stamped right on the parts.

There is also a complete hi-performance after-market industry which once again supplies parts through OEM hi-performance outlets and through speed shops under their own brands.

So, what do you need to know to safely use after-market parts on your vehicle?

Firstly, educate yourself. Know what companies are reputable suppliers of quality replacement parts and know what the normal price range is for these parts. If you are getting a part supposedly from a reputable manufacturer for much lower than the norm, then it is probably a counterfeit part, not after-market.

Know that there are no known problems with specific after-market parts on your vehicle. In the '70s and '80s quality after-market brake pads did not work on Volvos because they had a problem with pad material build-up on the rotors, even with their own regular replacement pads, and developed special high-abrasive pads to combat it. A reverse of this is when Chev had problems with camshafts and after-market cams fixed the problem until GM had a recall on them.

Know your warranty. The times when the manufacturers could void your warranty for using after-market parts is past in many areas. In most cases, as long as you use quality after-market parts which are approved for use under the manufacturer's warranty, they cannot force you to use OEM parts. But, be sure you check your state/provincial/fed eral laws and your warranty to be sure this is the case for you. (In the province where I live it is illegal for a manufacturer to require use of their parts or service to keep a warranty intact.)

Deal with reputable suppliers and repair shops. Even when dealing on the Internet, you can be safe if you know who you are dealing with. Check them out and talk to other people, both those who have had good experiences and bad. Remember, no matter how good a company is there will be someone who thinks they suck, so listen to why and make a determination if it is sour grapes or a legitimate complaint.

Take into consideration what your vehicle is. If you have a completely original 1963 Corvette which had TRW engine components from the factory, you won't want to put in engine parts from Perfect Circle. But at the same time you may not want to spend $150.00/piston for factory parts when the same parts are available from TRW at far less, unless you want the GM part number stamped on the piston, as the factory parts are, instead the TRW number. But if you have a daily driven 1992 Cougar, you may want less expensive, but good quality, after-market parts.

To give an example of after-market versus OEM:
I was hired to rebuild a Triumph Spitefire engine after it dropped a valve. I did an estimate using Vandervell and other after-market manufacturers. The owner refused the estimate and requested only OEM British-Leyland parts be used, which would in effect triple the cost of parts. I explained to him that the companies I had chosen were the same ones that supplied B-L and other European manufacturers. No, he wanted the parts ordered from the dealer so that is what I did.

When the parts arrived I called him to let him know and he came down to inspect the new parts. I waited for him to arrive before unpacking so he could see that I had not tampered with the shipment. We opened the box and I pulled out a set of rod bearings that were around $70.00 from the dealer. I sliced the seal, opened the box and emptied out a blue and white Vandervell box with the part number I had quoted him $16.00 for in the original estimate. The rest of the parts were the same story. He was not happy.

I conclusion, know that you are buying quality after-market parts and not counterfeit parts and you will be happy with the results. Maybe you will save some money at the same time.

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