When a vehicle gets damaged by hail or collision there is a choice that many owners are faced making and that is: “Should I use OEM or aftermarket parts?”  Well in this article we will tell you the ins and outs of Aftermarket parts, how they compare and, why the insurance company wants body shops to use aftermarket parts.

First off we would like to start off by saying this:  It is completely up to you what parts are used on your repair and don’t let the insurance company bully you into thinking that your repair shop has to use aftermarket parts.  If you are in a hail storm or you are damaged by a collision then wouldn’t your insurance company have to replace the parts that are on your vehicle to begin with?  More than likely your vehicle has original parts and you should demand they pay for original parts.

If you are paying out of pocket and would rather save a buck or two then you can check out the following article to help you decide if it’s worth going with non oem parts.  https://www.edmunds.com/car-care/aftermarket-versus-manufacturer-car-parts.html

Do Auto Manufacturers make all the parts on my car?

You might think this is a no brainier but you couldn’t be more wrong.  The manufacture of your vehicle actually assembles the vehicle but the parts themselves come from hundreds of other companies that specialize in specific parts that all get slapped together by your manufacturer brand.  So when talking about replacement parts, just because they don’t come from your brand does not mean they are not OEM.  T

The major categories of parts are as follows:

Genuine
OEM
Aftermarket
Rebuilt or
Re-manufactured
Refurbished or Reconditioned
Used or Recycled

So you might be asking yourself “What ones do I want to use?”

If you are using your insurance company to repair your loss then you have to demand they use OEM parts or original intended manufacturer.  They should be fine with that but you must ask for it, in most cases.  If you bring your vehicle to us for a full repair and the insurance is paying for it then we will only use the original parts unless you are looking to save some money or need to apply some work to other aspects of your repair.

If you are paying out of pocket then it gets more difficult to answer as you have many options and it’s completely up to you what parts you would like to use.  There are many options in this case and consider watching this video to get you some insight on what your choices might be and to help you make the right decision.