Belt Auction

are dealer parts for vehicles really different than those at the discount auto parts store?

Public Comments

1. Yes. Dealers have the actual parts many autoparts stores sell aftermarket parts..that work just as well mostly
2. Many times, no, but there are some times when it is well worth it to get dealer parts. In some cases, you'll find aftermarket just don't work like they should. And in rare cases, dealer parts are cheaper.
3. In many cases, yes. When the stores have "OEM" parts those are essentially the same as the ones from the dealer, same part made by the same suppliers. Many of the others are made by other part makers and some are rebuilts. Rebuilt parts, particularly starters and alternators, have earned a bad reputation for reliability. Quite a few fail within the first week, many fail in the first year. One of the hard lessons I learned was a rebuilt water pump that started pouring out water the day after I put it in. Fortunately it was easy to replace; many of today's water pumps take hundreds of dollars or many of your own hours labor to replace. Aftermarket gas caps, radiator caps, and thermostats also are pure junk. Before I learned my lesson I would replace a perfecly good thermostat just because it was old and put in an aftermarket thermostat. When I did it to my Volvo, which had a temperature gauge, I saw the temperature was unsteady. I put in another aftermarket thermostat, and another... unsteady temperature. I put in a Volvo thermostat and it was perfectly stable. The same car hated aftermarket brake pads - the pads rattled if they didn't come from the dealer. Other rebuilts have a decent reputation. Drive axles cost about half as much rebuilt as new and last about 5 years instead of ten. If you aren't sure you are going to get another ten years out of the car a rebuilt is fine. A couple years ago the NAPA igniter I put in my daughter's old Accord failed after only two years. The tow cost more than the difference between the aftermarket part and the dealer part. That was the turning point for me - if I care about the part I buy an OEM part or go to the dealer.
4. I'd go for quality aftermarket new and remanufactured parts once the vehicle is older and the manufacturer bumper to bumper and powertrain warranties have run out. But the labor to install the part and warranty the repair forces good repair shops to only install quality parts. They don't want you coming back with a failed part they installed.