New, Used or Aftermarket Auto Parts?
Filed under: Aftermarket Parts, Auto Parts, Bumpers, CAPA Certified Parts, Original Equipment (OEM), Salvage Parts, Toyota
In a recent auto accident I damaged the front bumper on my Toyota. I went to an auto body repair shop near my home in Cincinnati, Ohio that is supposed to be very good at auto collision repair, but they didn’t want to fix the damaged bumper. They suggested I use an aftermarket part to repair my car because it would be cheaper.
When I looked on the Internet to learn more about aftermarket parts, I realized very quickly that an aftermarket part, especially a bumper, might not be the best choice for me. Since there is only about $50 difference in the price between aftermarket parts and genuine Toyota parts needed for this repair, I’m leaning on the side of genuine Toyota parts.
Like most other people, I want replacement auto parts that fit like they’re supposed to and protect me should I get into another auto accident. From what I’ve read, there is some question if aftermarket parts can do that as well as genuine Toyota parts.
Another auto body shop just across the river from Cincinnati in Kentucky suggested I consider CAPA certified parts for my car. The guy said CAPA parts are tested and approved. Another secondary alternative he suggested was getting a used part from a wrecked Toyota in an auto salvage yard.
There are too many choices and I am confused. My Toyota is not a new car, so I’m not going to be overly fussy. But, I don’t want my safety compromised, especially over $50. Straight up, would you suggest new Toyota parts, salvage parts, CAPA certified parts or regular aftermarket parts for the repairs?
Jason
Cincinnati, Ohio
David Williams writes:
Hi Jason. Thanks for writing to us about your dilemma in choosing safe auto parts for your Toyota repairs.
I am NOT a big fan of aftermarket parts - especially bumpers. Routinely, it seems aftermarket parts are made of cheaper, thinner materials, void of many of the intricacies in design that make them perform predictably as auto manufacturers intend in an auto accident. Additionally, we often find aftermarket parts have fewer, more randomly spaced welds than genuine auto parts, which could limit their crashworthiness in auto accidents.
People who want to save some money and use aftermarket parts have to understand that they (and their passengers) are taking on some unnecessary risks. This is true of both traditional aftermarket parts and of CAPA certified parts.
I have personally been to the labratory in Michigan to see how CAPA certified parts are tested. What a disappointment it was! The aftermarket parts I saw were clearly not the same as original equipment parts. As proof of their failures, many CAPA certified parts are decertified each year after auto body repair shops and their customers complain, even though these parts were previously thought to be of high enough quality to bear the CAPA seal!
While you may have been told that CAPA certified parts are approved, it is important to note that Toyota has not approved them. In fact, use of aftermarket parts, CAPA certified or otherwise, may void the warranty on other parts of your car that make contact with the aftermarket parts.
The bumper is a structural part of your auto. It provides the first line of defense in an auto accident. This is not the place to go cheap. Therefore, I support your decision to use genuine Toyota parts as opposed to aftermarket parts, even if they cost a few dollars more. Original equipment parts made by the manufacturer of your auto are always the best choice of part where safety is a primary concern
If your car has a bumper cover and you want to save some money, I wouldn’t be as concerned about the use of an aftermarket part in this instance. A bumper cover is a cosmetic part as opposed to a structural part. But, if when you say bumper, you are referring to a chromed or painted part, or the reinforcement bar or beam behind a bumper cover, you should, at the very least, choose a genuine part made by Toyota, the manufacturer who built your car, crash- tested your car, and wrote the book on how it should be repaired after an auto accident.
Are parts purchased at an auto salvage yard a good deal?
That depends primarily on the condition of the parts and how inexpensively you can purchase them. If, for example, a bumper from a donor car has been repainted, you’ll have to pay to strip the old finish before new paint can be applied. If you don’t do that, the new paint job may fail prematurely.
While salvage parts may be genuine factory parts, they have likely been subjected to the trauma of a serious auto accident, which means they may or may not fit well. In addition, salvage parts carry no warranty. So, if you’re unhappy with them after your purchase, you might be stuck if you can’t get a refund.
Even more importantly, you should know that salvage yards across the nation are selling parts from cars that sat in the contaminated floodwaters of Gulf Coast storms such as Hurricane Katrina. These parts are being sold at salvage yards in every state. I’d recommend avoiding these bacteria ridden parts from flood damaged cars and sticking with genuine Toyota parts purchased from a Cincinnati, Ohio Toyota dealership that you trust.
My best to you, Jason!
Link to these articles to learn more:
Beware of Salvage Parts From Hurricane Katrina Flood Cars
article - www.SafeCollisionRepairs.com
Dissatisfied with the quality of a CAPA certified part? File a complaint here
form - www.capacertified.org
Ohio Consumers - Check Legitimacy of Body Shops Before Authorizing Work
form - Ohio Board of Motor Vehicle Collision Repair Registration
Comments
3 Comments on New, Used or Aftermarket Auto Parts?
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Mr. Car Parts on
Thu, 10th May 2007 8:09 pm
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John on
Mon, 1st Oct 2007 11:46 am
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admin on
Mon, 1st Oct 2007 5:25 pm
you have come on the big ? What is best? New or used parts. If your doing somthing like brakes go with a good quality new part. A bent bumper or dent in the fender a good rust free junk yard part will work. Seat Belts and Air Bags Always, Always go with new parts. A seat belt in a wrecked car has been used and you do not know if it will keep you in place again. As for flood parts. Stay away from electrics. most metl parts will be just fine, like radiators, water pumps etc. should be just fine evan body panels after a good prep should be just fin. seats, cloths and interior stuff should be voided.
Hey David no offence on your responce on CAPA parts but you seem to lack alot of knowledge on the subject. There has been more testing on these parts then what you have seen and obviously not done any other research into them. Did you not bother to search out any of the crash testing on these parts? Do you honestly beleive that there is any plastic bumper in this world that is integral to the structural integrity of the vehicle!! I can`t beleive that I actually took time to read the article let alone provide a responce. Have you ever heard of a car frame or how about a re-bar. Lets try and get the facts to inform the public properly before we throw stuff out there and have it miss represented as valid. In crash test done on non other than a Toyota by a recognized authority proves that a CAPA hood and an OEM hood at shows the same integrety at a speed of 40kph. Thats a fact!!!
I would like to see a better article on this stuff than what you have shown at this point.
Hey John, I’ve done a boatload of research into aftermarket parts. In addition to having toured CAPA’s test lab, I just recently interviewed auto safety expert, Byron Bloch who urged caution when purchasing parts that are other than OEM. Cars are crash tested with all parts intact (even the plastic ones) and this is how they gain their certification to be marketed as compliant with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
If shops deviate from manufacturer’s repair plans by using parts that haven’t been tested and approved by the respective carmakers they’re not offering suitable alternative parts that can be used. Interestingly, even when manufacturers build cars and shops repair them in a manner deemed acceptable by the carmaker, they still run the risk of being sued when the cars fail to perform optimally when crashed.
If you have something more I’ll be happy to consider it, but you’re a long way from convincing me that generic parts are acceptable alternatives to OEM, even if they are being tested by an outside source.
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