Are CAPA Certified Parts Better than OEM Replacement Parts?
Filed under: Aftermarket Parts, Auto Parts, CAPA Certified Parts, Ford, Headlamps, Original Equipment (OEM), Recalls
I recently visited an auto parts website called partstrain.com to shop for replacement headlight assemblies. I have a 1997 Ford Taurus with the nagging oxidation problem on the plastic headlight lens that Ford has allowed to continue for years. I located the assemblies for $65.15 each and was going to make the purchase. That’s when I noticed that they also listed the same part, from the same aftermarket manufacturer, with a CAPA statement in the description. The price for this part was $125.00 each. The only difference I could find in the descriptions was a letter “Q” at the end of the Sku number. All other numbers were the same.
I entered into a live chat session with their customer service and asked for the difference between the two items. The representative would not say that the CAPA part was made better or contained higher quality material. He would only say that either part would be a perfect fit. He would not say why the so called CAPA part had a price that was double the other part.
Is it common for the CAPA parts to cost so much more? Would the CAPA part eventually cloud over like the original factory part did? Or, do you think that this site may be using the CAPA name to collect an additional 100% profit on their parts? If the CAPA parts really are so superior, I would shell out the extra to keep my family safe at night.
Thank you for your time. I would appreciate your opinion.
Don
Cincinnati, OH
Are Aftermarket Parts Installed With Auto Manufacturer’s Approval?
Filed under: Aftermarket Parts, Auto Dealerships, Auto Manufacturers, Kentucky, Original Equipment (OEM), Recalls, State Specific Information, Toyota, Wheel Alignment
I have an older Toyota pickup that has served me well for more than a few years. As a good number of other Toyota pickup owners were, I was notified of a pending recall on some steering components and took her in for service. As the service department at the dealership went to work removing the defective parts, excessive wear was found on adjoining front suspension parts. I was told these parts had to be replaced because movement in these joints would prevent the wheels from aligning properly.
I wasn’t particularly surprised to hear the bad news because the bill always seems to grow a lot bigger before a job at the dealership is complete. At least that has been my experience. As a result, I don’t usually go back for service after buying a new vehicle unless the vehicle is under warranty or there are no other alternatives.
At first, I thought the dealership was conning me and arbitrarily adding parts to the invoice I didn’t need. I changed my mind, though, when the service manager volunteered to take me to the back where the truck sat on a lift and show me the needed parts that hadn’t yet been removed. Then came the shocker.
To get the job completed in the least amount of time, the service manager suggested I use off-brand parts rather than Toyota parts. While I’m content to use repair shops other than those in Toyota dealerships, I’ve never used anything other than Toyota parts, even on something as mundane as an oil filter.
As foolish as it sounds, the dealership didn’t have original equipment replacement parts in stock. To get the parts I needed would require special ordering them from the nearest Toyota distribution center and waiting at least 24 hours for their arrival. After the parts had been received, the truck would be worked back into the technician’s schedule for completion. This would add a couple of days of downtime and a couple of hundred dollars of additional costs to the repair.
Like most people probably would have done, I elected to accept parts that were located at a nearby NAPA store. I saved some money and got my truck back the same day. All seems well.
After thinking about it, it seems odd to me that Toyota or any other manufacturer would allow dealers to sell and install parts that they didn’t manufacture onto cars and trucks at their dealerships. So I ask (more for curiosity than anything else), Is this practice done with or without the approval of auto manufacturers?
William
Paris, KY