Are Factory Car Parts Better Than Aftermarket Featuring ShopDAP

[@Deutscheautoparts]

all the collabs... Thanks for giving me the opportunity to answer this question

[@istvanmeissler2238]

Paul, please carry parts for Mercedes. FCP is great but becoming limited for ML’s.

[@andreibirleanu840]

Thank you, Paul and Charles for spending your time for reply me in a 12 minutes video. I really thought that I will not receive any answer :))

[@Deutscheautoparts]

Hope it offered some insight

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank again to Paul from ShopDAP for dropping some insight. I really wish there was a better answer than "it all depends". But there is no cut and dry on here.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Totally!!!! Thank you so much

[@FappinSteve]

Probably not the best place to ask you a question, but I'm currently at my wits end. Does an 04 Lincoln LS have sensors in the Catalytic converters? And if you were to, I don't know, gut the cats and put them back on...Would you be messing up your engine? I see people put straight pipes on LS's and everything, but do they put a chip in the engine as well as to bypass the sensors in the Cats? Any help would be greatly appreciated, you seem like a very intelligent mechanic (better than most around here) and I figured I would give it a shot and ask you on here. Great video, by the way! Happy Fathers Day!!

[@worldhello1234]

@0:16 I'd say that manufacturer parts are either made to OEM specs or are custom made by the OEM. :)

[@MrErikw26]

Connor would you mess up the engine? No you would not, you could be violating local emissions laws in your area how ever. There's sensors before and after the cats, the ones before dictate fuel mixture control, the ones after verify cat operation.

[@891trigfoot]

also sometimes u have no choice when parts start to become discontinued

[@HumbleMechanic]

Very true.

[@Th3Volum3Plus]

DAP is awesome. For most of the stuff they sell, they have DIY videos so you can install the product yourself.

[@ryansmith7974]

Ive watched this twice now and dont regret it or going OEM with my Toyota Tacoma. Thx!

[@233kosta]

I can attest to the importance of getting the right part. When the thrust bearing on my clutch first failed 5 years ago, the whole unit was swapped for a Valeo, which is a well known quality brand and is even the clutch OEM for other engine variants. The damn thing rattled juddered like crazy every time I'd set off until finally the self adjust system gave up the ghost (with half the disc in good nick!!!) and it was replaced with an LUK one, LUK being the OEM to that specific variant. That was all the clutch trouble gone there and then!

[@kiryllis5823]

From my experience LUK has noticeably superior quality over Valeo overall.

[@ghomerhust]

i started doing auto work in the early 90s (during high school) and ive found that it is a mixed bag. i DO feel you really get what you pay for, though. if at all possible, i try to use OE brands in my vws, like bosch and FAG, because those parts have already lasted my car through 30 years of toodling around. as far as performance parts, do not go cheap! save up your pennies and get something quality! this is especially true if you want to track or show your car. both in looks and performance, the good parts WILL make a difference

[@worldhello1234]

" i DO feel you really get what you pay for, though. " Yeah, unless it is scammer.

[@Allhandlesalreadytaken9]

I just bought a chinese wiring harness for my MKIV jetta. The part was 9 bucks vs 60 for OEM. I can't decide who is more greedy... VW for charging 60 bucks for something that probably costs less than 2 bucks to manufacture... or the chinese for charging what WOULD BE a fair price and then cutting corners on quality.

[@rustybrowneye]

Jay T i would say oem are necessarily greedy, there's more to it than just the cost of manufacturing they've got hundreds of hours and not to mention a number of people that worked on that part designing it and testing it and the expected cost of possible warranty work that they're going to have to do associated with that part .so your still paying for that AND the cost of Manufacturing. now the Chinese knockoff they don't have to do that all they have to do is copy it.

[@Allhandlesalreadytaken9]

We agree.... but... if I am going to be charged a premium for the design and test that went into a part... I have a reasonable expectation that the part should work. This particular part was never revised... so I am being asked to pay for an identical part that is likely to fail in the same exact way. It would be interesting to see EXACTLY how VW came up with the price point on this part (or any for that matter)... the internal paper trail.

[@HarrieWorst]

Jay T I agree with you, most of the times prices are high because they can charge it. Most people don't have another alternative than follow dealership maintenance and repairs. And that's mostly where the advantage of car manufacturers is taken imho. I think when they would be open about the true costs and profits they make on parts... That's why the aren't. And I think the situation in here Europe is the same as in the US. The carmanufacturer dicatates the dealershipholder. The dealershipholder doesn't have a free hand in pricing since they unwillingly pay the premium also. Which is a a true shame. And as long as your sensible about it, you can save a lot by buying non-OEM alternatives. But as rightfully stated in the video, you wouldn't do it on the crucial parts which can lead up to serious damage and thus bigger repair bills.

[@cheezgrated]

It might be worthwhile to note that an automaker has to stock all parts to support a model of car. They have to pay for design, manufacture, transport and storage. Someone has to keep inventory of a bagged inexpensive yet critical funny length bolt or spring just so you can have it when you need it to get your vehicle on the road. Sometimes other parts need to be more expensive to make up for having to carry a non-profitable part. An automaker's parts department is not a charity. On the other hand, an aftermarket company can simply focus on stocking just the profitable and fastest selling parts. I used to think aftermarket parts might be better than factory if they address a factory design flaw, but aftermarket parts should be evaluated on a case by case basis. There's good stuff out there, but junk is still junk. Don't shop on price alone. I have tried cheapo Chinese off-brand hard parts on my car during a tight period, but I would not do it again if I can avoid it. No point buying junk if I will spend more money getting the proper quality part shortly after.

[@stinkycheese804]

+fuzzy wuzzy - Not really a valid argument because many companies have to eat their own R&D costs but in the end, a sale they lose because of higher price, is ZERO income. However, in the case of many car parts, it is not the OEM that did the extensive testing in part development, it is the 3rd party manufacturer. Plus, 3rd party parts usually have equal if not much longer warranty periods. Almost nothing OEM has lifetime while many aftermarket parts that aren't perpetual wear items, do.

[@decimatetheweak6400]

Parts that were engine/ electrical I went with OEM Motorcraft, got the parts number then searched online. Junkyard helped as well, walked in with simple tools and grab some sensors. Dash didn't have a factory tach, grabbed one that did. Swapped the odometer to keep my mileage

[@jettturbo1496]

Your videos have legit saved me thousands of dollars! Thanks Shopdap and the Awesome Humble Mechanic!

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you!!!

[@mikemcelveen2973]

trial and error..case and point got a brake/cruise cut out switch for a 2010 Express 1500 van from NAPA..cruise inop...got one from Advance (BWD) no brake lights..got one from GM everything works..over time you have to learn what to use aftermarket and what to use factory oem. Thanks for the vid! In the end make sure that your customer is taken care of!!!!

[@tannerschultz4787]

Mike Mcelveen very good insight from a tech standpoint , you learn what is good and what is not, do you research, sometimes you can't beat OE, sometimes the aftermarket fixes factory mistakes and problems

[@mikemcelveen2973]

Tanner Schultz agreed my friend.

[@jhuntosgarage]

Excellent topic. Buyer beware, live and learn.

[@RexenPrime]

I bought a set of aftermarker fog lights for my new car a year ago and they looked cheap as all heck when i got them except for the glass lenses they had, but i expected the light bulbs to burn out pretty quick and i thought the wiring might not last or something but honestly this kit has worked well and its all holding up pretty well. Im surprised they worked as good as they have and still do.

[@annieworroll4373]

At my budget, the only new parts I get are aftermarket. OEM replacement parts without exception come from the salvage yard. I really do wish I had more of a choice in this:(

[@larrytraber]

Well buy cheap buy twice

[@jordansheppard6643]

Larry lifetime warranty

[@JH-tk6ge]

What car? If you're on a budget, then you should have a mass produced, quality car that has wide universality in parts production. Mustangs, Civics, Accord, Camry, Corollas, 80s Ford and Chevy pickups, 90s toyota pickups, 1st gen Focus (Zetec, manual trans), 90s subarus (manual trans).

[@Kamotor1980]

Sam S whats the name of your international supplier in dubai?

[@retiredsnowbunnyhunterx5106]

Man great mind think alike. I definitely get after market parts first. But other oem parts i go to junkyard an get what i need.

[@chrstphrr]

Very insightful comments Charles and Paul made. Ugh, for body panels: I've had horrible fitment issues repairing the radiator carrier with an aftermarket part. Saved money, but paid for it in wrench-and-curse time. Pro-tip: Learn from other people's experiences. Just about every car has a forum/community online, if you're wrenching on your own vehicle, do your due diligence and research your repair before you do the repair. People will mention they have poor fitment for aftermarket parts if they experience it themselves. Sure, most all of us will avoid publically admitting our failures, but when your car community is large enough, and the car has been around long enough, this sort of information is given up because people like to help, and people like to vent about bad experiences! For more critical parts (engine, suspension, electrical) you'll find the OE manufacturer names to look for, like how VW/Audi have Bosch, Lemfoerder, Meyle, Mann, INA, FAG, etc. There are the few one off parts where aftermarket is superior, and like Charles mentioned, you're paying *more* than you would for OE parts, because you're replacing out for a failure prone factory style part. Small parts run, improved materials: higher price.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks for your insight!!!

[@tracydiller4492]

I have worked in manufacturing just about my hole life and I have seen QC. issues in all, it all depends on the QC HEAD and what customers will accept and not accept. It's difficult to say really what parts will pass muster and witch ones won't. I worked for a Off Highway Brake manufacture and things where good until they started buying castings from overseas and the quality went to hell I mean big time porocity in steel housings that always leaked because some of these brakes where oil filled and had to hold a certain amount of pressure so many rejected parts. So with that said great video Charles and keep those videos coming.PEACE

[@riblets1968]

One point that I don't believe I heard mentioned is that among known failure parts, OEMs also often update those parts to ensure better reliability, not just the aftermarket.

[@kiryllis5823]

Well, usually that updated component was initially build by a 3rd party (aftermarket brand), which means that 3rd party brand recieves feedback from car manufacturer and improves the component. Of course the same component produced without the car manufacturer logo would be updated as well.

[@mattbourn8854]

You guys are spot on, very good info. Another good tip is educate yourself 1st.Then buy.

[@98erics]

I know the Michelin XC LT4 is one of the big box tires for trucks/SUV's. They are good, but you're right, they aren't the expensive LTX MT2 that are popular among truck folks for ride quality and control. Also as a tech, who doesn't buy the part, the difficulty of the repair justifies the higher quality part. I'm not trying to remove the whole dash of that F-150 to re-replace that BS heater core. I guess that is covered in the video, but I already typed it.

[@nickcove7355]

Sometimes you can't beat oem. Other times, they're flawed and cheap as cheap can get. Compare a stock 1999-04 mustang shifter to an mgw shifter. MGW is miles ahead. Compare a motorcraft IAC to a spectre and well, spectre loses lol.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Nailed it! There is not blanket answer. it just really depends. I hate to answer questions that way. But it's just he truth. LOL

[@Trex6767]

Nick Cove not exactly relatable but Toyota for instance, Brake pads. Oem pads usually don't warp the rotors or make noise as long as you use the factory shims and don't go crazy with the grease. After market will make noise and groove the factory rotors quickly

[@joshmcdermott4471]

Nick Cove like when VW had the plastic water pump parts and the aftermarket made metal ones

[@treydaypnw]

Whelp, another Excellent and informative video! Thank You! 👌🏽👍🏽

[@theadventuresofjavier8698]

Happy father's day Charles. in my personal experience the O.E is better than aftermarket. but some some aftermarket stuff works and fits quite well. however I've had O.E stuff fail right out the box. but sometimes O.E can be so expensive so the aftermarket is the way to go for some budget minded customers..intetesting topic. no definite answer..

[@HumbleMechanic]

I think the one thing aftermarket has to their advantage is time. They can test the product real world, and learn from the mistakes the OE made..

[@jimpie231]

I deal with a body Man that repairs and prices according to your wishes. My last Fender bender , needed The following parts: left Fender, hood , left light, front bumper, radiator, and various Trim piecem. Cost $3400 doing hood, Fender , & light oem, rest aftermarket. All aftermarket was $2700. I did The oem way. Result.....3 years later....everything looks like new! The bodyman was The key here......he knows his parts and Suppliers. Jim,

[@RedRider2001]

I had an insurance claim on my car when a big ass bird flew into the side of it on the interstate. They replaced the passenger door glass with a 3rd party part and everything seemed OK. However, the auto-up feature on the Lexus would lift the window all the way up then immediately lowered the window to half down, as if its sensor thought there was something blocking it from going all the way up. The shop then had to replace it with a genuine Lexus part and then it worked fine.

[@taiwilson8966]

insurance tried to cheap out, they always do that

[@jeffburtonnottheracecardriver]

Always a tough topic, handled well by this video. In addition to the vital part question; I will sometime ask my trusted mechanic or parts guy what they have experienced in come backs or fitment - because they have handled a greater number and we have an honest rapport.

[@SE45CX]

Well if you have a popular DIY car, you can ask on that specific car forum what experiences people had with certain parts, and make your final decision after that.

[@matthewshambler2644]

Great video guys, thanks. I agree with you as far as what part is it, how vital is it. I always buy OEM thermostats for example, more expensive but cheap ones can cost a lot if they go wrong. The other thing to consider is that often, especially with older cars, OEM parts are no longer available, in South Africa most agents only keep parts for about 10 years after production of a model ends. All in all I stick with buy the best you can afford based on what you can get, if the aftermarket part costs 10x less than OE, you're probably better off not buying it. Even made in China stuff can be good, it ultimately comes down to how much the company having the parts made are willing to pay- the Chinese will make the part whether you're spending 10 bucks or 100 bucks per unit- quality will be way different though!

[@crons8557]

Volkswagen OEM parts from the dealer are a scam, bought a thermostat hosing gasket/seal kit, cost $50/$60! Bought the whole thermostat housing with all pieces required including water pipe/crackpipe lol 😉 and seals aftermarket for $100 and the quality was so much better. Thicker main thermostat rubber seal that ACTUALLY SEALS for starters. So yeah, OEM is B.S

[@dubaidriver9978]

Very valid points Charles & Paul presented. It would be a good idea to establish a useful glossary to parts, which I often explain to people, this is how I interpret them: GENUINE (those with the automaker logo), OEM (as the name implies, without automaker logo), Aftermarket (alternative parts manufacturer with a recognizable brand, performance parts, modifications), Duplicates (cheap, questionable quality parts). I personally put least attention to origin of body panels as long as they fit well, coz they are only "static parts". I was preparing to replace my brake pads, I knew the factory installed pads are TRW, so I bought OEM TRW - I was shocked to see the factory installed Genuine TRW brake pads cracked up & separating from the metal plate... replaced all 4 corners with OEM TRW & those are messing up my rims with brake dust, so with such disappointments, no more TRW pads ever! A nice surprise for me is that I have a Duplicate A/C condenser (Taiwan?) installed in my car (30% price of the Genuine) and during the past 2 years of Dubai weather no issues what so ever. You guys didn't talk about head lights and tail lights specifically - what people are not aware about is that the light dispersion is very critical, having a poor quality reflector is a safety hazard, so I'd stick to Genuine only. Some headlights have leveling feature, where Duplicates like DEPO, etc will not have such features... There is also the topic of tires - use the same as factory installed or change to something else? ;) (long discussion needed)

[@NomadPoker1]

Never seen these "club" Michelin tires that Paul speaks of. It's pretty hard to get anything of subpar quality at Costco.

[@istvanmeissler2238]

I bought a top brand tire from Blaines Farm and Fleet for my Mercedes. It wasn’t something they normally carry, but their distribution channels could get it. So I ordered the tires. Why go though a farm store chain? They had a big sale. The tires came in “made in China”. I expressed unhappiness and the kid in charge of the tire department said “They are pretty much all made in China now.” Stupid uneducated statement by a little kid but I let them be installed. One tire failed after 4K miles. They refused to warranty it so I ordered one online and had a real tire store mount it. The “identical” replacement was made in Europe. I do wonder if there are “grades” of what appears to be the same tire.

[@KevinSmith-qi5yn]

But what if you have a Dodge and it has fitment and quality issues from the factory?

[@ChavezDIY]

This is a great topic. I've had to face this decision many times. Another factor is how old the car is. Anything under 5 yrs I would want to take best care of it. Cars over 10 yrs, well that's a diff story. Over 10 yrs old, you gotta think of its resale value and that would depend on if its a project car or a daily driver. OEM reconditioned is another option if the car is old and you don't want to pay OEM prices.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

so if its old you dont want safe parts?

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

This was very interesting. I learnt this the hard way, replacing ball joints over and over with cheap ones. Until I went for companies that make parts fo new cars.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

Get MevoTech, Terrain Tough if they make it or Supreme if they dont make the Terrain Tough

[@petermarino2915]

Personally, some OEM parts are better but some aftermarket parts are better. Since I'm a Ford guy, I'll use, say, a 2014 Ford Mustang GT. You can buy an OEM intake manifold from the 2012-2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 that's designed to work to it's fullest potential with the stock engine (aside from other OEM Boss 302 parts such as cylidner heads and camshafts). For aftermarket, they seem to be designed best when paired with the same brand or other aftermarket parts. An Eibach lowering spring kit will work best with a set of Eibach shocks. With a Ford OEM lowering spring, it will most likely work best with another Ford OEM shock or even stock. That's just my thought though.

[@scarface16134]

when you do the wookie build series can you please go over tdc and tips and tricks when you lose timing markings and ect, since nobody has really even done a in-depth view on this and teaching these solutions

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Ben Lawson great idea!!!

[@user-super-user]

depends on the vehicle but on a 1998-2010 1.9 sohc vw you can use the timing lockoff pin in the crank and one in the camshaft and the timing should be very close. you can then put the belt on, connect vcds and look at engine then torsion values, turn the engine over at check torsion is close to 0 and then you turn it off and adjust the camshaft to get it as close to 0 as you can (usually close to centre of the 3 bolts)

[@scarface16134]

andy ? well I'm meaning for a DOHC interference engine like in newer models

[@user-super-user]

exactly the same using timing pins to lock the cams, no need to use timing marks when you have something like vcds.

[@jackholle1229]

I drive a 22 year old 4x4 truck as my daily driver and frequently take it out in the bush or on the beach and thrash it around, things are always breaking on it and I’m always fixing it, i find that the difference between the cheep Chinese aftermarket stuff and the OEM is the longevity of the part, since I know my truck will die soon I always buy the cheapest part and they always have fitted for me I did my tyres rod ends about 12 months ago using the cheapest ones I could find, and have been thrashing my truck around in the bush and mud, the cheap parts have held up fine so far

[@ChunkyChipz]

Like plastic oem water pump to aftermarket metal water pump for the mkiv Jetta... it's matter of doing research.

[@AwesomenessIskey]

Stupid designs also like when chevy optra and aveos was using plastic pullies on the tensioners and having them snap. It really depends on the part.

[@phiksit]

I would never buy a VW... too many super expensive parts made out of PLASTIC... jesus. My sister gave me her 07 Passat with 134k miles on it. Thing had a ton of oil leaks. CV boots are leaking, of course. After tearing it down to find everything wrong I'm looking at almost a $1000 in parts alone just to fix the oil leaks, replace the timing belt and water pump... and that's with aftermarket parts. And since half the engine is apart now might as well do the heads and rings so add another $700+ for a vehicle that might be worth $3000 when your finished fixing everything. The rest of the car is in pretty good shape... but their engines suck ass. No thanks... selling it for $400. And the things get crappy gas mileage to boot.

[@LynxStarAuto]

I've never had luck with aftermarket axles on German cars. The FEQ axles stay away! I have had those literally fall out of the transmission a couple of days after the customer drove away. This was on a BMW.

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

Thank you!

[@GrandPrix46]

When it comes to sensors, I wouldn't use anything other than Delco or Delphi (I'm a GM guy), same for fuel pumps. I used an Airtex pump before and that thing crapped out in a year in my '00 Blazer, stuck a Delphi one in and it's been at least 6 years now with no issues. Definitely don't go cheap on parts that'll leave you stranded if they fail, the cost of a tow will eat up any potential savings of using the cheap part.

[@AwesomenessIskey]

Airtex is the worst company for fuel pumps. They all fail

[@devoywilliams5549]

get a fuel pump oem or junkyard, anything that can leave you stranded oem only.

[@stinkycheese804]

The short answer is ask a mechanic you trust, or ask in that model's web forum, what results others have had. Whether it be repair or modification, when talking about buying parts, someone has usually come before you and done it already. Having written that, besides body panels there are very few parts where you can't get an aftermarket part that's as good as OEM, for the same price or less, and yes as mentioned in the video that often means the same manufacturer made it, and your cost savings is from just skipping one or two layers of middleman markup.

[@Spykerswizzy]

Good video, should have talked about reman parts too. I bought a reman starter from Audi and the same part failed in 6 months

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

I could not agree more. I rather get the OEM part or at least aftermarket from a name brand like Bosh.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

generally speaking if its made in Germany, USA, Canada or Japan you're all set. Or just find out who made the specific part for the OEM and buy it directly from a major vendor like rockauto.com

[@Philzila702]

Great video guys! I appreciate it 🙂👍

[@p1mpjunior12]

That suspension brand he's referring to is MOOG. MOOG used to be quality and about 10 years ago their quality really took a dive

[@BoostedPastime]

Most of the time you get what you pay for. If you want to avoid headaches just bite the bullet and buy the OEM parts.

[@BoostedPastime]

This is coming from nearly a decade of experience.

[@merc340sr]

What I do....Find out who the OEM part manufacturer is for your car. Example: Exedy makes OEM clutches for Acura TSX. Then buy directly from the part manufacturer. Save a lot of money.

[@davncingilbert6662]

You generally get what you pay for, and that goes for lifespan of the part, as well as functionality.

[@am529]

I own a '93 vehicle and most OEM parts are ridiculously expensive for it, and very hard to find. When it comes to audio components, always aftermarket for me.

[@07HDDriver]

Good show, appreciate the insight!

[@Second_Insight]

Brakes: love OEM pads...always fit right and last long. Calipers: aftermarket usually as good as OEM cuz if reman, they are OEM. O2 sensors...what he said. Mufflers: OEM way too much $ for what you get.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

100% agreed, OEM exhaust piping and muffler forget it, foolish to buy OEM. Management like 02 sensors, yes get the OEM supplier part. I would say the same about basically any electrical or ignition component. Brakes, not agreed so much. Honda doesn't make brake pads, nor does VW or anyone. Almost all the worlds pads are made by either Centric or Bosch. If you're willing to spend the money for OEM branded brake pads just get EBC Red, probably the same or less money and will grab a lot harder often with lower dust and similar or longer life. I've done great with Duralast Max (Bosch made) low dust long life and good grab. Even after 20K+ miles of hard Boston Uber driving theyre not worn down a whole lot

[@GarthGoldberg]

Bosch EVAP purge valves sold at the VW dealer are Made in China. There's a lot of other parts coming down the pike that are also MIC.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Truth!

[@dbfcrell8300]

How come my Canada-made 1998 Corolla's OEM ball joints lasted 15 years w/o a problem but the Mevotech Supreme X Factors only lasted 1 year, the MOOG USAs only lasted 2 years and I'm still working on the ProForged that are on it now, but no way are they gonna last another year. "Meets Or Exceeds OEM Quality" is utter BS!

[@skylinefever]

I'm not sure. Do you have access to the Sankei 555 brand? They often are the best part for Japanese cars.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

everything else that the ball joint was connected to was also brand new, helping it last 15 yrs. when you replaced the ball joint did you also replace the steering knuckle, strut assembly and control arm...all with OE grade components

[@TheRetiredtech]

Costco tires are for sale are for the most part top quality. Any reputable tire company won't sell a piece not junk under their own name.

[@jbdoingjbstuff]

English?

[@NewLevelAuto]

All parts are subject to my Slogan N.E.W stands for Never Ever Works. (at least not on the first part) . I would say 40 percent of the vehicles I go out to diagnose at repair shops are burnt by new failed parts. No matter who makes it or distributed it, the item will still be subject to the fact that there is no longer any quality control.

[@NewLevelAuto]

And more importantly Happy Father's day!

[@ralfsautomotive]

That is nonsense, quality control does exist. You obviously don't know how the manufacturing process works. QC Department are not Engineers they just do what they are told to do. Most failed parts are a product of stuck up engineers that are to smart to be wrong.

[@891trigfoot]

from my experience some high end stuff fails and some cheap stuff lasts forever its all about luck thats why its important to learn to fix things yourself i mean these days with the info on the internet and youtube i cant believe there are still ppl out there that dont even know how to check oil

[@phiksit]

Oh, do cars still have dipsticks? 😁 Well, for the engine MAYBE. Remember the good ol' days when a car only burned oil because it was really old?

[@57WillysCJ]

Somethings to remember, parts even OEM have different manufacturers. Can be from Mexico, South America, and different Asian countries. One manufacturer makes a series and later the contract is let out to another company from a different country. Always with the idea of saving money. 30 years ago we liked to say after market was worse than the manufacturer brand when most of the time they did come from the same factory. Nowadays, it can be a crapshoot for parts. Many dealers use aftermarket parts from the local auto parts store and don't always say where it comes from. They don't hide the fact but they don't say where they got the parts. Truthfully most customers don't care. They want their car fixed at a low price. As to aftermarket body panels, fitting has been a problem for at least 40 years. Yes they use thinner materials, but also the stamping dies are wore out by the time an aftermarket company buys them. That is why most body shops try to use as much of the original material as possible and only as much of the aftermarket panel as necessary. Some places are now selling guaranteed OEM fit body panels. As I said it can be a crapshoot for quality.

[@multidimensionaltraveler806]

I have a 2002 accord as my toy, not daily driven. I grabbed the megan ez 2 coilover kit for it instead of the oem and i am not riding with altered ride height when i do drive it. Similar to oem parts cost and i can adjust stiffness,height,damper and much lighter than the heavy oem shocks and struts

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

almost did this with my Kia Forte as getting matching KYB front and rear was only a hundred bucks or so less but just got Monroe as the reviews of the Megan all said the ride was a lot stiffer over OEM

[@hyperlogos]

For most cars I don't give a damn, but amusingly when it comes to VAG it seems to matter a lot. It doesn't have to come from the dealer, but I do prefer the correct OE part in every case so far.

[@HumbleMechanic]

They get really fussy with some aftermarket parts. LOL

[@averyalexander2303]

Another consideration to me is whether I was happy with the OEM part before it failed. If something is a known problem and the OE hasn't resolved the issue, I'm probably not paying the price premium to get another flawed OEM part. But if the OEM part lasted 200K miles with no issues and just happened to wear out or fail from age or some type of damage, I will likely replace it with another OEM part if I can afford to. Also, remember that used OEM parts for things that don't normally wear out or fail like body panels is always a good option if it's in good condition and the price is right.

[@AwesomenessIskey]

For many things OEM vs aftermarket doesnt matter too much, but like he said, many body parts arent that great. Also alot of new companies are buying the cheapest shit from china, and rebadging them, like dorman. I bought two brand new aftermarket master cylinders one dorman, and one centric, and both failed and leaked. Most of the stuff I got from dorman also was shit too. Cardone is iffy. Some aftermarket brands though have better warranties, and depending on what it is, and price, I would go with it.

[@hondatrix]

Remember one thing, almost no OEM car Manufacturer makes their OWN parts..they all use suppliers..and these suppliers also need to make more profit by selling parts to the "aftermarket"..

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

Right, when researching who makes parts it can be difficult to get to the truth. Without a good forum who knows your specific car, it can be very hard to discover. It's guarded secret I suspect.

[@jerseyneil1]

I rely on Ebay for many parts. My daughter's VW windshield washer fluid motor blew. I went on Ebay and found another Chinese-made motor for $3, including free shipping. Put it in the car and it works fine. Not a critical part, why not take a chance.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Wow nice!!!

[@jaggass]

I only get aftermarket parts if genuine ones aren't available anymore.Genuine parts can be cheap you just have to look for good deals.

[@lwready]

Great show. Paul was excellent. Happy Daddy's Day.

[@Deutscheautoparts]

Thanks!

[@tomgoodman3476]

It's unfortunate it's become such a crapshoot. At the part store I was given a choice between a beck arnley air filter or a Mann with The Mann being more expensive. The beck arnley was just a reboxed Mann filter. Identical! I needed a new timing cover for a Toyota. List price at lordco was over 500 bucks. Parts guy said hold on let me see if I can do better.. managed to get it down to $250. That's a bit of a markup

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

to my knowledge BeckArnley does not actually make one single solitary thing. They are simply a sourcer and re badger. They buy stuff from whoever and just re badge it as BeckArnley...generally speaking you can get stuff less $ and better or same quality. Actually makers of stuff like Aisin, Nissin, MevoTech are what you want to buy and you can get a variety of parts for every application from rockauto.com and they often have multiple options for the same part

[@jlang8213]

Whoa! Was that a Veyron he was standing in front of?! Oh wait, it was just a Golf with a painted body panel. Almost had me fooled :p

[@ripptydevibes2581]

No time to watch but as a full time 15yr tech (now nusiness owner) of our shop I gotta say that OEM is typically going to be a better quality, cost aside. Take ball joints factory on cars last 200k miles, trucks last 100k miles on sealed OEM joints. Then look at the aftermarket ball joints with grease fittings. I cannot tell you HOW MANY ball joint/sway link/tie rod ends Ive put on cars with grease fittings and they ALL fail VERY prematurely. Largely due to ONE oil change forgetting to grease them. The truth about grease fitting joints in the aftermarket is that they KNOW and DONT WANT them to last you as long as OEM because they want you to have to buy another set as soon as possible. Bottom line, OEM parts are almost always going to be a better product.

[@dropdabeat442]

aftermarket is better product???

[@ripptydevibes2581]

@@dropdabeat442 I fixed it

[@dropdabeat442]

@@ripptydevibes2581 cool 👌

[@G1FREAKZ]

my rule is just dont go cheap with after market parts 😳🤣✌️🍺🇺🇸

[@motorcyclesandridingfree2899]

Very well said but there is one brand I can think of thats bad out the box and that would be dorman parts. Also what also happens for aftermarket parts is perceived quality as some wont install the part correctly and has parts failure. I prefer oe for anything electrical on a car but for other stuff I use proven stuff that works and provides as good of quality as a oe part. In most cases the parts only a few bucks cheaper as you do typically pay more for higher quality

[@treydaypnw]

Ya know what, i'm a Honda Fan big time Charles, and every single time I've used an after-market Distributor that came with an After-market igntion cap and rotor attached, my car idled and overall just ran rough and not as smoothly as before that. But literally as soon as I disconnect that battery and take that Junk out and replace those same items with Honda factory ignition components....the idle when stopped at a red light completely smoothed out and the car is more Peppy and seems just more efficient all the way around. Coincidence? I think Not. No way jose! About 95% of the time I'll just bite the bullet and get factory parts. You will guarantee save more money in the end.

[@rayt5520]

The parts on any car are proprietary the computer can pickup the difference much like using a ink cartridge in your printer just ink in a cartridge but the printer wont accept it .

[@skylinefever]

Often I find that aftermarket Honda distributors do work... For one year. The same thing applies to most Japanese cars I know. I'm not sure how it applies to German cars.

[@ryanscott3753]

Follow the money. Sometimes the aftermarket parts are a great deal. Sometimes the OEM parts suck. I know; I work at an automotive OEM on these issues. We often go to the aftermarket, because the OEM parts sometimes suck. The german tier 1 suppliers often supply garbage to the vehicle OEM. We have to deal with the german suppliers all the time for producing horrible designs. Dealing with the garbage products that come from Bosch and Pierburg is terrible. We fire a few purchasing agents each year for taking bribes from german suppliers to cover up problems. The german suppliers sometimes do a good job. When the german suppliers mess up (all the time), it is terrible to smack some sense into them. Look up "Bosched" on Urban Dictionary to understand. Just because a part is "OEM" that doesn't mean that it is good. We spend a lot of money to market overpriced OEM parts to end users. The little secret is that the "OEM" parts are very often not the parts that were put on the vehicle at the assembly plant. We use the same aftermarket suppliers all the time and box those as "genuine" OEM parts. Let the buyer beware. There is no easy answer.

[@crpth1]

+Ryan Scott - +1 on there's no easy answer. As a mechanical engineer worked a lot in the auto industry and I say that's more a common sense choice than anything else. All brands without any exception resource their components from several manufacturers sometimes two consecutive cars have different "OEM" supplied components in the same production line. :o) How's that for a surprise? LOL BUT within the same production there's really a difference between OEM or aftermarket. ex. Mercedes/AMG ignition coils demand >90% rate of approval in standard tests to be considered OEM. Below that go for aftermarket. And even below a much lower threshold than they are send to be recycled (garbage).This within the same factory. Bosch, Valeo, Lucas, Pieburg, Delphi, etc. are just examples of brands that supply OEM and aftermarket parts simultaneously. Let alone the Chinese copy cats that's usually even worse. ;-)

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

so basically everyone is being copulated with by the suppliers

[@frosty98412]

What do you think about aftermarket parts manufacturer that produces OEM stock parts? For example, Febi Bilstein making bushings or Eibach making stock springs or something similar in that manner. IMO I would go for that option because it is usually cheaper and "proven" good. But always, it just depends, ARP can make a rod bolt fail.

[@bobhilly546312156332]

3 things not to cheap out on wheels and tires breaks and steering don't cheap out on them

[@HumbleMechanic]

TRUTH!

[@skylinefever]

I don't always agree when tires are brought into the discussion. I have often dealt with OEM tires that are absolutely awful, and even basic replacements are better.

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

@@skylinefever Yes. For longevity, but not for drive quality. I was seeing a lot of new cars with worn out tires in just 2 years and a normal amount of miles to find out that many manufacturers get summer tires to make the car more impressive and they'll even make new tires with less tread just for new vehicles!

[@skylinefever]

@@DENicholsAutoBravado ​ DE Nichols On most cars in my family, OEM tires usually had all the lifespan, and noise of high performance tires with as much grip as the random crap people get from China, Thailand, and Indonesia these days. This happened to my mom's 1999 Honda CRV, 2002 Toyota Solara, and 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. My 2003 Saturn ION had garbage tires. My dad had garbage OEM tires on his 2007 Pontiac G6, and 2017 Honda Fit.

[@davepetrakos475]

Sometimes tires are not available and the factory has to substitute. Engineers typically have something that is required like ride comfort, handling or even it comes down to fuel economy. I did not like the tires that came on my Passat tdi and I have never complained about losing 3 - 4 mpg with tires that grip.

[@yanghu3592]

Ford Mustang S197 owner here. I always stick with aftermarket parts, since the OEM Motorcrap is not famous for reliability. Otherwise, I won't be looking for replacement. If a part wears out sooner than it supposes to be. It means the part is not very good. Why would you want another one?

[@05AcuraRSXtypeS]

As an insurance adjuster would take umbrage w/ your assertion that aftermarket body parts are not up to snuff. It really depends on the quality and reputation of the manufacturer. Especially if the parts are certified by an independent 3rd party for insurance use, those may need some minor work but i have seen OE stuff need to be tweeked too. It comes down to price, you get what you pay for but most of the time especially when dealing w/ insurance cert aftermarket parts OE just isnt worth it. Great vid though

[@jeremywhittler8591]

Watch ecs tuning. They will send you damaged returned products like broken hoses, scratched big brake kits, the wrong powdercoat wheels 2000$ later.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+jeremy whittler yikes

[@aaronanthonymoat]

I think OEM for most things Not through dealer though. Bosh I'd have no hesitation buying fuel pumps, sensors etc. Now when it comes to reliable manufactures specialising in clutches, timing kits, I'm not too sure if OEM is best. Give an example, gates trimming kit used a dual full bearing on a pulley while VW uses a single. With clutches, a reputable company which makes them day in and tests them must be genuinely good I'd say and could even be better than OEM.

[@makeminefreedom]

I tried to use aftermarket air and oil filters on my wife's 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT. The oil filter reduced power and the air filter caused engine noise. I had to use OEM parts to make the vehicle operate correctly. Manufacturers know what we are doing so they are designing vehicles with parts that can't be interchanged.

[@HumbleMechanic]

WOW!

[@kingplatano1592]

Oil filters can’t reduce power

[@kingplatano1592]

And air filters don’t cause engine noise the air box was probably clamped down wrong because you have to understand oil filters and air filters are bought in from stp which is owned by autozone which is the main part supplier for air/oil filters and brake pads to car manufacturers you must remember the dealership is just a middle man

[@kingplatano1592]

makeminefreedom my point is that oil doesn’t directly effect power it’s only cylinder lubricantion for example when a car loses oil pressure it doesn’t lose power but it does cause the engine to seize

[@elvism684]

@@kingplatano1592 Oil does affect power on certain vehicles. Especially having low levels/flow of oil. Some vehicles use Variable Valve timing that is activated by oil/oil flow like Honda older VTEC engines.

[@Darksyne]

If you pay more to get something better quality and performs better than OEM specs then go for it. Brakes and oil filters are great examples if you get premium name brand parts.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

I get K&N oil filters because its damn near impossible to crush one and SuperTech Synthetic as it's made by Champion labs (Mobil1) air filters usually FRAM and I replace every 10k with the oil

[@Arentoft88]

The ZF group are the biggest deliver of VAG group original parts

[@jamespn]

On Volkswagen cars, don’t use gates belts and aftermarket strut mount bushings, because they don’t fit, get OEM. OEM brake pads are too soft and wear out too soon, I’ve used TRW brake pads from World PAC for much less and they worked well. OEM wiper blades actually fit on VWs, aftermarket wipers have unsightly plastic adapters and perform poorly. For filters and fluids, Mann and Pentosin brands are good alternative to OEM. On tires, Continental, Michelin, or Yokohama worked well for me.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

dude if you have a VW get the Bilstein sports, spend the money get the best. I wish Bilstein made those for my Forte but Monroe was the best available. I almost bought a VW simply because Bilstein made their sport line for them. You will only buy the parts once but you will drive the car every day over a million bumps and corners. Get thew Bilsteins

[@suggesttwo]

Always buy the cheapest part that will work. I had a Moog upper ball joint fair after 3 months and the cheapest part lasted 5 years, the life of the vehicle. brake parts likewise, soft pads are gentler on the rotors. I got burned on not using the cheapest softest pads because of a sticking caliper which also ruined the a rotor. -this was the first time a caliper seized on me.

[@sirwhitecrayon2499]

Much of the reason that after market OE replacement parts exist is due to the insurance market. Cheaper to fix.

[@jonathancawley8178]

I have an old BMW (2006 Z4 3.0si), BMW wanted €605 for an alternator, the Bosch part was €415. The original part with the BMW sticker had the exact same Bosch part number stamped underneath. At time of posting that represents over $200 difference for the exact same part. I live in France, they call them 'voleurs', and do not mention their $225 per hour labour rates (sorry ...labor) or you will get a 4 page rant.

[@lauramclin4293]

Hi Joanthan, I have a 2004 325i BMW. It needs a lot of work and I really can't afford it . I will need to buy aftermarket parts. I pay $102.00 a hr. labor. I live in Arizona.

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

@ISSA VIBEZ I like to take the part no's I find on a quality part, even OEM from Rock Auto over to Amazon. Saves some customer's 75% of their money, but today Amazon was 25% more. It depends.

[@LucasEHonda]

Honda OEM Oil Filters are made by FRAM. The Tough Guard FRAM at best which is junk. Yet an Aftermarket Oil Filter like Mobil 1 performs much better and is made of better quality parts. Mobil1 = $10 Honda OEM = $6

[@kingplatano1592]

Stp air and oil filters are better replacements as well in my opinion

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

K&N virtually indestructible, you'll appreciate that if youve ever had an oil filter crush on you and you have to get really creative to get it off

[@jd-py5nm]

did not realize that the costco michelin tires were not as good as michelin elsewhere I was gonna spring for some michelins from them for our car glad I didn't

[@skylinefever]

I wasn't aware either. However, I often encounter Goodyear tires at Walmart that are cheaper and don't perform as well as the Goodyear tires sold by major tire dealers.

[@91rss]

Oil filters and fuel filters on the higher performance cars like the TDI's are one area we see filters like Man etc as oem supplied just in another box.

[@cyrilasfrenchyaz]

I've seen that a lot of shops actually buy parts from Autozone as they come with a lifetime warranty. CV axles for instance is one of them. These are critical parts. I don't blame them as I do the same on my car with Dorman, TYC, Beck Arnley... however none of the shops beside the dealer will put OEM parts in order to make you believe you are getting a good deal. CV axle from Honda for a Mazda 6 is $350 vs $60 for third party.... that doesn't include labor. I guess it comes down to if you have the money or not. If you do, buy the OEM, if not go with the aftermarket.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

@Isaiah rockauto.com will poften tell you if a part is/was the original part. I bought Denso coils for my Forte as they said those were the OEM supplier

[@Jwoodard9101]

Agreed.. In my experience you really do get what you pay for. I'd always pay more for OEM, unless it is a part improvement for a factory prone failure..

[@chicken29843]

I've yet to find an after-market part with rubber that doesn't fall apart within six months that is cheaper than the factory option

[@ColeHannah]

2 quotes i follow You get what you pay for do it right or do it twice I have a mk5 2.5 jetta grills and such is china made and works fine I replace bolts with oem ones I agree get oem body parts and head lights and taillights are hit or miss with aftermarket aftermarket suspension: the more you pay the better the product is, when replace oem failed stuff i usually go for OE copies and they work just fine so far anything involving engine thats not performance i always go oem sometimes a aftermarket solution is better, example: 2.5 vacuum pumps and the big websites like ecstuning, urotuning, dap, etc usually dont sell crappy parts so if your unsure just buy off them

[@Britishfever456]

I think it's quite difficult even for the 'enthusiast' to find out who the original parts manufacturers are. This is complicated by the fact that VW change companies. For example, in my petrol car the spark plugs were NGK so I assumed on the diesel it would be NGK too only to find out Beru supplied the original glow plugs. Most people would happily pay less for original parts costing less, minus the branding, but we don't have access to the information. I'm thinking whether these companies are under any regulations not to disclose that they supplied the parts to VW?? There needs to be more transparency and companies who do supply VW need to say 'we supply such and such part for this model of car'.

[@jeremyjeremy8795]

pull one out and say "gimme 4 of these"

[@winnabegobob1547]

I only buy dealer parts I learned the hard way

[@heavymechanic2]

Regardless of what you replace, high quality is always my choice because I really dislike doing the same job again due to cost savings. I went to GM to buy axle seals, they gave me CR seals in a GM package; that turned me away from OEM for most repair parts. Insurance companies are a joke demanding the repair decision is made by price alone and don't care about quality.

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

I've worked insurance repairs before and I've been required to put some super cheap parts in, or I've had to go back to them and say, hey. That part you made me get doesn't fit. In that scenario the mechanic and the customer loses. The worst of it was when it took days longer to get the repair done because we kept getting parts which didn't fit! (Obviously, at this point, it was much more than the insurance being cheap. The parts stores seem all to collaborate on occasion and they all have the same mistake in their databases.)

[@kingplatano1592]

heavymechanic2 you have to remember tyres are bought in by manufacturers same as brakes and suspension (with the exception of control arms) after market doesn’t mean low quality it just means your buying straight from the supplier not the middle man being the dealership cause remember there are no Toyota brand tires or Honda brand shocks most Japanese companies get their shocks from Monroe/kyb/duralast remember that most oe parts suppliers are Bosch denso and Ngk which you can get from parts stores the problem is dealerships and mechanics use this lie of after market is cheap and shitty to get the consumer to pay more and mechanics end up ordering aftermarket anyway one more thing after market usually tends to be waaaaay better than oem because they’re tested to be better but an oem manufacturer will never tell you this cuz they lose money so ppl get tricked

[@multidimensionaltraveler806]

The aftermarket parts i believe end up being similar on cost to oem parts. The aftermarket parts that meet or exceed oem standards, not those cheap aftermarket items.

[@slammingrann]

oh crap! I have a b5.5 Passat and was just about to buy an aftermarket cv axle ... not anymore haha, Thanks!

[@themechanic6117]

in my time in a body shop , nothing fits and looks better than oem body's panels.

[@toddbob55]

Ive never bought an autozone part/Aftermarket....that lasted as long as OEM....original parts are muuuuch better.

[@kingplatano1592]

Todd bob you have to remember tyres are bought in by manufacturers same as brakes and suspension (with the exception of control arms) after market doesn’t mean low quality it just means your buying straight from the supplier not the middle man being the dealership cause remember there are no Toyota brand tires or Honda brand shocks most Japanese companies get their shocks from Monroe/kyb/duralast remember that most oe parts suppliers are Bosch denso and Ngk which you can get from parts stores the problem is dealerships and mechanics use this lie of after market is cheap and shitty to get the consumer to pay more and mechanics end up ordering aftermarket anyway one more thing after market usually tends to be waaaaay better than oem because they’re tested to be better but an oem manufacturer will never tell you this cuz they lose money so ppl get tricked

[@kingplatano1592]

Autozone supplies most parts to manufacturers mainly brake pads air and oil filters tires are bought in and most components are bought in for example that “oem” part u buy from Toyota if u look closely it actually says denso on it Here’s a list Mopar/penzoil Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Ngk/denso all Japanese cars Bosch most car manufacturers mainly European auto makers No car company makes their own parts

[@kingplatano1592]

Also all these parts can be bought by an autozone only difference is ur getting them straight from the supplier

[@hawk67always11]

He said it perfect "if your going to not keep it long term then go and save money and if your planning on keeping it long term then pay more" hey I have a question how long can a modern vw last b4 you should get rid of it example my 2013 tiguan 93k miles. I love the tiguans but so hard last year alone had to replace the water pump (plastic wtf), timing chain and now the turbo do to that stupid cheap valve that connects to the waste gate actuator and I'm thinking about how much longer I should keep it and thoughts????

[@superdave2316]

One important thing to know is that shops will often recommend changing the same parts on the opposite side of the vehicle at the same time. This is just a money grab. Depending on it's use no two parts wear the same or at the same rate. eg; I changed the front left (bearing) hub on my diesel F250. The dealer said I should change the other one at the same time. I didn't and that was six years ago. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[@HumbleMechanic]

It 100% depends on the part. I wouldn’t do that for a wheel bearing but brakes, shock absorbers, probably suspension bushings.

[@superdave2316]

Good point. Maybe I should have clarified my statement to say; not including safety and handling parts. Great video.