In general, spare parts can be divided into two large groups:
original spare parts. These spare parts are distributed through official representatives of car manufacturers. They always have the original packaging and markings of the vehicle manufacturer. The quality meets all requirements and is guaranteed by the car manufacturer. The official representative of the car manufacturer has all spare parts for this car in stock. If any part is not in the warehouse of the representative, it will be delivered from the central warehouse in a short time.
Non-original spare parts. Definition "non-original" says nothing about the quality of spare parts. This means that they are not sold in the packaging of the car manufacturer and are not distributed through official car dealers. The main backbone of this group is well-known manufacturers of spare parts that supply parts to the assembly lines of automakers. Since their equipment and technologies allow the production of parts for cars of many other manufacturers, they produce parts not only for the assembly line of one or more car assemblers, but also for sale on the free market. These parts are packaged and labeled by the manufacturer of the part. The quality is as good as OE parts and prices can be much lower than OE (the difference can reach up to 50% in favor of non-original). The range is a little more modest than that of original spare parts. The program includes the most running and most demanded parts.
Many major Western parts dealers use their own packaging, buying a wide range of non-genuine parts in bulk directly from manufacturers and selling them under their own brand. Non-original spare parts are usually distributed through free spare parts stores, free auto repair shops and service stations.
Particular attention should be paid to the quality of purchased spare parts. Avoid buying very cheap spare parts (compared with original and non-original well-known firms), because they often do not meet quality and safety standards. If low quality decorative molding only affects the appearance of the car, then installing low quality brake pads or an oil filter can pose a threat to passenger safety or cause great damage to the engine, so that repair costs are many times higher than the amount saved by buying a cheap part. Therefore, you should use either the services of official representatives (original parts), or well-established sellers of non-original spare parts.
There is also the possibility of purchasing refurbished parts, in which case you return the old part. This primarily applies to complex, expensive parts such as an engine, generator, starter, etc. This opportunity is sometimes offered by both official representatives and free sellers of spare parts. It also saves some of your money, in most cases quite a lot. At the same time, the company selling the restored unit gives almost the same guarantee on it as on a new one.
Spare parts identification
The car manufacturer is constantly improving its products, constantly making changes to the design. It may happen that within the same series and one version of the car, some components and assemblies may differ slightly from each other, and a spare part from one, for example, an earlier version will not be suitable for another. Therefore, when purchasing spare parts, it is very important to provide the seller with the most complete information about the car. The more accurate information you provide about your car, the less likely it is to make a mistake.
In addition to the standard set of data, including the year of manufacture, body type, body version, chassis number (VIN number), engine number, etc., the seller may be interested in the following data: Whether any additional equipment is installed on the car (e.g. additional heater, more powerful generator, air conditioner).
Gearbox type.
Is there a catalytic converter?
Type of fuel injection system, etc.
Location of the part.
If, for any reason, there are no documents reflecting this information, it is recommended to consult specialists about this, for example, by visiting the company center. Sometimes, when buying a particular spare part, it is very useful to take with you the old part to be replaced for comparison.