[greenhorn]

I had this doubt when I was reading the mahle filters thread. Usually you can get commonly used parts (filters, suspension etc bits) from both the OEM manufacturer and the Auto manufacturer as their own branded spares (Tata Original Parts/MGP/SGP). If you are getting your car repaired outside, they what difference does this make ? Often they charge a hefty premium, so what is the advantage they bring, especially in non critical functions ?
Some of the answers I've heard are
1. to ensure genuineness - But then wouldnt it work both ways - the parts manufacturer can add holograms etc, and the auto manufacturer's packaging can be imitated too
2. Better spec/quality/tolerances - Is this true?

[ankitahuja]

Some aftermarket products are even better than OEM goods. The main reason to select and use OE is that they are 'trusted' and 'appointed' by the car manufacturers.

Any problem arising in future due to usage of non OEM spares can be easily deemed a fault by the consumer and the company can refuse to take responsibility in that case.

It is definitely an option to use non OEM brands BUT with careful knowledge of the aftermarket manufacturer's quality and reputation!

[StrangeWizard]

Some MGP parts are not exactly Maruti parts. When I visited the showroom I saw Sony headunits and JBL speakers and Philips (IIRC) bulbs too branded as MGP.
Perhaps they mean to say that these are the parts recommended by the Company.

There is a huge price difference if you buy from the Company directly or from the aftermarket.
But I would use non-OEM parts only if my car is out of warranty, because it would be really easy for the company to dishonour my warranty otherwise.

Sometimes, getting the parts used by the company directly from the suppliers is also an option. When my Chevy Spark's crank sensor failed and the car refused to start I sourced the original Seimens sensor for 2300 from the supplier whereas the A.S.S quoted 1800 for the same Seimens sensor. (Rs 500 difference)
However I opted to get it directly from outside because it saved my time and if I would want it from the a.s.s then I would have to tow my car from my home to the a.s.s. (1500 bucks) + wait for 5 days as said by the SA.

[anujmishra]

More than anything, it is their business practice and earning hefty margin from OEM spares. Most of the (steady)revenue comes from sales and service not from the car sales. So, if they do not scare people about using spares (even for non-critical ones) from outside, they will be loosing lots of revenue.

During one international flight, I met one gentleman, who supplies bolts of 3 - 4 sizes to Hyundai in Korea. He had factory somewhere in NCR region. He told me that most of the time supplier supplies such items to manufacturer less than cost price due to huge competition. He told me example that cost price of one such bolt is 1.65 Rupee each, he was supplying to Hyundai for 1.10 Rs. each, bearing 55 paise of loss for each.

But he is authorized to supply same bolts to service centers at much higher price. So, much of his revenue comes from service center, not from manufacturer. If he had backed off for supplying to Hyundai due to loss, he would have lost the supply to service center as well. He also said that during all meetings with manufacturer there was pressure to lower the rate further, as much of the competition waiting outside.

This may be the reason for higher price of OEM spares at service centers as it includes::
Recovery of loss while same item supplied to manufacturer+
his profit+
car manufacturer profit+
service center profit+
govt. tax.

[MrinalSinha]

The question which arises here is - how do you figure out the OEM manufacturer for your cars? How do you verify that the quality which you are buying as OEM is at par with the manufacturer's part? Just to begin - I own a Hyundai Accent GLE and a Toyota Corolla AT GL. How do I find OEM part say - brake pads or Air filter for my cars?

[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by MrinalSinha

The question which arises here is - how do you figure out the OEM manufacturer for your cars?

Generally there is no mark of OEM part manufacturer in OEM packing. I think they deliberately do that. If you know company details, you can go to open market and buy such parts at much discounted rate.

I think, there should be one clause present in contract between part manufacturer and car manufacturer that "There should not be any markings or identification in their packing for parts deemed to open market, so that it can identify their brand as OEM manufacturer". This is strategy for their business to succeed.

Apart from lighting parts(Lucas, Neolite), I never saw marking of parts manufacturer in OEM packing or on parts itself.

[greenhorn]

Let me clarify - For example take an air filter. I buy a Tata genuine part from a tata parts shop, It turns out to be of gates make, and gates sell the same item under their own brand, and it is cheaper. Now is there any reason why I should buy the one in Tata Original Packaging as opposed to the Gates one

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

It turns out to be of gates make, and gates sell the same item under their own brand, and it is cheaper. Now is there any reason why I should buy the one in Tata Original Packaging as opposed to the Gates one

Simple, if you are sure that it is the same item, you need not buy from the manufacturer e.g. TATA, as essentially both are the same.

If not sure, it is advisable not to try this on your personal vehicle.

Spike

[Jeroen]

Simply put, there isn't a car manufacturer in the world that allows you to put non original parts on their car during the warranty period. You put something else on they void the warranty as soon as you would make any warranty claim.

Car manufactures will point out their original parts are more expensive as they have put more research into it, better specification, quality control etc. In theory it's probably true. But it's also true that if you can get your hands on the respective OEM part you buy the exact same part, most likely at a much lower cost.

On most cars it is not that difficult to find the OEM's. In the States and Europe you could walk into any car parts store and they have all that information in the computer. Car clubs know tend to know too, and on the internet you can find just about anything.

Often it will leave you with a bewildering choice of different OEM manufacturers. It is very difficult to make an educated choice if you get offered ten different oil filters for your car, ten different OEMs and ten different prices.

The highest price doesn't necessarily get you the best part. So again, you need to rely on some research. Most car forums will have various threads on oil filters and you will find a wealth of information, preference and experience. youtube is another interesting source. Search for oil filter and you'll get to a few video's where several filters get taken apart and analyzed as part of a quality review.

When I owned my Jeep Cherokee in the US, I frequented a number of Jeep Cherokee forums. Lots of information on parts and particularly what OEMs not to use. For instance Cherokee have fuel pumps that don't last particularly long. So a lot of info which OEM's fuel pump to avoid, backed up by a lot of members hands on experience.

For parts such as oil filter, air filter, brake pads, spark plugs etc, say all consumables you could also just check the home page of some of the recognized A-brands. If the Bosch site shows it has the respective part for your car, you can be sure it'll be fine.

Just to add another dimension: Counterfeit Spare Parts.

Truth be told, this is now at a scale we should probable worry more about whether we are getting a counterfeit part versus a genuine. Whether it's manufacturer, OEM or other. See http://www.cpa.gov.eg/Workshop2010/CAP.pdf

Bit of a sobering thought, this 2010 report claims that between 32-47% of the car parts in India, by value, are fake.

Jeroen

[mayankjha1806]

The other area you mentioned is suspensions, i replaced mine with SGP and they did not last more than 10K kms. Considering the new ones lasted me about 55K odd Kms this sure looks to me fake, but now i cannot do anything. They are due for replacement and this time i am not going to replace them with SGP parts (Whats the point paying so much and getting sub standard parts.

I my view if you can ensure that the parts are authentic then there is no reason to buy Manufacturer branded ones.

[1self]

Consumable parts like brake pads, disks, plugs, bushings etc should ALWAYS be brought from OEM dealerships or a manufacturer who supplies such OEM dealers.

Of late though, even the OEM parts suppliers are feeling the price pressure, as the manufacturing cost keeps increasing but the market competition keeps prices in check. Thus, even the OEM suppliers are resorting to 'relatively' cheaper supplies to maintain their margins. This results in less than ideal working life of the products.

Lets face it. Few people (excluding petrol heads) want to pay higher prices for parts. This cheaping out is universal, so the markets react to it by offering cheaper products. This vicious circle has become a whirlpool with consumers as the ultimate losers.

If you were to buy OEM bushings, suspension components etc., they will NOT last you the period the original ones did. That is pretty much a given.

OEM parts will ALWAYS be safer, because they are built to standards required by the car makers & a close 'quality' watch is kept on batches of parts with each supplier. Thus, suppliers are less inclined to cheat because if they are caught they will immediately be black listed & will lose BIGTIME on future bisuness.

[tanwaramit]

OEM parts are a standard for any car, as any car company doesn't manufacture all the parts, rather procures it from such OEMs.

I have seen parts of Clutch, Fuel Pump etc in OEM packing at my Hyundai Authorized Service Center.

No doubt, procuring them from market will be that much cheaper, only if you know a good installer to fit it.

[Grr7]

I am a bit finickle when it comes to that complete look of my car w/o a compromise. Recent instances have made me instill my faith in none other than MGP spares for my beloved Maruti Zen. :

1. LH Headlamp Assembly: Knowing a person at Kashmere Gate, I specifically requested genuine Lumax headlamp come at whatsoever price. Got it at Rs.900 (with all the holograms, neatly packed in Lumax box sans a pukka bill) but am not able to adjust the beam despite all the efforts by me/A.S.S/independent garage. Of late, I have seen some dust gathering inside the assembly too(the back plastic dust cover is properly installed), Now, have I been to MGP outlet/A.S.S, I would have got the genuine headlamp assembly for Rs.1200 with their headache in case the installed piece had a focusing defect. The only option to me now is to get the headlamp replaced with a Rs.1200 lamp, so total damage is Rs.1200+Rs.900 so far!

2. Rear Shocks: Went for some waxpol shopping in the Model Town automobile market. Thought to purchase rear shocks as the tyres been fouling with arches lately. Was skeptical to purchase non OEM, the trusted shopkeeper ensured not to worry as the shocks are 100% genuine. Bought them, took them to trusted mechanic for replacement, and found that a brand new shocker with all holograms/seals/plastics is non-functional i.e. moving freely as compared to other one. Returned the shockers, got my money refunded and now waiting for MGP shocks. MGP shocks are Rs.650 each(MRP) while the non OEM ones(forgot the brand name, but was very reputed one) were for Rs.900 a pair sans pakka bill.

3. Wiper body rubber cover: Was not able to locate it anywhere despite all the attempts. Owing to its next to none cost (Rs.7 was MRP at MGP), none of the shopkeepers were interested in locating and selling one. Got it from MGP where they easily searched it on the computer inventory and voila, I got my part.

4. Fuse box cover: My friend's new swift lost its fuse cover during one of the services which was discovered later. In open market, only the complete assembly was offered while our requirement was just for a cover. Went to MGP and we were able to procure the cover @ Rs310 and 7.5% discount.


To add to this, my nearby MGP outlet (Northend Distributors) have become a friend with frequent purchases. So, now I am offered a 7.5% discount and complete peace of mind. I am not sure of other manufacturers, but when it comes to Maruti, MGP still is a very feasible option.

The point is that market is full of fakes/replicas. And howsoever vigilant we may remain, the chances of getting a duplicate part are high. No pukka bill in this unorganised sector further adds to the problem. Shopkeepers are known to offer a verbal guarantee (forget warranty, u get a guarantee on everything!) only to retract from their statements in case a problem arises.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

Some of the answers I've heard are to ensure genuineness

Could be because of how strong the manufacturer is in fighting / controlling counterfeit parts.

E.g. Maruti sources parts from ABC supplier. But ABC is too small to prevent fake ABC parts from entering the market in all the corners of India. Maruti, on the other hand, has an army of field staff whose only job is to ensure that counterfeit MGP products are buried immediately (along with their makers).

Originally Posted by ankitahuja

Some aftermarket products are even better than OEM goods.

Many of the replacement parts (evaporator, engine mounts, front dampers etc.) I bought for the C have lasted far longer than the OEM stuff. This is definitely down to rigid cost control measures by car makers. Some of them bring suppliers down on their knees. For instance, a typical hatchback tyre is bought by the factory for 300 bucks. Is there a difference in this tyre, and what you buy in the open market for Rs. 3,000? I would think so.

My Auto Mech exhaust has also lasted longer than the OEM Mahindra or Honda exhausts.

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

Considering the new ones lasted me about 55K odd Kms

55,000 is actually a very good suspension life. The components are usually out of their "optimal damping" range by 50,000. To ensure the best ride & handling, you must get a suspension overhaul at the 50K mark.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by GTO

55,000 is actually a very good suspension life. The components are usually out of their "optimal damping" range by 50,000. To ensure the best ride & handling, you must get a suspension overhaul at the 50K mark.

Hi GTO!

What do you mean by a suspension overhaul? What all is changed in this overhaul?

Does the service center prompt me for it or should I have to go and get it done? My car has done 73K in 1 year 10 months. So it is ideal for me get the overhaul done?

Going by the ride I find it OK and not much difference so what could be the possible indications for an overhaul?

Anurag.