[1100D]

Is it upto the manufacturers to decide whether OEM parts of a certain vehicle will also be available outside the manufacturer authorised service points. Sometimes it gets into monopolistic trade practices when parts for a certain vehicle are not legally available on the outside shops. Or is there a guideline stating OEM parts have to be released on an open market.

Another question is, what happens to spare parts that are replaced under warranty by the dealer workshop. Do they get back to the manufacturer, or they are left for the dealer workshop to dispose/junk off. In the later case there is a good possibility that replaced parts can be recycled on warranty replacements after minor repairs and the fresh parts released to the grey market.

Why I am asking this is that I am quite baffled by the repeated failure of the parts replaced on my Ikon. Workshop says, thats how they arrive from the company, but I beg to disbeleive.

[mclaren1885]

Well its been confirmed that now Maruti has stopped selling spares through their showrooms. One or two dealers have been appointed for every city and they will be solely responsible for the selling of spares out to the open market.

All parts replaced under warranty are sent back to the company for verification etc.

[nitrous]

Some manufacturers are very greedy with their spares division.

Recently,i was overhauling my ikon's steering components.
And the OE lower arm aka track control arm was not available anywhere.
I checked with Ford ***(literally) and they quoted 6500 for both.
I went back to my open-market and checked out the "imported" stuff he had.
It was from a company called FormPART. I checked their website(formpart.com) and it looked legitimate.

If Ford supplied OE spares to the open market, i wouldn't go anywhere.But, look at what they've done.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by nitrous

I went back to my open-market and checked out the "imported" stuff he had.
It was from a company called FormPART. I checked their website(formpart.com) and it looked legitimate.

Did you get the lower arm there? (part no 1509032/33?)

In anycase isn't this quite a ploy to force the customer to do business with just the manufacturers point once he/she has made the mistake of choosing a particular manufacturers product.

Availability of parts in the open market should be a big judgemental fact in buying cars, especially for cars that venture out of town on long drives.

[paras211]

same problem when i wanted synthetic oil
the showroom guys wont put it in for me and the filter wasnt available . i got a filter that leaked a lil and then the showrom guys replaced it.

[1100D]

One question, are manufacturers obligated to share parts drawings?

[dadu]

Originally Posted by 1100D

One question, are manufacturers obligated to share parts drawings?

Not that I am aware of, why would they share the drawings with the end-customer ???, the manufacturers need to know for sure.

[razor4077]

Sourced a bunch of parts for my Lancer recently. Getting these at the authorized workshop would have cost me a lot more. In fact, a lot of the OEM parts are available, legally, outside.

Case in point:
Sumitomo (Lancer OEM) front brake pads cost >2000 in an HM workshop, while it cost me 900-odd outside.

But many of Mitsubishi's parts are not available easily in the open market. I found this out the hard way when I had to get spares for my engine. The same applies to Skoda.
Replacement parts (OEM or otherwise) for companies like Maruti, Tata, Hyundai and Mahindra are fairly easily obtainable.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by razor4077

Replacement parts (OEM or otherwise) for companies like Maruti, Tata, Hyundai and Mahindra are fairly easily obtainable.

Thats the entire intent of this thread, that why should not the parts of ALL the manufacturers be available in the open market. The manufacturers that are not the above few want to enjoy monopolistic practices and its always best to avoid their cars UNLESS they have parts released outside. The USP for the authorised workshops should be the car specific competencies and hence they will always enjoy a preference.

Question though is, isnt there any ruling that parts SHOULD be available outside, and if not OEM , then shouldn't "drawings" be made available on demand.

[V-16]

This has been the Jap strategy from day one even in the US just like in India. Give em cheap cars but jack em on the spares.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by V-16

This has been the Jap strategy from day one even in the US just like in India. Give em cheap cars but jack em on the spares.

Quite right , sum of spares will out run the cost of the car!

[narayan]

i think all warranty parts are to be returned to company as mcl said and not under warranty shud be returned to customer...

anyway 1100D , all though u mite have a point - i guess, any company would want to make a steady stream of revenue out of these parts atleast for a few years after which they might permit their suppliers to offer part of their production to open market also....( with margins on new car sales shrinking i guess they dont have a choice )...

p.s - I DONT WORK FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY !

[nitrous]

Did you get the lower arm there? (part no 1509032/33?)

Yes. Part No. 1509049/50.

[gr8guzzler]

Ford also does not sell it's parts over the counter, you need to get the part replaced at the Ford showroom. My A/C condenser coil needed to be replaced and it was available at the Ford showroom. But when I dropped in to pick it up they told me that they don't sell it over the counter, I need to get the car to the showroom and get it replaced there.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by dadu

Not that I am aware of, why would they share the drawings with the end-customer ???, the manufacturers need to know for sure.

Not to share with the end-customer, but to outside part manufacturers/vendors. PAL HM parts were replicated outside, not that their quality was of something to talk of, but their presense itself kept the OEM prices in check.

There will be a lot of such vendors wanting to do FORD parts.