Choosing The Right Parts For European Car Repair: OEM vs Aftermarket

The most common fear we hear from car enthusiasts looking to jump from American to European cars is the availability of parts. While brands like Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz do have manufacturing plants across the US and North America to help make getting repair parts as easy as it would be with an American car, exotic brands like Aston Martin, McLaren, and Ferrari have to ship parts over from Europe. This raises the question when the time comes to look at European car repair , should you stick to OEM, or is aftermarket a better option?

Understanding OEM and Aftermarket

Before discussing each product class’s positives and negatives, we need to understand what OEM and aftermarket mean. Original Equipment Manufacturers, or OEMs, are either the vehicle manufacturer themselves or parts companies contracted to the manufacturer of your vehicle to supply parts for both new vehicle assembly and repairs. OEM parts are original replacement parts made to the manufacturer’s specifications and are usually branded with the manufacturer’s logo. Neither improve nor worsen your car’s overall performance and are almost exclusively available through dealerships. Examples of OEMs are Bosch, Hella, Getrag, and Magnetti Marelli.

Aftermarket parts are made by manufacturers not necessarily associated with the original manufacturer. While aftermarket parts are designed to fit your vehicle, they are often made to a different quality and specification than their OEM equivalents to improve performance, change the vehicle’s looks, or offer a cheaper alternative to repairing your vehicle.

Some brands, like Bosch and Hella, are OEM and aftermarket brands, as they often offer multiple parts for the exact same vehicle.

Pros And Cons Of OEM

Many automotive enthusiasts believe only OEM parts should ever be fitted to a vehicle to keep the purity of the manufacturer’s intentions alive. There is sound logic in sticking with OEM parts, as you are guaranteed a known level of quality, the parts will be a direct fit, and your car won’t need any further modification to make the parts work.

The downside of OEM parts are they often come with a high price tag with no improvement to the car, and if the part is prone to failure, replacing the part won’t solve the issue unless the manufacturer has revised the part’s design.

Pros and Cons Of Aftermarket Parts

From cheaper repair costs to improved performance parts and unique styling, aftermarket parts give manufacturers options. Some aftermarket manufacturers go as far as to design their parts to fix known flaws in their OEM counterparts, such as APR’s R1 aluminum diverter valve, which is a go-to replacement for the failure-prone plastic diverter valve found in many turbocharged Volkswagen and Audi engines.

The downside of aftermarket parts is that they aren’t always guaranteed to fit your vehicle. We’ve seen our fair share of body kits that must be trimmed, nipped, and tucked to fit correctly. When going with aftermarket performance parts, they often need supporting modifications and tunes to make them work properly. Furthermore, fitting aftermarket parts will often void any warranty you had left on your vehicle.

Which Is Better?

Choosing between OEM and aftermarket for your European car repair comes down to personal preference. If you want to keep your car as original as possible, there’s no substitute for OEM parts. Want to add some personal flair to your car? Improve your car’s performance? Then it’s time to look at the aftermarket. We recommend that you research any aftermarket products you are interested in to ensure that the company is reputable and that fitting their part to your vehicle won’t cause any complications down the line.

European Car Repair Center In Pompano Beach

Foreign Affairs Motorwerks is South Florida’s go-to shop for all European car repair and modification needs. We have been in the repair game since 1978 and are uniquely situated to source and secure all your OEM and aftermarket parts. With our team of ASE-certified mechanics, you can rest assured knowing your vehicle is in safe hands and that all your repairs and maintenance will be done right the first time. Don’t delay; call us at (954) 746-0488 today to book your car in!