Whatever make or model of motor vehicle you drive and for whatever the purpose that you use it – you need a multitude of different components if it is to remain in running order. Many of these components can and will fail over time through simple fair wear and tear. Others might be broken in a collision or become damaged through misuse. Whatever the cause may be, the failed components have to be repaired or replaced before the vehicle can be confidently driven again.
The Cost Of Repair And Replacement
The motor car is not like so many of today’s consumable products where the brand new item is sold as a loss leader so that its manufacturer can reap big profits from continuous sales of replacement components. It is a fairly high ticket purchase and vehicle owners demand warranties on just about everything that goes into (or onto) their vehicles.
But, one day, a component’s warranty will expire. Should that component fail after it is out of warranty, the vehicle owner has to weigh up the comparative costs between having it replaced or repaired. In most cases, the costs start to mount up as soon as a mechanic starts to remove the failed component. For many items, repairing the component only inflates the labor charges and it can be cheaper to simply change the failed unit out and put in a replacement.
Replace It With What?
When it comes to auto parts, it matters little which particular component we are looking at – there are three levels of cost:-
1. Brand new replacement parts purchased from the vehicle’s manufacturer. OEM components which are usually purchased from an official dealership.
2. Alternative but identical components purchased through aftermarket suppliers. These usually cost less than the OEM’s price.
3. A reconditioned and guaranteed second hand component. For popular items, this should be the cheapest way. Such units do often come with a warranty.
If other aspects of the car are still under warranty, you may be forced into using the first option. For older vehicles, there is little to choose between options 2 and 3. Price and availability will probably be the deciding factors.
However, when it comes to old, unusual or rare vehicles, option 3 might well be the only choice available. In such cases, the important thing is to find a reliable supplier who does more than simply removing from one vehicle and selling “as is” to another.
Aero Auto Parts have been buying, refurbishing and selling reliable Used Auto Parts in Chicagoland for nearly 60 years. Visit them at www.aeroautoparts.com/chicago-il-used-auto-parts
