Your opinion: OE or aftermarket parts?

Soldato
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Here's a quick one for the mechanically minded among you - do you prefer aftermarket parts, with lower prices and usually good reliability, or the good old OE part which is typically double the price, but made by the same people as the original?

I ask as I'm ordering some major bits for the ZS, and have the choice between the two.

Thanks :)
 
OE all the way. I used all genuine Nissan parts when doing a major service on the z32, they are noticably higher quality than the usual motor factors stuff. I'll be honest too, it gives me a semi when I open the bonnet and see all the genuine Nissan logos on everything.
 
Depends what it is and if its known that the OE part is just a Lemforder part or similar in a Peugeot/Citroen box or not.
 
I've never had any problems with non-OE parts. I try and stick to 'well known' brands though: Gates for belts, QH for suspension bits etc.
 
Very much depends on the part and the price difference. If the OE part isn't too much more, or is a particularly critical part then I don't mind paying for it. Common one which springs to mind is a head gasket on a 4A-GE. The pattern ones are crap so it's common to buy a cheapo gasket kit, throw the head gasket, use the other bits and buy a Toyota HG as well. Whereas for brake discs I buy the cheapest I can as they're just sacrificial lumps of steel.

Bolts and fixings are another one. From Toyota they're silly money and I'll usually use generic replacements but if it's a load bearing bolt in the the suspension or brake area I'll pay what they ask rather than take a risk on using the wrong type.
 
Depends what it is and if its known that the OE part is just a Lemforder part or similar in a Peugeot/Citroen box or not.

same with me. bushes.. ill stick with oe. same with gaskets unless i can get a big brand part. same with bearings, i want a big brand (SNR, NTN) or oe
 
Generally I'll go OE unless the price difference is excessive for no justifiable reason (I bought NTK-branded pre/post-cat lambda sensors for about £70 each from a motorfactor, Peugeot dealer wanted £170 and £190 respectively).
 
Always motor factors parts. I don't see the point in paying more for the exact same part even more so when you take off a starter and they have the exact same bosch number as the after market part.
 
OEM is usually always better, people spends hundreds and thousands to improve upon a design that companies have spent millions of pounds designing.

It really depends on what you drive and what you want to achieve, IMO if you have to spend thousands to get what you are after you're driving the wrong car.

I have some aftermarket stuff but it is from large companies who know their stuff e.g. Koni and it is nearly as good for a lot less than the original bits.
 
it depends on the part
some pattern parts come out the same factory as the OEM
like the oil filter for my bike, there made in france for honda, only difference is the oem has honda stamped on it oh and the price
 
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A mix.

Some OE parts are cheaper and just as good as after-market counterparts. Some after-market are cheaper and just as good or more pricey but warrant it for being better.

Sometimes OE is just not available, for example you cannot buy S2000 suspension bushings alone.
 
Just motor factory parts for me - all the parts are made to the same tolerances and standards, so I don't see why they'd be any different/worse.
 
Depends what the parts are really, for the most part, I avoid manf. parts as they cost a silly amount and I can get decent branded uprated parts for the same price...or similar ones for less.
 
Aftermarket most of the time however the last service consisted of Ford oil, filters, spark plugs and brake fluid. Makes no odds for me and especially when it comes to braking stuff, it's Mintex or Pagid for me, Ford prices are obscene for pads/shoes/discs.
 
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