The longer you own and drive a vehicle, the more likely you'll need to replace some parts to keep it in good condition. You can get two types of parts from a car parts seller. Those are OEM parts, which are the same parts used to build your vehicle at the factory, and aftermarket parts, which third-party parts companies make. Keep reading to learn more about these different car part types.

Aftermarket Parts Can Be Cost-Effective

A good car parts seller should offer you options for OEM and aftermarket parts for the same vehicle. If you're paying for the parts instead of an insurer, you might consider good aftermarket parts that work just as well as factory parts but cost a lot less. According to Car and Driver, a car magazine, OEM parts cost about 60% more than aftermarket parts. Locating quality aftermarket parts is a great way to save on the cost of auto repairs.

OEM Parts Are Often Required by Auto Insurers

When an insured vehicle is in a collision or is damaged in some other way that auto insurance covers, the insurer pays to restore it to its condition before the mishap. That condition means using factory parts to repair any mechanical or body damage, otherwise, the vehicle isn't restored to its full market value. OEM parts are the only ones that can restore a vehicle to its original factory condition.

Aftermarket Parts Work as Well as OEM Parts

While OEM parts are the original parts used to build a vehicle, aftermarket parts are often just as good and sometimes better. If you can get quality aftermarket parts when rebuilding your vehicle, you can save money while sometimes improving on the factory build with aftermarket parts. Depending on the vehicle and its parts, such parts might give your vehicle better performance than OEM parts.

OEM Parts Maintain Warranty Protection

You might want a car parts seller to provide OEM parts to repair your vehicle if it has factory warranty protection. Factory warranty protection usually requires using factory parts for any repairs to keep the warranty protection in effect. Using aftermarket parts might negate the warranty for the mechanical system for which you used one or more aftermarket parts to fix. You can check to see if your vehicle's warranty requires only OEM parts.

You can call or visit Union Auto Parts today to learn more about available OEM and aftermarket parts for your vehicle. We offer a large variety of parts to ensure you're able to get what you need. We look forward to hearing from you.