The number of motor vehicle users is on the rise, and with it are cheap spare parts that saturate the market. This is why, following a car crash, repair shops can easily offer to install “aftermarket” or “knock-off” replacement parts to bring down the cost of their services. Data from the Insurance Information Institute shows, in fact, that gray market parts have saved car owners at least $2.2 billion in repair costs for the past seven years. The problem with this arrangement, though? Aftermarket replacement parts often do not undergo testing for quality and safety.

1. Aftermarket Car
Replacement Parts:
Do They Compromise
Driver Safety?
Shadetree Automotive

2. The number of motor vehicle users is on the rise, and with it are cheap spare parts that
saturate the market. This is why, following a car crash, repair shops can easily offer to
install “aftermarket” or “knock-off” replacement parts to bring down the cost of their
services. Data from the Insurance Information Institute shows, in fact, that gray
market parts have saved car owners at least $2.2 billion in repair costs for the past
seven years. The problem with this arrangement, though? Aftermarket replacement
parts often do not undergo testing for quality and safety.
Cosmetic Features VS. Structural Parts
Purchasing knock-off parts for cosmetic features that have no impact on driver safety
like fenders or grills might be a wise choice. Resorting to cheap structural car parts like
bumpers and hoods, however, come with a risk. Poorly made parts could spell the
difference between a serious accident and the proper performance of a vehicle, such as
successful airbag deployment, after all.

3. OEM and Aftermarket Parts: What’s the Difference?
Some replacement parts come from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). OEM creators
use carmaker specifications and create a blueprint to produce a similar product to genuine
auto parts. On the other hand, aftermarket parts are copies of OEMs. While some are quality-
certified, a majority of them fall short of quality and safety standards.
An independent, nonprofit organization called the Certified Automotive Parts Association
(CAPA) conducts tests on car parts to provide drivers with high-quality alternatives to poor-
quality parts and expensive ones. Only one in five aftermarket parts are CAPA-certified. This
puts drivers who resort to cheaper repair part alternatives at risk.

4. While car owners might believe that aftermarket spare parts are a huge bargain, they could
very well be trading their safety for the lower price tag. With the deception in car part
quality endemic in the marketplace, there is a need to educate consumers on the long-term
benefits of authentic car repairs. Furthermore, car owners have the responsibility to ask for
OEM parts and check invoices for CAPA-certified parts to avoid putting their safety on the
line.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianahembree/2017/06/25/widespread-use-of-uncertified-
grey-market-parts-for-car-repairs-undermines-crash-safety/#241c87c97cad
http://www.shadetreeautomotive.net
https://www.local10.com/consumer/call-christina/feds-warn-of-counterfeit-auto-parts
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2010/07/tests-show-aftermarket-replacement-
parts-can-present-safety-risk/index.htm