What is Better for Your BMW: OEM or After-Market Parts?

by techplusaadmin July 4, 2018

BMW is one of the most well-known and highly revered automotive brands in the industry, and if you have the pleasure of driving one then you can understand why. Getting the best quality care for your BMW is important, as it can help retain its value and reliability. One aspect of automotive care you should be aware of is what types of parts are used when your BMW requires a replacement.

What is important to know about replacement parts in general?

Any time your BMW encounters a repair or service that requires a replacement part, it’s important to know what is being put into your car in place of the old part. This brings up a dilemma for drivers that is often difficult to reconcile, which is whether to focus on the price of parts or the quality of parts. You might be asking yourself, “why can’t I have both?” Well, your BMW is certainly worth spending a little extra cash, but why spend the money if you don’t have to?

In general, choosing what replacement parts to use for your BMW is essential and it’s important to know what your options are. There are two main choices when it comes to replacement parts: OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts or after-market parts. In this article, we’ll talk a little bit about both of these options and how they might benefit you as you encounter automotive repairs and replacements over time in your BMW.

What are OEM parts?

Original equipment manufacturer parts, or OEM parts, are not usually attainable by the general public; they must be ordered through an automotive shop—usually the dealership where the car was purchased. OEM parts are usually seen as high quality parts, and they come with a higher price tag, depending on the part being replaced.

Why BMW recommends OEM parts

OEM parts are recommended by the BMW manufacturer in all replacements in order to uphold the quality of the vehicle and consistency in performance standards. Here are a few bulleted reasons why BMW recommends OEM parts:

• Availability to dealerships
• Guaranteed quality by manufacturer
• Certified by BMW

What are after-market parts?

Quite simply, after-market parts are any automotive part that isn’t an OEM part. Unlike OEM parts, after-market parts are not manufacturer guaranteed. It can be difficult to differentiate between what after-market part is high quality and mimics the exact quality of the same OEM part. There are certain situations that warrant using an after-market part.

Why after-market parts are sometimes a better option

After-market parts are often used by automotive shops that try to cut corners on cost; however, in some cases after-market parts can be beneficial for clients. Here are the two biggest reasons for using after-market parts over OEM parts:

• More affordable
• Helpful when OEM part is defective

How you can make sure your car is receiving the best quality of services

Choosing what types of replacement parts to use is only one aspect of automotive care that you should consider before bringing your BMW to a shop. Most automotive shops use after-market parts because they’re cheaper; however, some specialists choose when to use OEM parts and when not to. Here are a few helpful tips to ensure your BMW receives the highest quality services possible, including the most adequate part for replacement:

• Find a BMW specialist to handle all your automotive services
• Inquire about the shop’s replacement parts
• Inform yourself to make the best choices with each repair or replacement service
• Stay on top of routine maintenance tasks

The BMW experts here at Tech Plus Automotive in Scottsdale, AZ, make it a point to involve clients in important repair and servicing choices that can affect their BMW’s performance in the long-run. German-engineered cars like BMW have high standards of quality to uphold, and we are sure to always distinguish which parts are adequate for replacements. If you’d like to learn more about our shop, our qualifications, or the parts we use for replacements, please call one of our helpful professionals today. Your BMW deserves a level of care that matches its greatness; we aim to consistently provide that to all of our clients.