Today we pick up the consumer alert and our reply to an irresponsible article posted by another Denver-area body shop right where we left off. (Click here to read our first reply to the original article. And click here to read the original article in its entirety.) The title of the original post is: “4 Ways Aftermarket Parts are Just as Good as OEM.”
The title of today’s Nylund’s Response is:
Are You Flippin’ Kidding?
The original article states: Aftermarket parts manufacturers create components that meet or exceed quality metrics used by the manufacturers.
Wrong. Nope. Incorrect. Invalid. Untrue. Irresponsible.
We have made this case over and over, but for the record, let’s bang this drum one more time. Aftermarket parts – by their very definition – ARE NOT and CANNOT BE manufactured to meet or exceed quality metrics used by the manufacturers. Vehicle manufacturers patent their parts, which prevents ANY OTHER part – no matter how similar – to be exactly the same. With that in mind, it stands to reason that ALL OTHER parts cannot fit as well, and do not respond to impact and/or collision stimulus in the same way as the original part.
Example: The front bumper of a vehicle often houses airbag or other safety deployment sensors. These sensors are calibrated to work specifically with the bumper and are timed within a 1/100th of a second. Think that doesn’t matter much? Take a look at this video.
When it comes to the safety of our guests and the integral structure of their vehicles, we here at Nylund’s Collision Center will NEVER compromise by using cheaper, ill-fitting aftermarket parts. Cutting costs at the expense of safety just to increase the insurance company’s profits isn’t just wrong… it’s unthinkable.
Here is the next outrageous statement from the original article: In fact, it’s not often known that automakers frequently source their main components from outside manufacturers, and then label them with their own brand before selling the items in the parts department.
In fact, the above statement has absolutely nothing to do with whether aftermarket parts are better than OEM parts. The origin of OEM parts isn’t in question. They could be manufactured in Detroit, Michigan or Tokyo, Japan and it would have no impact on the actual issue being discussed. The question is – are knock-off parts as good (or better) than the ones specifically designed to work together with all other parts on your vehicle. (Spoiler alert: they are NOT.)
Please consider the following photo as we provide tangible proof of the insanity of thinking that aftermarket parts are the built to meet or exceed original manufacturer’s metrics:
Here is the Nylund’s Collision Center official Position Statement on the use of aftermarket parts.
In our next article, we will address the other Denver body shop’s assertion that aftermarket parts are actually “optimized” to circumvent original flaws in OEM parts.