Owner Habits That Vary By Brand

[brianl703]

I've bought aftermarket electrical parts for Ford that looked identical to the OE part, and even had an obvious grind mark where the Ford part number was stamped.

Perhaps the real story here is that aftermarket parts for domestic vehicles very often tend to be the same part you'd get at the dealer?

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: brianl703
I've bought aftermarket electrical parts for Ford that looked identical to the OE part, and even had an obvious grind mark where the Ford part number was stamped.

Perhaps the real story here is that aftermarket parts for domestic vehicles very often tend to be the same part you'd get at the dealer?

Exactly. I bought a belt tensioner assembly for my Mercury from Autozone. It had the exact same design and even the same numbers stamped on it as the original Ford part. The only difference I could see was the price - about 60 percent cheaper at Autozone.

 

[fdcg27]

Your experience, while not particularly extensive, may be more generally valid.
The OEM parts of most non-American branded vehicles (most of these vehicles are not imports anymore) tend to be of high quality.
If a given part of one of my Hondas (both built in Ohio) has gone this long since build, why not replace it with another of the same?
OTOH, if a given part of the '97 Accord has gone nearly 190K, and I can buy an aftermarket part for half as many dollars to replace it, I might do so, since the car as a whole is not likely to go another 190K.
Also, many aftermarket parts are the same parts made in the same factory by the same workers as the OEM parts.
They just come in a different box.
So, I don't know that you can really generalize about what car owners buy what parts.
Now, with some limited volume imports, there is no choice, so those owners will buy OEM only.
For the typical Honda or Toyota product, though, there is a good selection of non-OEM branded parts, and many owners use these, especially as the car ages and nears the end of its reasonable life expectancy.
With what were once truly imported vehicles, OEM may have been the only choice.
By the late 'sixties, VWs, for example, were thick enough on the ground that an extensive aftermarket developed to support them.
By the early 'eighties, Japanese cars were thick enough on the ground that an extensive aftermarket developed to support them.
It may simply be that the owners of less common cars that are actually built in Europe have no choice other than OEM, while the higher volume cars, regardless of nameplate or origin have been sold in enough volume in this country that an aftermarket infrastructure has developed.
I don't think that there's any systematic difference in the parts buying habits of owners of American versus other-origin vehicles.
It is more a matter of availablity,

 

[doitmyself]

Some good points, fdcg27. You have to remember though, based on many posts by The Critic, he does not believe that aftermarket parts made by the same company are as good as OEM branded parts. I.E., an aftermarket Gates timing belt is not as good as a Gates made Honda OEM timing belt. He reminds us of this all the time (who's to prove he's wrong?).

He poses an interesting personal observation. I don't know the habits of my acquaintances well enough to make any conclusions!

I wonder if the demographics of his particular "plastic bubble" play a role? Blue collar vs. white collar? General income levels, etc..

Either way, give credit to The Critic for having some ideas and thoughts well beyond most of his early 20 something peers. He initiates many good discussions here.

My only somewhat off topic observation is that with the globalization of aftermarket parts mfg., it is becoming more difficult to determine the quality of these parts. Just because it says MOOG or Timken no longer guarantees excellence IMO.

 

[morris]

i bought a new 1984 plymouth gran fury. IT WAS THE worst car i ever owned. after much taking it to the dealer and ,my checking it out, i finally decided it was a bad intake manafold. with 2,000 left on the factory warranty. my wife said " cant you get them to fix it?" oh ye and get a manifold like the first one they sold me. i DONT THINK so. i put a aftermarket manifold and carb on it ran great. I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH FACTORY STUFF.

 

[sciphi]

It does depend on the maker and the part in question. Delco oxygen sensors are preferred in my Buick's engine since they plain work unlike Bosch or suffer the shorter lifespan of a Denso. The Fit will need everything ordered online since it has zero parts availability in the major chain parts stores.

For habits, NGK copper plugs are a favorite on the boards for cars with 3800 V6's, along with recommendations to change them every 30k miles. The Fit boards have the typical Honda forum focus on what exhaust sounds the best or how they can feel 5 hp from their $500 intake.

 

[eljefino]

Wonder how the Japanese tradition of Keiretsu messes up opportunities for competing generic parts, at least made in Japan. Or does it help with something like a spark plug or thermostat that's not brand specific (as long as they meet the same specs) being made in several factories?

My lowly Mercedes 240D had aftermarket brake rotors and filters in stock at my closest Advance. As an added bonus, my filters were Mann or Bosch in a Purolator box... so Puro either made them or is helping with distribution.

It's almost easier to find parts for rare cars, like old English sports cars, because of the helpful non-manufacturer network of mail order shops and web forums. Of course you wind up with what brand you can get, or the groupthink thinks you should use. And the car has to be something people can be passionate about, to continue to support.

 

[CharBaby]

Keep in mind that the factory parts in your vehicle are made by the company with the lowest bid.

And too, the parts used in assembly of the vehicle are often much better and aren't always the same parts that you'll buy at the dealer parts dept. I have prooved this with my BIL's '98 Camry brake rotors. The factory rotors lasted many years and the dealer/Camry rotors, every 2 years(expensive too). And from the dealer, the rotors came in the Toyota factory boxes/part#. After market Brembo for less money have now matched the factory rotors for longevity(still goin' strong) as the issue was warpage with the dealership rotors. And this could vary across the country.

I beleive this to be true in many instances.

 

[fdcg27]

Parts for old German machines are surprisingly easy to find, and even dealer-only parts, like interior/exterior trim pieces can be ordered at reasonable prices. Mercedes tells you in their OMs that they take pride in supporting their old cars still on the road, and in my experience, this isn't just talk.
Parts for old Brit cars are also easy to find, and not that expensive.
You can even order a complete MGB body shell, basically the complete car sans running gear or interior, for a mere 13-14K, not bad for what you get.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Some good points, fdcg27. You have to remember though, based on many posts by The Critic, he does not believe that aftermarket parts made by the same company are as good as OEM branded parts. I.E., an aftermarket Gates timing belt is not as good as a Gates made Honda OEM timing belt. He reminds us of this all the time (who's to prove he's wrong?).

He poses an interesting personal observation. I don't know the habits of my acquaintances well enough to make any conclusions!

I wonder if the demographics of his particular "plastic bubble" play a role? Blue collar vs. white collar? General income levels, etc..

Either way, give credit to The Critic for having some ideas and thoughts well beyond most of his early 20 something peers. He initiates many good discussions here.

My only somewhat off topic observation is that with the globalization of aftermarket parts mfg., it is becoming more difficult to determine the quality of these parts. Just because it says MOOG or Timken no longer guarantees excellence IMO.


Good points. It is a parts jungle out there. Sometimes the aftermarket part is the exact same quality part as OEM at a much better price. Other times even from the same supplier as OEM, the aftermarket part is a lower spec or generic spec part. Often time the aftermarket part even from a generally reputable brand is both non-OEM supplier and total junk. To make it even more confusing sometimes the dealer part is not the exact same OEM part the car originally came with, and may or may not be as good but is usually less expensive maybe price competitive with the aftermarket. Most usually the OEM part is better quality and fitment than the aftermarket, but it is most usually much more expensive. So we search for the aftermarket part that has the quality of OEM with no good way of determining that.

Having said that and back to Critic's OP, I think there is something to domestic cars getting the most inexpensive aftermarket parts and being more used and abused and hacked up by their subsequent owners. A lot of domestics end up second hand in low income people hands and they get a lot of aftermarket parts, DIY, hacking and abuse and even no maintenance and repair. That's not to say imports don't get that too, they do. But I think there is a combination of higher import resale prices drawing higher income owners, the perception of import dependability draws the non-car types, and the belief import parts and dealers are somehow better.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Parts for old German machines are surprisingly easy to find, and even dealer-only parts, like interior/exterior trim pieces can be ordered at reasonable prices. Mercedes tells you in their OMs that they take pride in supporting their old cars still on the road, and in my experience, this isn't just talk.


BMW Classic offers a large selection of parts for older BMWs. As a matter of fact, I've found that when I order a part for my 1975 or 1995 Bimmer I almost always get it faster than when I have to order a part for my Wrangler or MS3. I guess some things never change; back in 1984 I needed a rear window gasket for my 1973 Bavaria 3.0; I was able to obtain one from BMW in three days. In contrast, my Chevrolet dealer needed two weeks to get a battery tray for my 1974 Monte Carlo that very same year...

 

[38sho]

not to say oem parts are bad, I just find that whole situation funny......... this is how I think about it......

guy walks into a place and is so hard headed will only get the part from one source, because its the best of course.... But your getting that new dealer OEM part to replace the same thing that already went bad in the first place..........

and as far as noticing trends as far as vehicles and their owners....


from a personl standpoint, IE driving around and my off work time mingling with the rest of the world, I notice people with Lexus drive either very slow, very fast, and are always not very courteous....... if I had to pick a car brand I felt had the worst drivers, this is it.

from a professional mechanic standpoint, one trend I really notice is Volkswagen owners seem to treat their cars very bad as far as maintenance and ESPECIALLY the cleanliness of the interior.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: 38sho
I notice people with Lexus drive either very slow, very fast


The difference is whether someone is trying to pass them.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: 38sho
not to say oem parts are bad, I just find that whole situation funny......... this is how I think about it......

guy walks into a place and is so hard headed will only get the part from one source, because its the best of course.... But your getting that new dealer OEM part to replace the same thing that already went bad in the first place..........



I can see that logic, but sometimes while the OEM part may not be very good, it may still be the best choice. For example, the Ford Vulcan V6 has a iffy camshaft synchronizer. OE Motorcraft ones last the longest, but they still fail more often than they should, A1 Cardone synchronizers are just remanufactured Motorcrafts. Dorman makes their own replacements, but they fail in as little as 10-15K miles. The Ford one will go out again, but it at least has a chance of lasting over 100K miles.

I really haven't noticed that many trends as far as part choices by car brand. One of my roommates has a 2000 Civic, and the other a 2005 C230. The C230 usually gets repaired with aftermarket parts when something breaks, whatever is cheapest. Quality does not enter the decision making process at all. The car is in poor mechanical condition, with an engine that burns a large amount of oil at only 50K miles. The Civic gets repaired with aftermarket parts too, and is usually serviced at a quick lube. Maintenance is a little more regular for this car and it is in far better shape than the Mercedes with 3X the miles.

With my domestic pickup, it depends on the individual part. Mechanical parts (engine, drivetrain, brakes, etc.) are always either OEM or a brand with a good reputation for quality. Usually I use Motorcraft parts (especially on the engine), but I do have EBC brake rotors, Moog sway bar end links and bushings, and non-OEM filters. For strictly cosmetic parts, price plays a much bigger role. The damaged grille, bumper, fender, and mirror were replaced with "made in Taiwain" body parts. Those may be switched with OEM parts at a later date, but OEM body parts are 2-3X more expensive.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: 38sho
...from a personal standpoint, IE driving around and my off work time mingling with the rest of the world, I notice people with Lexus drive either very slow, very fast, and are always not very courteous....... if I had to pick a car brand I felt had the worst drivers, this is it.

from a professional mechanic standpoint, one trend I really notice is Volkswagen owners seem to treat their cars very bad as far as maintenance and ESPECIALLY the cleanliness of the interior.


BMW drivers tend to get my attention for the least courteous/least attentive around here. Infiniti and Lexus drivers rate a close 2nd.

I have to agree about Volkswagen drivers. Absolute worst car I ever installed on was a New Beetle. The fast food wrappers, Smirnoff Ice bottles, and Mexican Pizza boxes were piled so high in the back that they were overflowing between the front seats. The carpets were stained black with some sticky unknown substance. The car reeked of armpit and ummm....other bodily orifices. I could still smell it on me hours after it left.

She asked me, "Will my car still be the same when you take the breathalyzer back out?"
"Gawd I hope not lady."

 

[kb01]

I think it's hard to generalize maintenance/repair preferences based on the make of somebody's car. Most people just buy the car they want and replace it in 5-7 years with a different one that happened to catch their eye. Some people go to the dealer for service, others don't.

Some people are just more comfortable with the "chain store" type setting. They go to the dealer because they want to deal with the service adviser, who (in theory) is good at translating between the consumer and the mechanic. The homogenized, clean, and somewhat sterile setting of a dealer also has a certain appeal to many people, as well as the possibility of escalating if there's a dispute. It's the same reason why people use chain plumbers and electricians or hire Lowes or Home Depot to put up siding, install a door, or a roof when there are hundreds of independent contractors who can do better work for less money.

 

[MCompact]

My BMW dealer just charged me $68 for a brake fluid flush using DOT 4 fluid. The car was returned to me in under 90 minutes- washed and vacuumed.