Non-Capa?

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Curious what your guys thoughts are? Capa bumper is 160 and non-capa bumper is 80....This is for a 2014 mazda 3. Guy working at keystone/LKQ said he'd go with the cheaper part if it were him; my paint guy said sometimes they dont fit good and fitment would be on me.
 
Spend the extra $80 unless you're going to sell the car in another year or something. If the car is a keeper, the $80 for a guaranteed fit will mean nothing in the long run.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick R
I've been working on my current job too long, now when I see "CAPA" I think "Corrective and preventative action" lol


Same here!
 
A CAPA or NSF certified part will almost always fit onto the vehicle with some extent of modification or adjustment.

A non-certified aftermarket part has a real risk of not fitting onto the vehicle. Example: bolt holes on a bumper bar that don't line up with the vehicle's undamaged frame rails, headlight that does not fit the opening in the fender, or grille mount tabs that won't click into an OEM bumper cover. I have seen all of these recently.

If you want a bumper cover that fits like the factory one, you need to buy OEM.
 
is CAPA also a prison term? I know for years I would go in the grocery store and hear "CSM to office or aisle two" and wonder "why does Cub foods have a Command Sargent Major)?"
 
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
A CAPA or NSF certified part will almost always fit onto the vehicle with some extent of modification or adjustment.

A non-certified aftermarket part has a real risk of not fitting onto the vehicle. Example: bolt holes on a bumper bar that don't line up with the vehicle's undamaged frame rails, headlight that does not fit the opening in the fender, or grille mount tabs that won't click into an OEM bumper cover. I have seen all of these recently.

If you want a bumper cover that fits like the factory one, you need to buy OEM.


Or used from a salvage yard. It's probably cheaper than the aftermarket part, and you KNOW it will fit!
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
A CAPA or NSF certified part will almost always fit onto the vehicle with some extent of modification or adjustment.

A non-certified aftermarket part has a real risk of not fitting onto the vehicle. Example: bolt holes on a bumper bar that don't line up with the vehicle's undamaged frame rails, headlight that does not fit the opening in the fender, or grille mount tabs that won't click into an OEM bumper cover. I have seen all of these recently.

If you want a bumper cover that fits like the factory one, you need to buy OEM.


Or used from a salvage yard. It's probably cheaper than the aftermarket part, and you KNOW it will fit!


Plus if you are lucky it will already be the correct color. Never fails when I sell a bumper cover over the counter and repeatedly told the person "it has to be painted, so a body shop will have to do it" even printing "Paint To Match" on the invoice they will make a scene about they didn't know they had to have it painted.
 
Originally Posted By: BrotherAli
Curious what your guys thoughts are? Capa bumper is 160 and non-capa bumper is 80....This is for a 2014 mazda 3. Guy working at keystone/LKQ said he'd go with the cheaper part if it were him; my paint guy said sometimes they dont fit good and fitment would be on me.


A lot of times the CAPA certified parts are literally the same as non-CAPA if there's no real incentive for cutting major corners, but you never really know unless you can look at the two side by side, which usually isn't feasible.

In the collision industry there are a lot of time constraints. Poor quality parts eat up a lot of time, and rental cars aren't free, so the CAPA certification basically means you have better chances of getting a usable aftermarket part the first time. Without some kind of certification, there is no telling what the aftermarket would crank out.

It probably ends up being good for everybody, since I doubt it's cost effective to have a cheap production line and a CAPA production line in most cases. There's more likely to be one production line, though maybe the CAPA parts get some extra quality control at the end.

I have bought a lot of non-CAPA aftermarket parts with no major issues, but nearly all non-CAPA parts I have bought have been for 1990s-2000s light trucks. Hard to screw that up. With a later model car where fitment needs to be more precise, and the part is probably more complex, CAPA may be worth it, especially if you want it fixed quickly with minimal headaches. The certification is mostly there for the insurance/collision industry, but it's there for a reason.
 
Originally Posted By: bmwjohn
is CAPA also a prison term? I know for years I would go in the grocery store and hear "CSM to office or aisle two" and wonder "why does Cub foods have a Command Sargent Major)?"


Customer Service Manager, I assume
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
A CAPA or NSF certified part will almost always fit onto the vehicle with some extent of modification or adjustment.

A non-certified aftermarket part has a real risk of not fitting onto the vehicle. Example: bolt holes on a bumper bar that don't line up with the vehicle's undamaged frame rails, headlight that does not fit the opening in the fender, or grille mount tabs that won't click into an OEM bumper cover. I have seen all of these recently.

If you want a bumper cover that fits like the factory one, you need to buy OEM.


Or used from a salvage yard. It's probably cheaper than the aftermarket part, and you KNOW it will fit!


Not always. There are enough aftermarket parts on the road nowadays that I get a USED AFTERMARKET part every couple months.
 
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Customer Service Manager, I assume


That is what it stood for when I worked at Sears. You can spot them since they are the ones wearing the red badge lanyards.
 
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I have bought a lot of non-CAPA aftermarket parts with no major issues, but nearly all non-CAPA parts I have bought have been for 1990s-2000s light trucks. Hard to screw that up.


I've had an aftermarket fender liner for a Ranger almost bring me to tears
crackmeup2.gif
 
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