What Car Parts Should We Buy Only Originals for the Personal Car?

When we buy brake elements, such as brake discs or pads, we will refer to various aftermarket parts manufacturers. Because this is what we find on the market, but also because the original elements can be found only at the importer or on special order and it costs a lot.

In the case of the braking system, which is very important, we can put any aftermarket parts, as long as they are from a relatively well-known name, not brands that appeared overnight. The same goes for filters, consumables in general, or other engine parts.

As for the braking elements, the original ones are usually produced by a factory such as ATE or TRW, but packaged and stamped with the car manufacturer's logo.

Those parts are identical to some aftermarket but sold in boxes that say only ATE or TRW, a little cheaper. But because they are not considered original, due to the logo that appears on the box, they have a lower price and are not mounted in the workshops of the representatives, but only in neighborhood services.

This was just an example. But, in general, the parts considered original, which have the stamp of the car brand on the box and them, are also built by an aftermarket manufacturer, but with different branding. Where we can put cheaper items, only they do not have the logo on them, we can do it without problems.

It is the same for shock absorbers, various body parts, interior, mechanics, and engine. But if the aftermarket, including well-known manufacturers, competing with the no-name ones who sell a lot in Romania, is so rich and can cover any original landmark that is more expensive, why would we pay for such a thing?

Because there are some parts of our car that you will find good and long-lasting only if the originals are bought. For example, headlights. Even if there are parts that fail less often, if we have problems with them, it is good to replace them with original ones.

Aftermarket headlights can be problematic, heat up, heat resistant, have a poor quality glass that matures quickly, are fragile, and last much less. Better a poor horse than no horse at all. They will also give you optimal visibility, but they will also behave without problems for many years. At stops, it is not valid, because they are more protected from the weather and we can also buy the aftermarket variants.

On the steering side of the car, we can spend less on a kit of arms, pivots, parts that are not original, but when it comes to connecting rods, we would do well to order some OEM. Why? The connecting rods, both the steering and the anti-roll, receive very strong shocks on the roads.

It seems that at connecting rods, the manufacturers who deliver elements for car brands are more concerned and produce quality parts. Instead, some aftermarket breaks down a few months after installation. So, when it comes to connecting rods, we advise you to get some originals. They will give you the feeling of a more precise, quieter suspension and direction, but they will be even more resistant over time.

We or second-hand, when it comes to rims, we recommend that you buy only originals. Why? Because some aftermarkets, no matter how good they look, will not have the same resistance. In general, car companies use well-known rim factories, but these rims, even if they are built by another company, have the logo of the car brand and are built according to other standards.

They have quality materials, are more resistant to shocks, do not break, and do not crack like that, at any duct cover left 5 cm above. The aftermarket rims, if they are not from the extremely expensive premium range, are lighter, but if you put them in the curbs, you collect them with the prank. In case you want something practical, take OEM, if you just want to look beautiful, take aftermarket.

Then we wake up with the "mice" in the car and we don't know where it's coming from. Or, if I somehow got the job done at the door and took out my face, I would pull on these clamps as well. Which, I'm kind of breaking up. So we go through I don't know what fair and buy what we find there, we reassemble the front door and we realize that they are not good for anything.

Clamps for interior and exterior, for everything from headbands to door sills, we need to buy original ones. They are cheap even if we order them directly from the importer. They are made of good and durable materials, not like the aftermarket crap that breaks down and breaks quickly.

In the end, I left what was already obvious: the internal engine parts. If somehow, we have engine problems, it is not recommended to take anything aftermarket or secondhand. They are aftermarket, camshafts, valves, rockers, anything. To make sure that we will get parts without problems, checked by a quality control department that knows what it is doing, at the quotas required by the manufacturer, we need to get a little more money and order from … our car manufacturer.

There are a few more pieces that are good only on the original. But that depends on each model. For example, at BMW, the pulleys on the accessory belt must be bought original, any other aftermarket product comes into play and makes noise. On some Opel models, owners know how to buy only original rear brake discs, because others mysteriously ovalize very quickly.

In conclusion, it's all about getting to know our car. Eventually, let's find out about it on the internet. And to always know what choices to make, to have the best investment/longevity ratio. Like tires: in vain we are glad to take a no-name at a quarter of the price compared to Michelin if they will last us only 2 years and we risk going into the first tree we met.