This day and age, there are a large variety of parts options available for almost any make and model of vehicle. In Australia the options for Land rover and Range Rover parts are a little more limited. A small amount of time found online can find the appropriate parts you need for any application. Things from service items all the way through to accessories such as bull bars and tow bars.
In most cases any part made to OEM standard will be more than suitable for usage on your Land Rover or Range Rover. Be mindful of the lower quality parts on the market. (we cover that latter in this article) There are however a few items when it comes to the Land Rover and Ranger rover range of vehicles, that we absolutely advise genuine only parts.
Before we get into that we need to understand the differences.
Genuine parts
These are parts supplied by the manufacturer of the vehicle and come branded or packaged so that it’s obvious it belongs to that manufacturer. A genuine part is exactly what was fitted to your car when it left the factory.
OEM parts
These parts are basically exactly the same as genuine, right down to coming from the same company that manufactured the genuine parts. The only difference is that OEM parts don’t carry the logo of the car manufacturer. Sometimes, going with genuine or OEM parts is your only option as there may be no aftermarket offerings.
Aftermarket parts
These are parts made by companies other than the original manufacturer and can look and operate completely differently to the genuine/OEM parts. Any given car can have an untold number of aftermarket parts that aim to do the same job as the genuine or OEM parts. However, it’s worth noting that an aftermarket part may do the job better or worse than a genuine or OEM part.
Are aftermarket parts just as good?
At the cheaper end of the aftermarket, parts are generally made with lower quality materials and workmanship in an effort to reduce the cost, so the selling price can be as cheap as possible. This end of the market relies on quantity over quality and appeals to those looking for a quick and cheap solution. These parts are not normally supplied by your mechanic.
Mechanics usually have a few key suppliers of parts, that most local mechanics purchase from. They are companies such as Repco and Bursons auto parts. These companies don’t sell the lower quality parts as they are required to warrant them. Once bitten twice shy. Auto parts companies will always stock reputable brands.
The bottom end of the market is usually products made in factories with less than ideal quality control standards and usually are sold on platforms like eBay and alibaba. Your mechanic is unlikely to be buying your car parts from these companies.
There is a middle ground that majority of mechanics use. As mentioned before it is the companies the whole industry use as suppliers. In a nut shell my advise is to be informed but not to worry. Any decent mechanic will be making the right choice for you and your car.
What should I be buying genuine?
Obviously it’s your vehicle and at the end of the day your call, however based off our experience as an independent Land Rover specialists there are a few things we recommend you avoid buying aftermarket. If you clink on the links it will take you to articles we have written covering these items and why we advise against aftermarket.
