Inexpensive spare parts for cars: tips & law
the european court of justice has issued a landmark ruling for car owners and independent dealers on the subject of car spare parts. >> more about news
A new law opens up the market for automotive spare parts to independent manufacturers as well. In addition, car manufacturers must provide information in their databases about cheaper spare parts alternatives, as the european court of justice has ruled. We give tips on where to find inexpensive spare parts and how to recognize counterfeit spare parts! This article was published on 09.12.2020 updated.
law for cheaper car spare parts& basic ruling of the eugh
Visible spare parts for cars could become significantly cheaper in the future as a result of a change in the law. The reason for this is an amendment to the law that was passed by the Bundestag on 10. september 2020 has decided. As part of the introduction of the law to strengthen fair competition, the so-called repair clause will be introduced into design law at the beginning of 2021. In this context, the so-called design protection will be abolished, which means that independent dealers of car spare parts will in future be allowed to compete with car manufacturers and their original spare parts. Until now, the production of visible car spare parts, such as doors and bumpers, was reserved for car manufacturers, as they could invoke design protection. In the future, consumers will be able to choose between original spare parts from their vehicle manufacturer and cheaper spare parts from independent manufacturers. However, it will be some time before customers can benefit from the new regulations: the repair clause will only apply to car spare parts whose design was registered for copy protection after the law came into force.
News
The european Court of Justice ruled on 19. September 2019, a landmark ruling on the subject of automotive spare parts for vehicle owners and independent dealers is handed down. The dispute between the Gesamtverband autoteile-handel (GVA), which also includes major suppliers such as bosch and ZF, and Korean manufacturer kia was about the fundamental question of whether independent dealers are at a disadvantage in the spare parts business with effects also for consumers. background is a database operated by a company affiliated with kia, in which parts installed in the car are stored under the relevant vehicle identification number. Dealers can view this data, which is stored for each number, via a fee-based internet portal, and both authorized workshops and independent repairers have read access to this data. So they can see which original spare parts are needed for a repair. What they can’t see, however, is whether there are cheaper alternatives. From the GVA’s point of view, this is an advantage for authorized dealers. Therefore, the association demanded that independent dealers be given better access to the data in order to be able to provide workshops with alternative parts lists. The luxembourg judges now wanted to find out whether independent dealers and workshops are being unlawfully discriminated against by the existing practices. your verdict: under existing eu law, car manufacturers are not obliged to provide data in a form that can be processed electronically. Read access via individual queries would be sufficient and independent dealers would not be discriminated against in the process. For car owners, the success of the GVA could have led to lower prices, according to consumer advocates. Consumers don’t have to give up all hope of finding cheaper spare parts for their cars: in 2018, the EU member states and the european parliament agreed that carmakers must make their data records available in electronically processable form in the future. The corresponding law came into force on 1 January 2009. September 2020 will come into force. More on the topic: expensive repairs due to assistance systems
guidebook
Buy cheap spare parts online: compare prices
Unlike in the past, car drivers no longer have to drive from parts dealer to parts dealer or rummage through the yards of car recyclers to find inexpensive replacement parts for their car: new and used replacement parts are now available on the internet, with savings of up to 55 percent possible on individual parts in some cases. on parts exchanges, suitable offers for spare parts can be found, compared free of charge and purchased online. But be careful: drivers should always check the type code number of their vehicle (in the vehicle registration document under field 2).2) search to avoid confusion. In addition, you should discuss in advance with a mechanic exactly which parts are needed. However, the cheap replacement parts are not recommended to all car owners: new car drivers should only have their cars repaired in a master workshop using original parts- otherwise the manufacturer’s warranty may be voided. Speaking of warranty: there is at least one year warranty on used parts, and two years on new parts- regardless of whether the parts were purchased from a local dealer or on the Internet. And here, too, the brand logo does not play a role. Behind most of the aftermarket parts you will also find well-known suppliers such as continental, bosch or valeo. Even cheaper are replacement parts, where all wear components have been renewed and correspond to the quality of a new part at a fraction of the price.
Guide
How car drivers recognize counterfeit spare parts
Often, it is only beneath the surface that it becomes apparent why counterfeits are much cheaper than original parts. It is often difficult to detect ineffective and sometimes dangerous cheap technology. Nevertheless, there are a few features that car drivers can use to distinguish originals from counterfeits: many counterfeiters make slight changes to the manufacturer’s logo and packaging. A look at the description and the warranty conditions can also provide clarity- these are usually full of spelling mistakes in the case of counterfeits. Safety-relevant spare parts must also always bear the ECE test mark or a test number from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). When buying on the internet, the supplier should state his postal address in the imprint and provide information about the terms and conditions of business. In general: be careful with extremely cheap offers.
Repair& maintenance
Classification of spare parts (glossary)
To help you keep track of all the different types of spare parts, we’ll tell you what’s behind the individual designations:
original spare part
these components are of the same quality as parts used to build the car at the factory. They must comply with the specifications and production requirements of the car manufacturer. In the past, original parts were only those components that bore the brand logo of the car manufacturer and were sold through the car manufacturer’s authorized dealer. Since a european commission regulation in 2002, however, the above-mentioned extended definition applies, which also includes the so-called identical parts of the original equipment manufacturers. To make it easier to distinguish between them, however, we use the old, narrower definition of an original part in our price comparison on the following pages.
Ident part
only the logo distinguishes these components from original parts: instead of the car manufacturer’s logo, the supplier’s logo, such as bosch or hella, is emblazoned on the spare part. Identical parts are manufactured on the same production lines as the parts for the new car. Therefore, since 2002, they can be called original parts, provided that the manufacturer certifies that these parts are of the same quality as those of the brand new car.
Replica part
the producer of such a part is not one of the suppliers of the car manufacturer. Nevertheless, these spare parts are identical in design and function to the components used by car manufacturers in their models. However, the parts manufacturer must ensure that the quality of the remanufactured parts is the same as the original parts. Many suppliers make these parts for popular cars where they are not the original equipment manufacturer.
Replacement part
many car parts can no longer be used if individual elements are worn out. Often, however, it is sufficient to renew the worn areas and the part can be reinstalled. This is particularly worthwhile for complex and expensive components such as a clutch or alternator. These remanufactured replacement parts are comparable in quality to new parts. If you want to benefit from the favorable prices of replacement parts, you often have to return the damaged original part when you buy it. In our price comparison, these components can be found among the used parts.
Used part
these spare parts have already been used: they come from end-of-life or accident vehicles and are not processed any further after removal. There are no mandatory quality standards for such components. Another disadvantage: no manufacturer has to take responsibility for parts that have already been used in another car. Therefore used parts are very cheap. Particularly large is the offer for all cars older than nine years, as many of these models were scrapped and cannibalized in 2009. Used parts are available from special dealers or end-of-life vehicle recyclers
Price development of car spare parts
GDV has been monitoring the price development of replacement parts for cars since January 2013. Since then, costs have risen much faster than the rate of inflation, according to the association: while the consumer price index rose by 6.9 percent, car spare parts became more expensive by an average of 24 percent over the same period. Tail lights have increased in price by almost 50 percent since 2013, and trunk lids by more than 30 percent. For the analysis, GDV engineers and statisticians have researched the spare parts prices for 20 different vehicle types each year. The selection of vehicles includes small cars as well as luxury class models and cars from various manufacturers. For each vehicle, the prices of twelve spare parts that frequently have to be replaced after accidents were collected- from the front bumper to the trunk lid. The association also expects that repair costs will continue to rise as electronic assistance systems become more widespread. If, for example, windshields were to break, cameras and sensors would also have to be replaced and systems readjusted. This could increase the cost of replacing a windshield by about 30 percent. For insurers, rising spare parts prices have led to higher repair costs after accidents. Whereas the average cost of damage to a car in 2013 was around 2400 euros, in 2017 it was 2700 euros.
Repair& maintenance
KuS trend-tacho: drivers choose original spare parts
German drivers do not choose the cheapest spare parts, but want quality, which they associate in particular with well-known brands. This was the conclusion reached by the KuS trend-tacho, which looked at drivers’ attitudes to car service, spare parts quality and brand significance. According to the survey, original spare parts and products from well-known manufacturers were particularly in demand. For repairs, 60 percent of the respondents preferred car parts from the manufacturer. Just as many said that they look for well-known brands when buying spare parts for cars. The price does not play an overriding role for the most part, but 70 percent also do not want to go solely on price. According to the KuS trend-tacho, 80 percent refused to sacrifice quality for a lower price. 54 percent of respondents relied on original parts from the manufacturer, for 46 percent it is branded products from well-known manufacturers. Those spare parts received the best scores of 1.7 and 1.9, while cheap parts from the internet or of unknown origin received the lowest score of 4.6. Noticeable: the older the vehicle, the greater the willingness to use used or remanufactured car parts. The KuS trend-tacho last surveyed participants in 2017 on the subject of replacement parts for cars.