What parts do we use?
Quality service begins with quality parts!
OEM, OES (Factory) and OE Auto Parts
OEM (original equipment manufactured) and OES (original equipment supplied) many times are one and the same.
OE is a more generic term that refers to the brand that came as original equipment on the car from the factory. Most auto manufacturers assemble new cars from a variety of purchased components and manufacture only the chassis and sheet metal components.
This being the case, the “factory parts” that you can purchase from your dealer were most likely made by another company and then sold to the automobile manufacturer and sold again to the car dealer who will eventually sell them to the public. (This is how we save you money, by cutting out the middle man.)
For quality import parts and service call (850) 678-2586 today!
Many people are unaware of the fact that multiple OES brands are not only normal but are actually mandated by international standards as part of the qualifications for ISO certification. Automobile manufacturers are required to have secondary sourcing (i.e., multiple suppliers) for certain types of parts so that if any problems arise with one supplier it will not disrupt the car manufacturer’s production and allow for substitution of the other brand for new production and any warranty replacement or repairs.
As an example, the original Jurid brake pads may be interchanged with the Textar brake pads with equal performance, the Advics brake pads may be interchanged with the Nissin brake pads or the Denso spark plugs replaced with NGK.
The OEM suppliers to European and Asian car makers are not always easily identifiable. Due to the rapid growth and start up of automotive parts groups and spin-off companies, the original manufacturer of the parts may sell them under numerous brand names.
In addition, many parts manufacturers are considered OES when, in fact, the exact same parts came on the vehicle under a different brand name. Thus, we endeavor to use the direct OE replacement parts under whichever brand name is available.
We use out-of-town OEM/OES parts suppliers that provide the exact same parts as your local dealer – normally at drastically lower prices! They may not always come in a box or package stamped with the auto maker’s name but it is, in fact, the very same part, manufactured by the very same company. We also use a select group of proven aftermarket parts that we have found to be durable and dependable (and sometimes better than the original).
Why go to the dealer to pay for all those middlemen when you can get the exact same high quality parts and high quality services at L’Orange Auto Import Service? We strive to use the original equipment brands when available – usually the most commonly used brand is more readily available at a cost savings that we can pass along to you, our valued customer.
That is the reason our parts may be 25% – 85% below the dealer’s price. You’re not getting less quality – it’s the same quality as the dealer’s part. You’re just getting more for your money by cutting out the overhead caused by too many middlemen.
Dealer Only Parts
“Why doesn’t the aftermarket have replacement parts for my 2011 model car?” All too often we hear this question on non-maintenance type parts and it’s frustrating both for you and for us.
Most cars will require some repair work in the first or second year. Unfortunately, some parts for these repairs may still only be available through the parts department at the dealer.
Often OEM and OES companies will delay the release of OE parts for “new” cars into the aftermarket (because of licensing agreements) until a few years have passed. This restriction allows the manufacturer to recoup money invested in tooling costs. It also generates repair revenues for the dealers and justifies the larger OEM production runs to keep costs down.
Although this can be frustrating that some parts are “dealer only”, it’s in your best interest for warranty purposes. As new car warranties continue to get longer and longer, the dealer must maintain cars that fail to perform for longer periods of time. In the case of emission-related parts, the U.S. government has regulated many of these warranties to keep up with EPA rules. So if you’re driving a newer car, you may need the dealer for a few more years on certain items.
OEM/OES vs. Aftermarket Parts
The true “aftermarket” part is one that’s been copied from the OE part. In many cases, this is done to offer a lower cost alternative. But in most cases the benefit of the lower price is far outweighed by its major disadvantage – it’s usually an inferior product and ends up costing you much more in the end in avoidable repairs.
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule as car makers try to reduce assembly costs by going to lower cost alternatives on parts that wear out (routine maintenance parts).
But beware! Aftermarket parts stores – the big name mass merchandisers you find on every street corner – normally carry ONLY “aftermarket” copies of OE parts. It’s the most cost-efficient way for them to compete on price with the thousands of other parts stores. Besides, most of their customers care more about price than quality and performance anyway!
OEM/OES Brands Available at L’ORANGE AUTO IMPORT SERVICE
L’Orange Auto Import Service doesn’t believe in using cheap aftermarket imitations. We won’t use inferior parts. Our customers understand how important quality, fit, performance and reliability are and they want to use the highest quality parts possible for their vehicle – those that fit and work like factory-original, OEM parts.
For quality import parts and service call (850) 678-2586 today!
