Opting to
purchase BMW OEM parts offers many benefits to a BMW owner, auto mechanic and
repair shop. “OEM” refers to “original equipment manufacturers” that are
usually still licensed by the car manufacturer. In other words, OEM automobile car parts are made by third-party manufacturers, not BMW itself; however,
they’re of similar quality and the same fit as those original pieces. Before
you invest in an expensive, hard-to-find BMW part, consider the advantages of
opting for OEM instead.
1. Saving Money
The most
obvious advantage of original equipment manufacturer parts is the cost. Because
they’re not made by BMW, they have to be competitive and so they’re going to
charge less, sometimes by as much as a half of the original BMW part cost.
Insurance companies frequently rely on the quality of OEM parts; they choose to
have repairs made with OEM parts, because they’re more affordable than the
original car parts, while not sacrificing reliability.
You can
request OEM parts with many mechanics, even dealership mechanics, with
different repair quotes. If you do opt to do the shopping yourself and present
the part to a mechanic, you will save more, because then you will only be
paying for labor.
2. Finding Rare Parts
When BMW
focuses on new models, older models become less of a priority to them. The
older your model, the harder it’s going to be to find the parts you need for
repairs. Scarcity can drive the cost of original BMW parts up, assuming you can
find them in the first place, that is. If you do find them, they’re probably
used or refurbished, so you’re not even getting the highest quality pieces.
You can buy
brand new, never-before-used OEM parts for less and can count on those parts
continuing to be made, even after BMW cuts back on their own production.
3. Being Able to Afford Upgrades
Pretend that
you bought a new BMW, but you bought it off-the-lot and it isn’t quite what you
would have chosen, if you were ordering a custom vehicle. Maybe you did order
it custom, but you changed your mind about something shortly thereafter.
Even if you
have a brand new BMW, you’re going to find it quite expensive if choose to
upgrade. Something as seemingly simple as swapping out the interior trim pieces
can cost more than you’re willing to pay. Thanks to the affordability of OEM,
you can invest in a vehicle upgrade for a fraction of the price.
4. Relying on Licensed Quality
Because you
can count on your OEM parts to have the BMW stamp of approval, you can also
rely on a warranty. Typically, an OEM might include a year-long warranty, or
the warranty could be in terms of miles—something like 12,000 miles. If the
part breaks within that period, you can get it replaced free of charge.
Aftermarket BMW parts—parts made by third parties without BMW’s approval—don’t
usually come with that kind of warranty. Plus, they’re often only slightly
cheaper than OEM parts.
A Few Caveats
If you
decide to buy OEM, make sure that’s what you’re paying for. If you go through a
licensed dealer, you probably are going to get a proper part. If you’re going
to buy the parts yourself, though, research the seller and only trust
positively reviewed businesses, with fair return policies.
Read product
descriptions, too. Watch out for words such as “OEM quality” or “meets or
exceeds OEM standards,” because that’s not the same as saying the part is OEM.
What it means is that the seller thinks it’s as good as OEM. It’s likely an
unlicensed aftermarket part the seller is trying to pass off as OEM, and if you
found out after the fact and dared to complain, the seller will point out they
never claimed it was OEM in the first place. An aftermarket part could prove to
be a good purchase, but do you really want to trust a seller who misrepresents
their products?
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