Four Benefits of Buying BMW OEM Parts

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?