i work at a retail auto parts store. i know the prices i sell parts at, and i know the rediculous prices the dealership sells at. is it really that much better to get parts from the dealership? ive always thought a bosch part to look exactly the same as a neihoff part or toyota part to look like a fram part. i just dont understand why to pay more for the same thing. am i way off? or is it just magic that makes a toyota part so much better?

 

why yes... yes it is magic...

i know that aftermarket parts are considered "inferior" to OEM parts for several reasons... one being that they are not built to the same tolerances as the OEM ones... example, a guy on here just had a thread about getting a CV shaft installed and couldnt because the auto parts store one that he got was something like 1.5mm shorter than stock...

also, i know that a lot of parts companies make parts to fit a multitude of vehicles and they dont necessarily work that great in any one particular vehicle... example, i bought a stanton radiator cap when my 18 year old OEM failed... the stanton cap lasted 1 day before i realised that i had radiator fluid leaking past it... got a new OEM one, and havent looked back since...

 

This is a Napa shaft that snapped clean the inside the differential. No trailside CV swap would be possible with this kind of break. The situation that caused this was nothing abusive or to extreme; just a flawed shaft. I’ve ripped an AutoZone CV out of the cage during installation. You pay for what you get. The dealership is not the only choice for Genuine Toyota Parts, many sites exist that deal quality used parts. I go to these guys first for the big ticket items.

 

What are some of the most popular sights to get quality oem parts?

 

Yeah, dont you believe in majic? Toyota is magic when you consider how long they last! Yes there is a difference imho, just on certain things. Example: If you were rebuilding something when you know cleariances is very important wouldnt you strive for oem parts? There is just quality included when you go oem I think- you can just put each part in your hand and recognize the quality toyota has in their oem parts. Thats why its called "original equipment manufacturer" as good as it came with from the factory. But like belts, hoses, maybe seals- name brand ones that is. I'd go with aftermarket Just dont forget you get what you pay for, if you want quality you are going to have to fork out some money, If you go cheaper with rebuilt crap (aftermarket) good luck, there is a reason why it cost less, they left out the quality.

 

TRD4U.com
toyota of dallas

are all great sites that are OEM and much cheaper then the dealer