OEReplacement News

If you’ve been following our articles, at this point you might be wondering what the difference really is between OE and OE Replacement parts. It’s worth talking a look at the life cycle of car parts to make sense of it all.

First, the definition: Original equipment parts are the ones that come on a car from the factory. You might not realize it, but two identical cars, of the same make, model and year, could have different parts on them. Manufacturers make mid-cycle changes all the time, suppliers come and go, stocks run low and new designs get introduced. Original equipment doesn’t mean a specific water pump, for instance, but one that meets all the requirements for a new car.

There’s a lot of money in making cars, but automakers aren’t in the business of selling parts. In reality, it’s a long way from the days when Henry Ford owned the mines that produced his iron–there’s a lot more assembly than manufacturing involved today. They do own the patents and other intellectual property associated with the cars, however. And they do want high-quality parts to be available after they stop assembling cars. So they license the manufacture of parts to OE parts makers.

That’s what OE Replacement sells. When a supplier makes parts that are OE quality, they make them to at least the same standard as parts used in the original car. Sometimes, it is the same company that supplied the manufacturer; after all, the supplier had already gone through all the work to set up their manufacturing process. These are sometimes called Original Equipment Supplier (OES) parts, and they may or may not have the brand stamped on them, depending on the licensing agreement.

But other companies can manufacture the exact same part, too, if they obtain the license. They might not look exactly the same, but in fit and operation they will be identical to what came on the car. If a car or truck is still under warranty, that’s what a dealership is using for repairs. In fact, if they’re smart they’re getting their OE parts from OE Replacement, because OE Replacement doesn’t sell anything else.

Filed under: OEReplacement News by Josh Razgunas On: April 9th, 2010