Genuine parts vs substitutes

In the course of using a car of any brand, there comes a moment when a damaged or worn-out component needs to be replaced. We are then faced with the choice of not only the service that will serve us, but also the type of parts used for repair.

BMW X3 E83

Spare parts

Authorized service centers are required to use only original parts. Hence, among other things, their high service prices.

Independent services, such as BM Cars, can use both original parts and the increasingly popular substitutes. What is the difference, other than price? Automobile corporations including BMW group vehicle assembly plants and manufacturing facilities together focusing on the vehicle’s main components:

• body – stamping and assembly plants for body components,
• engines – powertrain assembly plants,
• (optional) transmission and electronics component manufacturing companies.

In most cases, the vehicle’s components are manufactured at companies that cooperate with vehicle manufacturers:

• electronics and controllers – are produced by corporations: Bosch, Siemens,
• gearboxes – ZF, GM,
• body components – Valeo, Delphi
• suspension components – TRW, Contitech, Lemfoerder
• brake systems – ATE, Textar, TRW.

Servo original manufactured by TRW (left) and a replacement, without BMW markings, also manufactured by TRW (right)

Exclusive period for the production of spare parts

When a new vehicle model is launched, an automotive concern enters into an exclusive period agreement with leading parts suppliers. For a given period, the parts produced by the co-operator are exclusively available to the concern as original parts – usually with the manufacturer’s markings obliterated and the concern’s logo highlighted.

The effect of this agreement is that there are no available replacements for new car models. After the end of the grace period, cooperators begin to offer their replacements, i.e. the same parts, but marked with the manufacturer’s marks – ATE, TRW, Bosch. Qualitatively, they do not differ from the originals, as they are the same parts.

TRW packaging and servos – replacement (center), original (right)

Spare parts without a name

When choosing the parts needed to repair our vehicle, we need not be afraid of the spare parts on offer, provided that they come from leading manufacturers. Unlabeled, so-called “no-name” parts are usually cheap parts from China and other Asian countries. They are very competitively priced, but their quality is not of an adequate standard and puts the user at risk. This is especially true for suspension and brake system parts.

At BM Cars, we only use parts from reputable manufacturers and genuine parts, because we care about the safety of all drivers.

Delphi is one of the manufacturers of parts for BMW