Media post: How to choose the right spare parts for Mercedes. What is he difference between genuine and aftermarket parts

With the end of the warranty on the car, each Mercedes owner will have a rather difficult event – the choice of Mercedes performance parts. Every time, with the arrival of a breakdown, in order to repair a Mercedes, the car owner must choose between genuine a part or an aftermarket one. Mercedes Benz steering wheels, Mercedes wheels, Mercedes Benz rims, Mercedes wheel caps – what risks exist when installing a substitute and whether it is worth overpaying for the brand?

To begin with, let’s figure out which parts are considered genuine and which are not genuine.

Since only assembly is carried out at the manufacturer’s factory, then all the components from which the car is assembled are called “genuine”. This is where the biggest confusion among motorists begins because the same genuine auto parts can be produced by several different factories under different brands. Sometimes even the same nodes are assembled by several manufacturers. Naturally, all other spare parts are called “not genuine”.

What spare parts can you save on

If the car is new and is under warranty, then still do not neglect the genuine spare parts, purchase only them from an authorized dealer. This is especially true for an expensive car or node.

In the opposite case, if the car is not covered by warranty obligations or it is outdated, it is permissible to save on so-called non-responsible nodes:

– consumables: rubber products, lamps, liquids, Mercedes Benz floor mats, etc;

– decorative elements of the body and interior;

– other components that are not directly related to the operation of the engine and brake system.

Why you can’t save on car rims

Rims for Mercedes are not just beautiful accessories that allow you to give an individual appearance to the car. Mercedes rims perform another very important function – ensuring safety while the vehicle is moving. The fact is that it is thanks to the wheels that the car can move in contact with the road surface.

They also play an important role in determining the dynamic properties of the vehicle. Mercedes alloy wheels also reduce the load on the suspension of the vehicle. And, consequently, during the movement, the load on the body is significantly reduced, thereby increasing the smoothness of the ride.

This also affects fuel consumption, the car in which aluminum wheels will be installed will consume significantly less fuel when driving than a vehicle with iron wheels.

Advantages and disadvantages of genuine spare parts

When using an original part for your Mercedes, there are a number of undeniable advantages:

– the spare part is 100% compatible with your car, and the warranty of the car manufacturer is responsible for the quality and compliance with technical requirements;

– finding and purchasing a part using VIN significantly reduces the risk of running into an unsuitable product and counterfeit products.

The use of genuine products is also not without drawbacks, but they are not essential:

– overpayment for the brand. The prices of original spare parts for Mercedes-Benz are 40-60% higher than the price of a comparable quality aftermarket part. At the same time, both parts are often produced by the same manufacturer;

– long waiting time for the order.

Advantages and disadvantages of non-genuine spare parts

Nevertheless, the market for similar products also has a number of advantages:

– lower cost compared to the genuine;

– less time is spent searching and buying.

There are significantly more disadvantages:

– lower assortment;

– errors and false information in the catalog of aftermarket parts;

– intentional sale of low-quality spare parts.

How much does the genuine differ from the non-genuine? How to distinguish?

Speaking of quality, we can say that the modern analog market has offers that are not inferior in quality to the genuine manufacturer, and sometimes even surpass it. However, this is quite a rare phenomenon.

The genuine products have a number of distinctive features:

– the original has branded packaging;

– the sticker on the package has the following information: the country, the name of the manufacturer, and a unique verification barcode. Thanks to the latter, you can accurately verify the authenticity of the part by typing it on the manufacturer’s website.

The aftermarket part can be distinguished by the following factors:

– the item number of the part differs from the genuine one. In the case of a fake that plays the role of an exact copy of the original manufacturer, it may be identical, but it is given an incorrect location or errors in the text;

– poor packaging quality;

– suspiciously low cost of the product.

Conclusion

The purchase of a genuine or aftermarket part is a personal choice of each car owner. However, it is fair to say that in the selection of important parts, it is necessary to choose a licensed part, because this will protect from possible failure.