After market vs OEM Truck Parts

[4runner]

I have a 2002 Toyota 4Runner with about 160K miles. It has treated me well- no major issues except for wear items. I have generally had it serviced by Toyota and used OEM parts.

Currently I do have one exhaust issue (may require new catalytic converter). I am debating whether I should stick with Toyota parts/service or go with aftermarket. A garage we use for one of our other vehicles uses Carquest parts.

The garage says Carquest exhaust parts are as good as OEM and built to the same specs. Can I expect the same service life out of them? Are there different grades of Carquest parts?

Thanks.

 

[Big Bri]

i sold auto parts at a well know parts chain in the mid 90's, we had accounts for every dealer in town, so what i'm saying is that the dealers will buy after market parts and put them on your truck.

 

[Wis Bang]

My GMC Jimmy needed a fuel pump relay. I ordered one from the local Chevy garage instead of going to Advanced Auto Crap for one made in China. I picked up mine in the blue 'Goodwrench' box. Walking out of the dealer, I opened the box to find a smaller white box inside labeled 'Made in China"...I could have saved $5.00.

My local jobber sells Carquest and I find their exhaust parts to be good. He had parts that replaced pipes on a Ford Ranger that matched the factory stuff exactly...

 

[timswi]

Most of the general parts are fine at the parts stores. Some are better than others. I rarely by dealer parts.

 

[Dutch445]

What are any warranty differences between OEM and
aftermarket?

 

[20 20]

I have found that using after market parts can be healthy on the wallet

 

[timswi]

What are any warranty differences between OEM and
aftermarket?

Actually many of the over the counter "hard" parts are lifetime warranty. Dealers don't usually offer that. Even with sometime dubious quality, you can go get a new one of whatever and replace it yourself.

 

[CATMAN]

I had to put a catalytic convertor on my toyota two years ago, and just used generic, new convertor w/o flanges(from parts store) of the correct pipe size, then you weld on your own or new flanges (of the right bolt pattern). Much, much cheaper than OEM factory part. The local exhaust shop told me that this is exactly what they do for their customers.

 

[20 20]

Catman; dealers like their money, as you wrote. My sons truck needed tie rod ends installed dealer wanted over 300.00, we did it for under 40.00. There parts price was well over 100.00

 

[ray66v]

I spent 30 years in business, a lot of it was spent struggling with aftermarket parts.

Sometimes there just as good, a lot of the time there not.

If you have an older vehicle, with a lot of miles, and can save a fair amount of money, I would use them.

If the oem part is fairly priced, I prefer to use them. I know exactly what to expect then. Many times I have had to replace aftermarket brake parts because of performance issues like noises. Put on oem, noise goes away. If you don't care about a break squeak, or scraping noise, (a lot of people don't), then it's no problem.

I just put an aftermarket catalytic converter on my wife's car. It was almost 1/2 the cost. It was also almost 1/2 the size.