The car hack to save you THOUSANDS on spare parts!

Now that your car is it out of warranty/service plan, wouldn’t you love a foolproof system to save thousands on spare parts?

Us to.

Booking your car at the local dealer can be a nerve-racking affair, because you’ve never had to pay for spare parts before.

So, what’s the affordable car hack for spares that doesn’t compromise on quality or safety.

Well, we selected three popular five-year-old double-cab bakkies – they would’ve just come out of warranty – and investigated their spare parts cost. Specifically, we looked at how you can save thousands on spare parts by comparing a franchise dealer versus a specialist service centre (which shall remain anonymous).

SAVE THOUSANDS ON SPARE PARTS: DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARTS

Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) rarely produce all their own components. In most cases, an appointed supplier adds the logo of the OEM and ensures it meets the quality requirements. OEMs control the quality of the parts fitted and this is how it honours warranties.

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Aftermarket parts do not come via an OEM distribution network, but often both streams make use of the same supplier. The part may be identical – and therefore of similar quality – to the one that’s supplied to the OEM but simply doesn’t carry the OEM’s logo.

SAVE THOUSANDS ON SPARE PARTS

2017 ISUZU KB300 D-TEQ

2017 FORD RANGER 3.2-LITRE TDCI

2017 TOYOTA HILUX 3,0 D-4D

There you have it, dealer parts are considerably more expensive than aftermarket alternatives, and this is quite simply because of dealership mark-ups.

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Our hack to save thousands on spare parts is to go down the aftermarket road. The key once your vehicle’s warranty has expired is to stick with well-known, trusted brands. And remember, parts that are too cheap run the risk of being low-quality pirated parts. Avoid those at all costs.