Posts Tagged car repairs
Aftermarket Auto Parts Boon or Bane
There’s no questioning the popularity of aftermarket auto parts in the US automotive industry. Basically alternate car parts most of which are not made by car manufacturers themselves, aftermarket auto parts compete with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. When an original auto part fails (for instance, your hood strut) and is irreparable, the car owner has the choice – or dilemma – of whether to buy a new part from his car’s manufacturer or purchase an aftermarket part. Thus, inevitably, issues of which are more advantageous to car owners, which benefits the industry more, and other related questions and comparisons between OEM and aftermarket parts arise.
With the rise in production of aftermarket auto parts in the past two decades, a non-profit organization called the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) was established in 1987 to test and certify parts used for auto body repairs. Setting rigid standards for aftermarket parts, CAPA’s testing process includes an industry-recognized 500-hour salt spray test to indicate rust resistance. Tests on metal composition, screws, chipping and scratching resistance are also conducted. While the founding of CAPA initially boosted the trust in the quality of aftermarket auto parts, many automotive consumers still describe CAPA parts as generally not as good as OEM parts. Furthermore, questions on the credibility of the CAPA certification, despite its supposedly strict standards, still exist.
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