Auto parts - new or used?

The dilemma of the title is faced by many drivers. At a time when used and cheap imported auto parts are literally flooding the market, the prospect of saving a dozen or two percent is really tempting. It's just that the savings are often illusory, because buying used parts is actually a lottery. Let's find out which solution is better to choose - new or used auto parts.

Attention! In this list, we deliberately did not include stores operating at authorized service stations. Prices in such places are simply going through the roof and you should not count on savings.

Where can you buy auto parts?

The most natural place to buy auto parts seems to be a hospital spare parts store, which is operated by a company independent of the car manufacturer. We know that many readers of the portal Motofacts he repairs his cars on his own in his free time, and a trip to car shopit is an integral part of a free day or Saturday morning.

It may seem that buying in regular stores has only advantages. Usually all the necessary auto parts are available on site, and the choice is quite large. Moreover, for many people, direct contact with the seller is very important - they are convinced that in this case there is no risk of error, and it will be much easier to file a complaint.

Unfortunately, the average auto shop has quite a few downsides, and the upsides are largely subjective. The first issue, of course, is cost - many people don't buy online because they're worried about shipping costs. At the same time, the cost of going to the auto parts store does not have to be lower.

In addition, the prices in auto parts stores in stationary stores are not very attractive compared to online stores. While the owner of a car repair shop that regularly generates a turnover of several thousand zlotys per month can indeed count on significant discounts, the average driver in such places overpays quite significantly.

So let's choose the cheaper option by visiting auto parts store Online.

Will the mechanic “get” you cheaper?

Very often, the mechanics who repair our cars are engaged in the purchase of spare parts. But is it worth it? Yes, as long as we don't really have time to shop. Remember that garages get most of their income from selling parts.

It may turn out to be even more expensive than if we bought the parts ourselves and paid the mechanic only for the replacement. A separate issue - many mechanics do not want to work on auto parts provided by the customer, which somehow forces us to spend money in the workshop.

Used spare parts for your car

Cheap parts cars flow to Poland in a wide stream, for example in the form of cars imported from Great Britain. Buying Used Parts The mechanical or body parts in these vehicles are the same as in the Continental versions. Is it worth saving this way?

Well, buying used parts is always a lottery. Or rather, there is no guarantee that the selected component will actually work, because usually it is not even possible to check it.

And remember that the cars that donate spare parts were taken out of service for a reason, because they, as a rule, are already very worn out. So buying used auto parts does not make much sense.

So we are doomed to overpay in car shops? Fortunately not, because we can find car parts at a good price on the Internet.

New auto parts online

The same auto parts in an online store are usually much cheaper than in the nearest car. As an example, let's take the cost of acquiring a timing kit for an extremely popular car, which is the Skoda Octavia 1.6 MPI. We chose this car because it has solutions that can be found in many other cars of the VW group, so it can be considered a universal example.

Wanted to buy a complete kit, ready to install in the car. Here are the requirements:

• Belt kit
• · Pump
• Manufacturer: one of the recognized spare parts suppliers such as Bosch, Contitech, etc.

A short exploration of prices brought the following results:

• Stationery store in one of the provincial towns: PLN 450-480.
• Online store: 319-329 zł.
• Car service: PLN 500.

The differences are visible to the naked eye, right? And in the case of premium brands such as Audi or BMW, or more technically advanced engines, the savings are even greater!

Online store - purchase risk

Many people are afraid that they will not be able to buy the right parts for their car online. Completely groundless - if we have any doubts whether this item fits our car, just contact the store staff and provide the VIN number. This works in the same way as when buying auto parts in regular stores.

Online shopping is a great convenience. Just a few clicks and in 2-3 days a courier with spare parts will come to you. You don't even have to get out of your chair!

What about the warranty? Warranty conditions in online stores are usually the same as in stationary outlets.

In summary:

Do you want to buy cheap auto parts? You will find them on the Internet! Just remember to buy from online stores and not from unknown sellers on auction portals (risk of buying counterfeit products). The savings can be really big.

Avoid used parts as this is usually a bad investment. Nowadays, you can even buy new parts for Polonaise or other old cars online.