Cost is the main factor driving new and used car dealerships to use aftermarket parts in their bays, but two major concerns are keeping these parts from being used in all repair work — quality and fit.
Respondents to the first-annual Aftermarket Business Dealership Product Study reveal that price and quality are their customers' main concerns. So while aftermarket parts typically have a better price tag than their original-equipment counterparts, their quality is still up for debate.
Despite extensive defense by the aftermarket that their parts' quality is equal to that of OEMs, doubt remains and has been enough to limit aftermarket parts use. Instead of being implemented during new and used car warranty work, these parts are most commonly used when readying a used vehicle for resale, according to 59 percent of survey respondents.
OEMs are the preferred parts supplier for dealerships, but across all suppliers — jobbers, warehouse distributors, auto parts retailers and OEMs — respondents note that better selection and faster delivery times are the most important suggested supplier improvements that would help increase business.
View study results.
METHODOLOGY: The first-annual Aftermarket Business Dealership Product Study was fielded to new and used car dealerships in our readership. Because of the limited respondent pool, survey results should be viewed as general market trend indicators, rather than statistical certainties.
