Aftermarket (A/M) Parts

The insurance company might try to convince you that aftermarket parts (parts not made by your vehicle manufacturer) are equivalent to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. This is not true.


These aftermarket parts may look similar, but do not perform up to the safety standards of the OEM parts. The manufacturer engineers their parts for fit, function, structural integrity, and safety. Vehicle manufacturers have released position statements rejecting the use of A/M and used/LKQ parts.

OEM (top) vs A/M (bottom)

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In this photo, you can clearly see two major differences between the OEM part and the A/M part. First, there will be fitment issues due to the location and area of the attachment holes. Second, the aftermarket part corrodes at a quicker rate than the OEM. They are clearly not the same

Poor Aftermarket Fit

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This aftermarket front bumper did not fit properly on this Toyota. After hours of (unpaid) adjustment, the aftermarket bumper still did not fit flush. This aftermarket bumper is clearly not the same.

Illegal Aftermarket Airbags

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In multiple crash tests, aftermarket airbags deploy on average 7.5 milliseconds too slow, which is depicted in the above photo on the left. Aftermarket airbags improperly inflated during a number of tests. Bottom line, aftermarket airbags are illegal and they are clearly not the same.