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Why buy used auto
parts?
When an insurance appraiser writes a damage estimate
on your property, let's use an automobile as an example, he
has to consider repair cost and replacement cost. Repair cost
consist of many items, the highest dollar amounts are usually
labor and materials.
Choices for materials can come from four categories;
New O.E.M. (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
New Aftermarket (This can be from Taiwan or
anywhere, quality not as good as O.E.M.)
Rebuilt or Remanufactured
(Rebuilt Engine, Re-chromed Bumper, etc.
Used LKQ (Used parts from a automobile
recycler)
Here are some pros and cons of each.
New O.E.M. is, in most instances, the
best, but if this was the only option, none of us could afford
insurance. Not only do insurance companies and individuals save
tremendous amounts of money on used auto parts
parts to do the repair, insurance companies recover a lot of
money from vehicles they wish not to repair.
"The insurance industry re-coups about 25% of their total lost
costs through auto recycler's purchases of salvage autos for
parts." These vehicles are sold
to automobile recyclers to be dismantled and the parts sold a
savings to consumers.
As I said, O.E.M. is best but is available
in new and used. If you have an estimate written on your
car,
O.E.M. means new original equipment, and LKQ means used
original equipment. The advantage for used is sometimes two
fold.
One example would be a convertible top frame. One model may
cost $2500 from the manufacturer and require many hours to
assemble. The same unit LKQ, might cost $500 to
$1000 dollars and just need to be installed, not assembled.
Another example is a car door. While a new
door shell may cost $1000 and a used door also cost $1000, the advantages of
used are not always clear to the uninformed. First of all, a door
shell is far from a complete door. A new door for the same vehicle, if
complete, may cost $2500 and need assembly. Even if the shell is all that is
damaged, seldom have a seen a door assembled in a repair facility not
rattle. Assembly done at the factory is just better.
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