Parts grades and warranty

Why two estimates for the same repair differ

Most of the time it is not the labor. It is the parts.

The same operation — an alternator, a set of brake pads, a water pump — can be quoted with four genuinely different classes of part, at prices that can differ by a factor of three, with warranties that differ just as much.

An estimate that does not name the parts grade is not finished. Ours always names it, and if the difference matters to you, ask for both figures — we will price it either way.

The four grades

OE (original equipment). The part the manufacturer supplies, in the manufacturer’s box. Most expensive, and the right choice where fit or electronics are critical, or where the vehicle is new enough that you care about matching exactly.

OE-equivalent. Made to the same specification, frequently by the same factory that supplies the manufacturer, in that supplier’s own box. This is what most of our work uses. The quality is genuinely comparable and the price is not.

Aftermarket. Made by an independent manufacturer to its own specification. Quality ranges from excellent to poor, and the difference is the brand rather than the category. We use aftermarket where we know the brand and will say which one.

Remanufactured. An original part rebuilt to specification with new wear components. Standard and sensible for alternators, starters, calipers and steering racks. Usually carries a core charge, which is refunded when your old unit goes back.

What we recommend, and when

For most repairs on a vehicle out of factory warranty, OE-equivalent is the right balance and it is what we quote by default.

We recommend OE where the part is electronic and has to talk to the rest of the vehicle, where fit tolerance is genuinely critical, or where a known aftermarket failure pattern exists.

We recommend remanufactured for alternators, starters, calipers and steering racks, where a rebuild to specification is the industry norm and buying new adds cost without adding life.

We will use aftermarket where you want the least expensive option and the part is not critical — and we will tell you plainly where we think that is a false economy. A cheap sensor that fails in a year costs you the labor twice.

The warranty

The warranty term is stated on your repair order in months and miles, whichever comes first, and it covers parts and labor, not parts alone. A warranty that covers only the part leaves you paying to have it fitted again, which is most of the cost.

The term varies with the grade. OE and OE-equivalent parts generally carry the longest term; aftermarket varies by manufacturer; remanufactured units carry the rebuilder’s term. The exact figure for your repair is on your repair order before you authorize it — ask if it is not clear.

If a repair we performed fails inside its warranty, bring it back and it is corrected at no charge, labor included.

What a warranty does not cover

A different fault that appears later, even on the same system. Replacing a water pump does not warrant the radiator.

Wear items consumed in normal use. Brake pads wear out; that is what they do.

Damage from an unrelated cause — an impact, contaminated fuel, continued driving after a warning, or a repair attempted elsewhere in between.

Parts you supplied yourself. We warrant our labor on them, but we cannot warrant a component we did not choose or source.

Where it is genuinely ambiguous whether something is a warranty failure, we will resolve it in your favour rather than argue about it. That is cheaper for us than the argument and fairer to you.

Can I supply my own parts?

For some jobs, yes, and we will tell you which. Filters and wiper blades, no problem.

For brakes, ignition, cooling and anything safety-critical, usually not — and the reason is the warranty rather than the markup. If a part you sourced fails, you pay the labor a second time and we both spend a morning establishing whose problem it is. That conversation is worse than the saving.

Where we do fit a customer-supplied part, the repair order says so explicitly and states that the part carries no warranty from us.

Core charges

Some parts — alternators, starters, calipers, racks — carry a core charge: a deposit refunded when your old unit is returned to the rebuilder.

It appears as a separate line on your estimate and is credited on your invoice. If you have asked for your old parts back and the part carries a core charge, we will tell you, because you cannot have both.