You can buy just about anything online, ranging from essentials (such as groceries) to the bizarre (like the time that an entire town in California was listed on eBay).
This extends to car parts too.
Look hard enough, and it isn’t hard to find car parts floating around online marketplaces.
And that brings us to today’s topic: the problems with aftermarket car parts (and why you shouldn’t use them in your Mercedes-Benz!)
As a result, our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne have seen an uptick in car owners buying their own parts and taking it to an independent mechanic, or attempting a DIY repair.
Just to be clear, not all non-Mercedes parts are inherently untrustworthy. There are many aftermarket suppliers out there who produce parts that are equal in quality and performance to original manufacturers.
Do you really want to take the chance though? Especially with the risks?
1) Aftermarket parts won’t always fit your Mercedes-Benz
Many of the aftermarket parts you may find online are one-size-fits-all designs, designed to work well enough with as many car brands and engines as possible.
This can often lead to degraded performance if they’re used in a high-end brand such as Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes vehicles are highly-engineered vehicles with tight tolerances – this is what gives them their power and performance. To keep this performance up requires high-quality parts and components that are specifically designed with Mercedes-Benz vehicles in mind.
It isn’t just parts found online that run into this problem – the parts used by generalist mechanics are often guilty of this as well.
After all, generalist mechanics have to work with all sorts of different car brands day-in, day-out. It makes sense that they would try to streamline things as much as possible by preferencing these types of parts.
Unfortunately, it also means that your Mercedes-Benz may not receive the service it deserves.
2) How do you know they’re up for the task?
Anyone who regularly shops online knows that what eventually turns up on your front doorstep can often be a bit hit-or-miss quality-wise.
This isn’t a major problem when it’s something relatively unimportant. A pack of socks might break early, and a pair of headphones might turn out to be a dud, but in both cases, you’re only out a couple of dollars.
For something as important as your Mercedes-Benz however, it’s important that you only use the best!
As with many online listings, there’s often no way to verify the quality of the product you’re receiving. How can you be certain that you’re receiving a quality part that will keep your engine running for years to come?
Genuine parts are rigorously tested by Mercedes-Benz to make sure it meets the quality, safety and performance standards we’ve come to expect from the three-pointed star.
While aftermarket aftermarket parts may look the part, they don’t undergo this type of testing. The metallurgy may not be up to par, or they might not be able to tolerate the heat a Mercedes-Benz engine can generate.
The only way to be sure? Stick to genuine or OEM parts when it’s time to take your car in for a service or repair.
And don’t forget to take it to a Mercedes-Benz specialist in Melbourne, either!
3) You run a high risk of buying a fake
Another common problem with aftermarket car parts (or anything, really) bought online? The high chance of accidentally buying a fake.
Like many online purchases, there are a surprising number of vendors who will attempt to pass off their fake products as the real deal.
Using fake parts in your Mercedes-Benz can have dire consequences. Oftentimes, fake parts can fail, causing extensive damage to your engine and necessitating a costly Mercedes-Benz service to fix.
According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, up to 60% of spark plugs bought through online vendors are fakes!
It isn’t always easy to tell the fakes apart from the genuine article, either. Fakers are getting more and more sophisticated, with even professionals struggling to tell them apart in many cases.
The only way to be sure is to source them through official channels.
At Ammstar Exclusive, we’ve built strong relationships with many of the original parts manufacturers that Mercedes-Benz selects, as well as trustworthy and reputable aftermarket brands.
This allows us to procure parts directly from the source, eliminating the risk of any fake, low-quality parts making their way into any repairs we carry out.
4) No warranty
At Ammstar Exclusive, we don’t just cover our workmanship and labour – we also offer a generous 2-year, 50,000km warranty on the parts we use as well.
The parts we choose aren’t just durable – the vast majority are also covered by warranty, which our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne are able to pass on to customers like you.
By contrast, very few aftermarket parts are covered by warranties!
Just to be clear, Australian law does NOT allow car manufacturers to void your warranty if you use aftermarket parts. However, there’s also no guarantee that they’ll warrant a repair, so be careful.
If it turns out that you’ve accidentally bought a low-quality aftermarket part (or worse, damaged your Mercedes as a result), you’re left without recourse. You’ll have to pay out-of-pocket for a replacement, as well as a repair cost.
Additionally, if an aftermarket part causes a genuine part to fail, Mercedes is not obliged to cover honour a warranty for the genuine part, either.
While it may save you a little bit of money upfront, choosing the aftermarket alternative can often end up costing more in the long-run!
Give your Mercedes the service it deserves – call our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne today!
We understand that you want to bring down how much your Mercedes-Benz service costs, and that choosing aftermarket parts is one way of achieving that goal.
Of course, buying aftermarket parts is fraught with risk, especially with so many sketchy vendors selling their wares online.
As independent mechanics, our Mercedes-Benz specialists in Melbourne aren’t tied to the dealership network. We’re free to seek out alternatives to genuine parts if we believe it will offer superior performance, or a better price.
Over the years, we’ve curated a selection of aftermarkets parts providers that we know through first-hand experience can be trusted to provide durable, quality parts.
Not only does this allow us to provide you with superior Mercedes-Benz servicing, but it also allows us to bring down your bill too!
If you want a mechanic that knows your Mercedes-Benz inside-out and who WON’T charge you an arm and a leg, get in touch with Ammstar Exclusive today:
- Fairfield: (03) 9499 9585
- Moorabbin: (03) 9555 5580
Own a BMW, Volkswagen or Audi? Book a service with Ammstar Autohaus, a division of Ammstar that brings our trademark expertise and specialised knowledge to owners of other luxury German car brands!
