HHP's look at the pros and cons of using aftermarket diesel engine parts.

Here at Highway and HeavyParts we sell aftermarket diesel parts. An aftermarket part is any part not sourced through the trucks manufacturer. One of the questions that we get asked nearly every day is if the diesel parts we sell are as good as the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).

Aftermarket diesel parts have pros and cons. The pros are: Price, Quality, Warranty, and Availability.

Price: The diesel parts we sell are typically 30% or less than the respective OEM part without any sacrifice of quality. How is that done you ask? OEM dealers have tremendous overhead costs. The way they cover these costs is higher parts prices as well as labor rates. They need to charge more to keep a vast network of branches going.

Quality: Quality is not sacrificed on any of the aftermarket diesel parts we sell. In some cases, our diesel parts are not just equal to but exceed the OEM parts. We pull from a list of preferred vendors that we have acquired from being in the diesel parts business for over 30 years. Many of the diesel parts we sell are purchased from the same manufacturer as the OEM buys from. Its important to remember that most of the OEMs have outsourced their diesel parts manufacturing. HHPs focus on quality keeps our customers coming back for the best value.

Warranty: Aftermarket parts warranty is typically equal to or in some cases up to four times longer than the OEM. The aftermarket manufacturers know that they are in tough competition with the OEMs in the diesel parts market. For this reason they offer much more extensive warranties to help persuade people to buy. This is great news for you the customer.

Availability:  Availability with aftermarket diesel parts is unique that many times we can offer the part you need from more than one vendor. That means greater selection, and faster shipping nationwide.

The cons are: Quality and Warranty. I can hear you right now saying whoa, didnt you just tell me that two of the pros are quality and warranty? To be fair, your right but let me explain. The quality of aftermarket diesel parts is all over the board. You need to be careful youre buying from a reputable source thats been in the business and knows how to judge good diesel parts from bad ones. HHP has done that for you. Warranty is also a con in the sense that all warranties, OEM or Aftermarket operate the same way. The diesel part needs to get sent in to be inspected before the warranty claim will be paid. The strike against aftermarket is that the dealer network is typically not as large as the OEMs and you have to ship the diesel part in costing you time. If you had a diesel part installed at a dealer and it fails, you can drive right back in to a dealer and get it taken care of. The trade-off is that for on the spot warranty the diesel part would have to have been installed at the dealer by their mechanics. That means youre paying for this service in the form of much higher parts and labor cost.

To sum it up, aftermarket diesel parts have come a long way in the last fifteen years. The quality is now very consistent with warranties and prices that cant be beat. I personally use aftermarket for both diesel and automotive parts. I cant even remember the last time I stepped foot in the dealership to buy a part for my Chevy and unless its unavailable in aftermarket I do the same for the big trucks.


For more information on these products or any other diesel parts from Highway and Heavy Parts (HHP), you can visit their website (http://www.highwayandheavyparts.com) or call them toll free at 844-304-7688 to speak with one of their qualified professionals. HHP specializes in rebuild kits, cylinder heads, camshafts, crankshafts, fuel injectors, turbochargers, and gasket sets for diesel engines. Coverage includes: Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel and International engines for On-highway, Off-highway, Marine, Power Generation and Natural Gas Markets.

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