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New Parts vs Car-Part.com

Many people find Pete’s Auto Parts when they are searching on Car-Part.com or when they are looking for auto parts for their vehicle. So what is the difference between buying new parts and buying used auto parts (such as those you find on Car-Part.com or directly on our site)? This blog post will tell you. 

OEM vs Aftermarket vs Used OEM 

 The two choices you have with new parts are OEM or aftermarket. Aftermarket parts are basically knock-offs, off-brand parts, usually made in China, that SHOULD fit the same and sometimes they are a decent choice. They are usually cheaper than the other new options, but the quality may not be as great. They are manufactured new, so they are also not as “green” if you care about that sort of thing.

OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. These new parts were made by your vehicle’s manufacturer. Often these parts come primed, not painted, when you are buying body parts. A new OEM part is a great choice in terms of quality! The downsides are that they are pricey, and they are not as environmentally friendly. Every part is made using new or recycled steel/plastic/copper/etc that is shipped to a plant, molded, shipped to a warehouse, shipped to another business, etc. 

Used OEM auto parts are a good solution when you want both affordability and to not have to use a cheap knock-off.  Used OEM parts are tested and warrantied, depending on where you source them from. At Pete’s Auto Parts we list all of our parts on car-part or www.car-part.com and we also list our parts on a number of other sites. We pay to put our parts on these sites so more customers will find us. There are many customers who search for used auto parts or car parts or car-part.com and that is how they discover us, searching on one of these websites. They also see our competitors’ parts that way. We aren’t afraid of that, we know we do a great job and have excellent pricing, and we often will match competitors prices, so we don’t mind if you search on a site like this, we know you’ll still end up at Pete’s Auto Parts! Car-Part.com shows many yards, which is a good, because you have options. Pete’s Auto Parts being one of them!

Testing and Warranties

At Pete’s Auto Parts we post videos of our engines running to our youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@petesauto7873 and when you shop at our site you can get these links so you can hear the motor run before you purchase it! When you see engines on car-part.com you will notice we have the youtube links for those engines in the comments, feel free to copy & paste! We test everything we can so we don’t sell you faulty parts. But things do happen, parts do fail, even new parts. When you buy a part from Pete’s, whether through car-part or our website or calling us, you have 30 days to return for any reason, and every part is warrantied for 90 days. We also offer 1 year and 3 year extended warranties and labor protection. You can see that on our site but it’s not always listed on car-part so don’t be afraid to ask!

If you are purchasing from another yard on car-part.com, we encourage you to ask them for their return and warranty policies. Many auto salvage yards have excellent warranty policies, and many of our competitors test their parts like we do, but you don’t know if you don’t ask! Buying on car-part or from Pete’s directly, you should make sure you have the warranty coverage you prefer!  

Reach Out!

If you don’t see the part you need, reach out to us! On car-part we can’t list every part we have access to. We can get in just about any part where the yard says Team PRP or PRP or CDC or RDC behind the name. These are all trucking networks we have access to, to help save you money! If you see a part on car-part and you are local to Pete’s, reach out and call us, we can help even if the part you are looking at is at another yard! Whether you are local to us or far away, we can help. 

Painting vs Oh Thank Goodness 

When you buy aftermarket or OEM body parts, you generally have to pay a body shop to paint those parts. But when you shop on car-part or at Pete’s Auto Parts, and you buy recycled OEM or used auto parts, you can often find body parts in the same color as your vehicle, saving you money on paint. Paint is expensive! If you are looking on car-part or on our website for a specific color, be sure to use your vehicle’s paint code. There could be several different reds that look similar for the same year of the same vehicle! Your paint code is often found on the sticker in your door jamb, but honestly the easiest way to find it is to utilize google! If you are looking for a Mazda paint code, just google “where is my Mazda’s paint code?” and it will pop up (like this!) If you are unsure, text Pete’s your VIN (616-669-6592) and we will help you get your paint code and find parts in color for you!

Rust Free Part Access

One worry about buying used instead of new, especially in climates like Michigan, is will the part be rusty? We inspect and photograph our parts so you know what to expect. Some customers don’t mind a tiny bit of seam bubbling, and others don’t want any rust at all. We are happy to accommodate your needs! You can buy rust-free parts used. At car-part.com, you can find southern body parts, but it’s so expensive to ship them in. We can help! At Pete’s Auto Parts, we know many customers are willing to wait a few days to get quality rust free parts from the south! So we will give you access to those same parts you see on car-part and we will let you know your total cost and how many days they take to ship. Maybe you can’t wait a week for a rust-free door from Texas, and that’s fine, we can show you the quick close parts that car-part.com does, but maybe you have a week before the vehicle is being worked on and you’d rather have a door that has never seen snow!

Support Local

Whether you look up parts on car-part or on our website, when you buy from Pete’s Auto Parts, you are supporting a small family business. We have 30 hardworking employees, 29 that live and work here in West Michigan. Dan started out in West Michigan, but moved to North Carolina, and we couldn’t bear to let him go, so he works from home! Anyway, the point is when you support a small business like Pete’s Auto Parts you are keeping your hard earned money in your community. That money is going to pay our people, and then their money is going to their rent and groceries and things of course, but also to other local businesses and to things like their kid’s sports activities or music lessons, or to local concerts or even to charities.

Summary

There are many reasons to buy used OEM parts, whether or not you purchase from Pete’s Auto Parts or another recycler on car-part.com. We hope we’ve convinced you, but if not, feel free to try it out for yourself, price out new and aftermarket and ROEM or used auto parts. We understand we can’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but we do work hard to provide quality used auto parts at affordable prices. And we try to find the right part, fast! 

Part Availability  

Even new parts are sometimes out of stock or on backorder. We can help! If you don’t see the parts you are looking for, don’t worry, just reach out to us, you can call or text or email us and we can source the part you are looking for. We have a very high rate of filling part requests – 98% to be exact! Only 2 out of every 100 parts we are unable to find. When you are looking at car-part or our site you may not see what you need, but if you text, call or email Pete’s Auto Parts you will get a dedicated salesperson to chase down that part for you so you don’t have to do the legwork

Even if you decide that you don’t want to buy from Pete’s Auto Parts, we hope you’ll go with recycled parts from a locally owned and operated company, such as one of our friends and competitors Weller Auto Parts or Morris Rose Auto Parts or Premier Auto Parts or Schram Auto Parts or Grand Valley Auto Parts or Joe’s Auto Parts. Although we’d RATHER you search for used auto parts near me and purchase all your auto parts from Pete’s, our second choice is for you to stick with a family owned company instead of from a big consolidator or chain. We believe in supporting local!

Check us out on facebook! https://facebook.com/petesautoparts

 

Find videos of our vehicles running on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@petesauto7873 

 

You can search for parts on our website at https://www.petesauto.net/parts/ 

If you would like to read more about Pete’s Auto Parts and about buying used auto parts, we have many more blog posts you can find below: 

https://petesauto.net/used-car-parts/used-car-parts/ 

https://petesauto.net/used-car-parts/best-website-to-buy-used-car-parts/ 

https://petesauto.net/auto-body/aftermarket-car-parts/ 

https://petesauto.net/used-car-parts/why-buy-used-auto-parts/ 

https://petesauto.net/auto-body/battery-breakdown /

https://petesauto.net/auto-body/buying-a-used-engine-near-me/ 

https://petesauto.net/used-car-parts/salvage-yard-near-me/ 

https://petesauto.net/tires/buying-tires-near-me/ 

https://petesauto.net/tires/buying-tires-near-me/

https://petesauto.net/used-car-parts/used-auto-parts-near-me/

 

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Pete’s Auto Parts is a well-established used auto parts supplier in Michigan that employs a team of five highly knowledgeable salespeople dedicated to finding the right parts for customers.

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Quality Inspected & Backed By Warranty

Every part comes with a standard 90-day part-only warranty as we stand by our quality. Plus, we offer extended warranty options so you can rest easy knowing your investment is protected.

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