As a car owner, do you buy car spare parts yourself or do you leave this to your mechanic to sort out on your behalf? We’d really like to know!
To give us an informed answer to this question, we spoke to Bode Oshineye who owns 3Lyons Autocare Specialist (an Autochek workshop partner) and he hit the nail on the head in this short interview.
Car Owners Insisting on Buying Car Parts Themselves
In the world of spare parts, there are three types of car parts. We have the OEM, which is the Original Equipment Manufacturer. We have the aftermarket and then we have the used car parts; also known as Tokunbo car parts in Nigeria.
We all know that OEMs are the best car parts to buy. However, we have situations and cases where the car owner cannot afford an OEM. Car owners who insist on buying car parts themselves need to go with a trusted technician.
His Honest Advice on Buying Car Spare Parts
The technician is in the best position to advise and guide such car owners on what is best for their cars. The truth is that at the end of the day, all the types of car parts mentioned earlier have advantages and disadvantages.
The only disadvantage of the OEMs is that they are pricey but they are 100% guaranteed by the manufacturer. For the aftermarket car parts, it’s usually a 50-50 thing.
You find that most of these aftermarket parts are from the Chinese Market. If you fall into the hands of a dubious retailer, he might just give you something else, which would not be as good as the OEM.
Final Thoughts on Buying Tokunbo Parts
When you are buying Tokunbo car spare parts, such parts have already gone through a journey. Every car part has a limited life span. Some have 12 months while some can last for as long as 3 years. At the end of the day, you might think that because a car has done two and a half years and the car parts look very good but it eventually disappoints you, you are bound to be disappointed.
Please, try not to cut costs and corners when buying your car spare parts by trying to buy the parts on your own. Let your technician show you the advantages and disadvantages of the options available to you. He/she would let you know what is best for your car and your pocket. We understand the fact that your pocket counts so that has to be a factor as well.
Look for a good technician and trust him/her to guide you towards making sound decisions.