OEM is an Original Equipment Manufacturer. Adding this rider to your car insurance policy will guarantee that once the vehicle needs treatment or repair, the service you address will only use original and new parts for the replacement.
This feature appears to most crucial today as the competition in the vehicle service market is growing and cars become more complex. Using aftermarket parts for vehicle repair can seriously compromise your car’s performance and even safety on the road. Therefore, if you aim to get the most out of your car’s value, it is crucial to use original parts only and consider OEM rider for your car insurance policy as soon as possible.
Why should insurance cover OEM?
Most car owners don’t see the difference between using OEM car parts for the repair and replacement or the aftermarket ones. However, making sure that the parts your mechanic install into the vehicle are designed and manufactured precisely for the model allows you to save a great deal of time, money, and effort. It minimizes the chances that any additional adjustments will be needed, or you will have to return to the car service due to the failure of a seemingly new part. Even if the warranty covers possible mishaps, such visits will cost you a lot of time, nerves, and effort.
Are there any restrictions for the OEM coverage?
There are several crucial factors that will influence whether your insurance policy can cover getting OEM parts for your vehicle:
- The car should be under 7 years old;
- You already have collision-and-comprehensive coverage or comprehensive-only insurance;
- New OEM parts are available to the given repair shop or available in the market.
Normally car services consider installing used OEM parts on vehicles if the aftermarket products are not available at the time. However, if your car insurance policy qualifies for OEM coverage, the repair shop will always prioritize new OEM parts before considering any other options. In other words, the OEM rider puts your vehicle on the top of the service food chain.
Is there any point in preferring OEM parts to aftermarket parts?
Aftermarket parts are those that have not been designed and manufactured by your vehicle’s maker. Although most of them are of high quality, especially if you choose to address credible and reputable service centers, there is a certain level of risk. Not made precisely for your vehicle, they may fail under peculiar circumstances that may not be common in general but appear to be your model’s peculiarity.
OEM parts consider all those peculiarities and therefore tend to be a more reliable option.
Also, the aftermarket parts manufacturers often tend to go “on a safe side,” making their parts more versatile, aka less sophisticated. On the one hand, it allows to apply them to a larger range of vehicles. But at the same time, there is always a risk that they can compromise your car’s performance. In other words, you simply won’t get what you had paid for when you bought the car.
Another important thing to remember is that once you decide to put your car on the market, having paperwork that proves that all the parts used in the previous repairs were OEM will help you sell the car faster and fairly ask for a higher price.
Having OEM coverage will:
- Give you peace of mind knowing that all parts of your vehicle are original and operate the way they are supposed to;
- Oblige the service to provide you best-quality original parts for your car that are available at the market;
- Guarantee that the parts used in your vehicle correspond to the particular model and even the year of the car.
Visit OHS Body Shop and learn more about using OEM parts for your vehicle, all options, and perspectives. Our branches are located in Montana’s Greater Flathead Valley – in Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Polson. We are always happy to consult our customers and thoroughly explain all the available options so you could make an informed decision to get the most of your experience.
