Say NO to fake spares!

Thorny issue: Non-genuine and counterfeit spare parts and accessories can be found flooding markets, such as brakes, wheel rims, airbags, seatbelts, tires, spark plugs, body kits, and lights. What's your personal take on this matter? Here's what we think at Yalla Deals: 

We DON'T recommend buying these outright dangerous and fraudulent parts. Don't fall prey to the lure of low prices for fake parts because of these reasons: 

- Serious Safety Hazard:  Using these parts may endanger your life and the lives of all the passengers in your vehicle. They can also pose a serious risk to other motorists on the road by causing accidents! Always keep that in mind. For instance, fake brake pads may fail to stop your car instantly, or counterfeit electrical components may eventually short circuit and cause a disaster. Is it worth risking your life and the life of your loved ones?

- No warranty: Your car manufacturer isn't responsible for their performance, repair, or replacement. Consequently, the maker will not cover any damage these parts might cause or any adverse effects they might have on your vehicle. All of these problems are not covered under warranty.

- Poor Quality: Since most counterfeit spare parts are sold at low prices, these shoddy parts may not be built to last and may compromise your safety. 

- Severe problems: Modifying your vehicle with non-genuine or counterfeit parts may affect its performance, safety, or durability and even violate governmental regulations. Counterfeit spare parts aren't designed to meet your car's specifications.

- Bad investment: You might be misled into thinking you're saving money when buying fake spares, but you're making a terrible long-term investment. You would spend more on frequent repairs and replacements in the long run. Adam remembers once the mechanic told him that some folks installed fake engine belts that failed in just a couple of weeks or months! Why pose a risk to yourself, your family, and your vehicle?

- Worse resale value: That's right. If you use such parts on your car and then attempt to sell it, you'll get a bad deal. Wonder why? We think it's fairly obvious, isn't it?  

What can you do if you can't buy a new spare part?  

Reality Check: The problem persists. How would you realistically be able to afford genuine spares when you don't have the budget to begin with? Here's Adam's advice from his own experience: 

When Adam took his car a few months ago to the mechanic, he stressed that all spares had to be 100% genuine from Nissan. The mechanic showed him the prices, receipts, and packaging. 

He felt relieved. The mechanic did a great job and repaired the car, and everything was great. 

But another problem happened after all the repairs: Suddenly Adam's car's dynamo (alternator) failed. His Sunny would suddenly stop in the middle of the road, and the engine would turn off! Once the mechanic pinpointed the problem, the mechanic gave him the bad news: The price of a new, genuine dynamo spare part from Nissan was close to 1800 Dhs (excluding labor)!

What was the solution, especially after Adam forked out about 3500 Dhs on other replacements such as brakes, an engine belt, spark plugs, and other components? Adam opted for a genuine used spare part in good condition for about 700 Dhs. The point is this: if you can't purchase a new genuine spare part, try getting a used one instead. The keyword here is "genuine". Knowing that the part is an original Nissan spare part gave me peace of mind, even though it was used. 

Here's our final advice: 

ALWAYS GET GENUINE OES/OEM SPARE PARTS, NO MATTER THE COST. If you can't purchase one with your current budget, opt for a genuine, used one instead. Otherwise, bite the bullet. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. For the automotive industry, it refers to the manufacturer of the original equipment, meaning the parts assembled and installed during the construction of a car. OES stands for Original Equipment Supplier. It's made by the same manufacturer that built the OEM parts found in your vehicle. 

However, there's still another option: 

Aftermarket spares: These can be used as direct replacements for OEM/OES spares. They have various prices and range in quality. Generally speaking, most of them are safe and many are cheaper than OEM parts. Some might even be superior alternatives to OEM/OES counterparts (no pun intended)! 

Examples include Bosch, Brembo, AC Delco, etc.