OE v OEM?

When your European vehicle due for repairs, maintenance, service or even after an accident, your faced with a dilemma – weighing up the options of… OEM parts, OE parts and Aftermarket parts!? Does it really matter what parts are used on your vehicle?

It is important to understand the different types of parts, before deciding on what the right part is best for you.

Original Equipment Manufacturer Parts (OEM)
OEM replacement parts are purchased directly from the vehicle’s manufacturer such as Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen. Vehicle manufacturer make sure the parts are made to fit specifications of a certain make and model, so they fit perfectly. Often more than one supplier is used to make the same part.

These vehicle manufacturer branded parts come with a price tag and are generally more expensive than OE and aftermarket parts. Availability may also be limited depending on the manufacturer and the part you need.

Original Equipment Parts (OE)
There is normally confusion between OEM and OE parts. Original Equipment parts are from a company that design, manufacturer parts. The company may own the design, but the manufacturing of the parts are subcontracted to another company.

This is where Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen contract the part to fit their specifications and design to other manufacturers like Behr or Pierburg. That OE part is then packaged and labelled with the Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen logo on them. OE parts have the same quality of OEM parts but are more affordable as your not paying for a brand name.

Aftermarket Parts
Aftermarket parts are manufactured by a company different to the manufacturer of your vehicle. It comes from a company that specialize in copying replacement parts for different types of vehicles, not just a single make or model. Price is often a fraction of the cost of OE parts and at Motorway we choose the best of the bunch and stand by our offerings.