Original vs. Aftermarket Parts - What's the Trade-off?

An original equipment manufacturer is a company that makes cars and has made replacement parts for its cars.

Aftermarket parts can be made by the same factory that sold them to your car maker, but they're cheaper than parts from the original manufacturer.

The only difference is who makes the parts, because both types are regulated and inspected.

Now, if we stopped right there it would be a nice, straight forward rule....

If all aftermarket parts were made by the "original" manufacturer that supplied the "original" parts for the vehicle we would be done here.

But, as you know from ordering online & social sites, orders come directly from countries that "replicate" parts, many times to different tolerances... so, you really don't know when you are getting a "good part" for a better deal... the only time you know for sure is when it arrives.

So, maybe if it's a huge difference it's worth the gamble to try, but the best practice is thinking about the savings... is it worth the gamble, your time, aggravation to return and most of all the labor to re-install when the cheap part quits? 

Usually, No...if you are doing all the work.