If you are buying car parts for a project you are working on or for repairs to your daily driver, you will need to decide where you are going to get the parts and what you are willing to pay for them. New car parts are one option, but that is not the only option when it comes to buying parts, and the other options could save you some money.

New Parts

The first call many people make when they are looking for car parts is to the local part store or to the dealership. Buying new parts is the best way to ensure that you are getting the right parts for your car, but often they come at a premium price. If you are buying the parts from the dealership, you will get OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts with a warranty in many cases, so that extra cost may be worth it.

Often new parts from the car parts store are not OEM, but they are built to the same standard. The cost will often be lower, but the quality of the part should be very near to the OEM parts that are in your car already. They will also usually have some warranty on them, though it may be shorter than the warranty for OEM parts. 

Used Parts

Buying used car parts can be a little tricky, but the cost savings is often worth the risk of getting a part that doesn't work. While most salvage operators do test the car parts that they sell, sometimes a part tests good and fails sooner than expected. 

The cost of used parts can be significantly lower than the cost for new parts, and that is often the motivation for buying used. Keep in mind that when you are buying used parts, you may find that some of the parts are not the same as the part you have on your car, even though they came from the same year, make, and model, so you need to look the part over carefully before you buy it. 

If the parts are not what you need, you may be able to return them. Most used car parts are only exchangeable for the correct part, but talk to the yard operator before you make your purchase just to be sure that you are not going to get stuck with a part that doesn't fit your needs.