Technical advancements in car manufacturing have seen some amazing inventions we never thought we would witness in our lifetime. There are cars being made that don’t need a key but biometric systems allow you to open and start your car with your fingerprint; driverless cars are being tested and cars can now monitor your health and call paramedics on your behalf if anything happens to you and you can’t make a call. You realise the idea that cars will soon be flying around our sunny skies is not as far-fetched as we thought. As cars become more advanced and computerised, it is crucial to replace worn out parts with the right part. Be it OEM or a more generic aftermarket product, quality and getting the exact right part for your car is very important. One would hate to be driving (or is it flying) in the air in the year 2050 and have a part fall out because it’s not compatible. Imagine that scenario.
There’s different classes and terms for car parts. Experts talk about OEM, generic parts and aftermarket parts among other terms. A valued customer asked us the other day; “silwane sini le OEM, singisita ngani mine?” loosely translated to, “what is this OEM and how does it help me?”. So today we want to talk about OEM and what it means in the first of this two-part series. Today we ask to share with you why Value Auto Parts (VAP) is proud to carry established OEM brands among other types and simply why it’s such a big deal.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is the manufacture of parts assembled and installed during construction of a new car. All car manufacturers whether its Toyota or Porsche, no car manufacturer actually makes parts, they make cars. For example, Toyota makes the car then appoints people like Bosch to make alternators and starters and GUD to make all their filters. Bosch and GUD are therefore OEM products. Ford uses Brembo braking systems when building a car therefore Brembo is an OEM product. While Brembo also manufacturers braking system parts for cars such as Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes Benz among others, it and the other OEM brands also manufacturer aftermarket parts which all come off the same assembly line. We’ll share more on that with you next week. *

Good quality parts ensure that your car functions as it is supposed to, which is important for the maintenance and long life of your car. The part is going to fit and work the way the car designers and engineers intended it to work. When you buy an OEM part, either at the dealership or at VAP, you will only get one-part specific for your car and not have to deal with many different brands or options. OEM parts also give you a greater assurance of quality giving you peace of mind in its performance.
Our experts at VAP in Manzini and Matsapha can help you make the right choice for your car. We carry a wide range of quality approved brands, aftermarket parts and OEM parts. We hope we continue to keep you informed and contribute to keeping you safer on our roads. Happy driving.