Aftermarket parts
Aftermarket parts are collision replacement parts made by a third party rather than the vehicle manufacturer, offered through a separate parts channel at a lower price than OEM equivalents.
Collision Bureau is not a law firm and this is not legal or medical advice. It is general information about what happens after a crash. For advice on your situation, talk to an attorney licensed in your state or a treating clinician.
What it means
An aftermarket part is a part produced by a company that is not the vehicle manufacturer, intended to fit the same place on the vehicle as the OEM equivalent. The producer sometimes carries a certification mark from an independent body that tests fit, finish, and material, and sometimes does not. The part comes through the aftermarket parts channel, which is a separate distribution system from the manufacturer parts channel the dealer counter uses. The name is a category, not a brand. Quality varies within the category, and so do the warranties.
How it works
Aftermarket shows up on an estimate the same way any other part source does, as a labeled line with a number and a price. The reason it shows up is usually policy language. Many auto policies include a clause that allows the insurer to specify parts of like kind and quality, which the industry reads to include aftermarket. Some policies include an OEM endorsement that overrides that clause for a period after purchase. Some states require written disclosure to the owner when a non-OEM part is used in a repair. The combined result is a write-up where OEM, aftermarket, and recycled lines can sit side by side on the same vehicle.
Why it comes up
Aftermarket parts come up at the exact moment the owner reads the estimate and sees a lower number than expected. The lower number is often an aftermarket source on a bolt-on panel, a bumper cover, a headlamp, or a condenser. The question that matters is whether the aftermarket piece fits the vehicle correctly, works with any safety systems attached to it, and holds its finish. The shop writing the estimate has a view on each of those on each line, and the owner can ask the shop to flip a line from aftermarket to OEM and pay the difference. If you want help reading an estimate, you can ask for help with the repair.
What it is not
Aftermarket is not the same thing as recycled or LKQ, which refers to used parts pulled from salvage vehicles. It is not the same thing as counterfeit, which is a knockoff of a manufacturer part sold under a false mark. It is not categorically worse than OEM, nor categorically equivalent, which is why the certification mark and the shop's experience with the particular supplier matter more than the label alone.
Questions people actually ask
01Why do insurers push aftermarket parts?
Because the policy language in many cases allows parts of like kind and quality, and the aftermarket channel sits below the manufacturer channel on price. On a program claim the write-up uses whatever the agreement allows, which can mean an aftermarket panel beside OEM hardware on the same estimate. The owner can ask the shop to source OEM instead and pay the difference, which is a budget decision that shows up as a visible line on the final write-up rather than a hidden choice.
02Are aftermarket parts legal?
Yes. Aftermarket parts are a legitimate category of collision parts and have been for a long time. Some states require written disclosure to the owner when a non-OEM part is used, and some require written consent, and some set rules about which parts can be substituted at all. What any state requires is a question for the shop, the insurer, and a licensed attorney in your state. The thing that matters on your estimate is that the source is written on the line, so you can read what you are getting.
03Will aftermarket parts void my warranty?
Not generally. A manufacturer warranty covers defects in the parts that came with the car, and installing an aftermarket part does not void unrelated coverage. The aftermarket part itself carries whatever warranty the aftermarket producer offers, which is a separate agreement. If a defect in an aftermarket panel damages something else, the question of who covers what is a conversation among the shop, the aftermarket supplier, the manufacturer, and any applicable extended warranty, and it rarely has one clean answer.