The internet makes things so much easier these days with instant quotes and the ability to shop for anything including car parts online, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. With many products it’s quite easy as there may be only one version of what you’re buying, but when it comes to auto parts it can be a whole different story. There is an assumption that when you buy a particular make and model of car, you will have the same set of parts that the entire model would have. The truth is that this is not true. First of all, the time your car is registered, which normally dictates the year of the car, may not be the time it was manufactured. It is quite possible that your car sat for 6 months on an airfield somewhere, before it was finally sold and registered as new. It can be the same car, registered at the same time but manufactured 4 months later. Ultimately, this means there could be a difference in the parts that make up the car.
Of course, we are not talking about everything about the car, but selected auto parts that have been upgraded or purchased from a cheaper supplier on an ongoing basis to improve the car or build it cheaper. The results are that each part now needs a unique serial number or reference part number, which is sometimes very difficult to locate. Often the best way to match the part ID on your car is to remove the part and take it to the dealer to have it matched to a new one. Unfortunately, you can’t do that if you choose to buy your auto part online.
One solution is to join one of the many online forums that dedicate members to the make and model of car you own. So ask the question first before buying anywhere. Does the part I need to buy have different serial numbers or has it been consistently supplied at the time of manufacture might be a question?
It may be worth the hassle, as many people now choose to buy auto parts from the many locator services, which put you in touch with national salvage yards. You get to buy a cheaper used auto part, but the part is likely made to the manufacturer’s specifications and not a cheap copy you often get through accessory stores. The problem here is that these used auto parts do not come in a box with the part numbers written on it, which can be compared to the manufacturer’s manual.
Some manufacturers are worse than others, some may bring our various versions of the same car each year to help with their marketing program. Fortunately, others only change parts with full research and a good reason to do so, of course there is the argument that they may be left behind with new technology.
At the end of the day, if you buy a new part from a store, you could argue that you were sold the wrong part. But if you buy online, the responsibility is likely to fall on you, not to mention the shipping costs. So take your time and do some research first.