OEM vs. Aftermarket Radios
Shopping for radios and car parts has become increasingly easier thanks to the world wide web (Internet), as you can order a car or truck and have it delivered to your driveway from the comfort of your couch on Carvana.com if you don’t mind skipping the test drive (I do!). If you own a vehicle, at some point you will be required to purchase new or used replacement parts to fix a problem. When the time comes to buy those parts, you are faced with two major options: OEM or Aftermarket.
What do OEM and Aftermarket even mean? OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturer parts are made by the vehicles original manufacturer or authorized third party vendor and is an exact fit with no alterations needed. Aftermarket is any part for a vehicle that isn’t specifically made for the automaker but is a compatible fit with minor alterations. We are going to discuss the pros and cons of the most commonly known OEM and Aftermarket parts: Car Radios.
OEM Pros and Cons
OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturer parts are made directly by the vehicles original manufacturer, not an unauthorized third party manufacturer; it is identical to the part that came with your vehicle when it was brand new. Why would you want to opt for an OEM part for your car?
Pros:
Reliability: OEM parts are the exact same parts that your vehicle came with when purchased. This means the part is 100% guaranteed to be perfect for your vehicle; there is no re-wiring, no hassle, and no need for alterations.
Quality: It is hard to imagine some other company can build a better part than the original company that manufactured the vehicle, especially a Radio!
Easy Selection Process: Most of the time there is only one part for your vehicle leaving the guessing game to a minimum and saving you time.
Cons:
Higher Cost: Yes there will be a difference in the $1000 radio that you get from Best Buy and an OEM factory radio that is made exactly for your car. The good news is that we have the cheapest prices for OEM radios and parts available.
Limited Availability: Usually it is hard to get factory radios because you normally have to purchase them from a select supplier/manufacturer. At Factory Radio Parts, we do all the hard work for you and find OEM parts for the best prices. All of our products have been sourced from the suppliers who help manufacture your car or truck.
Aftermarket Pros and Cons
Pros:
Cost: Aftermarket parts and radios are usually cheaper than OEM.
Bigger selection and variety: There are hundreds of different options to choose from and lower starting price ranges.
Cons:
Lower Quality: 9 times out of 10 these parts and radios will not function a fraction of the life cycle that OEM parts are tested graded for.
Difficult to Install: There is a big difference to installing an OEM radio and aftermarket radio. Installing an aftermarket radio is more difficult and 90% requires some sort of re-wiring to your car or truck’s wiring harness.
No Warranty: Most of these parts are sold without a warranty.
Extra Selection: Too much of a variety is overwhelming and increases risk.
Where to get OEM Radio and accessories?
At Factory Radio Parts, we provide many OEM replacement parts such as CD and DVD navigation mechanisms, touch screens, spindle motors, LCD displays, main printed circuit boards, flex cables, hard disk drives and more! Click HERE to check out our collections!
Mechanical Repairs
At Factory Radio Parts, we offer repairs and also have tutorial videos on how to replace your LCD and touchscreen yourself! Check out our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.
If you find yourself with a broken touchscreen or LCD, don’t let mechanics and dealerships try to sell you a new radio. Instead seek the more cost-effective alternative: REPAIR! Click here to check out our repair services!
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us!
“One radio at a time”
-FRP Team
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