The motor industry might be struggling… But many dealership are still making a fortune from spare parts.
 
I recently purchased a new driver’s door handle for my small compact hatchback car. The price at the official manufacturer’s agent was R988. The same door handle at a national car parts chain store was R74.

So I decided to investigate a little further… Was this particular part a bad example or are prices generally inconsistent in the car parts industry? Here’s what I discovered…
 
Why you could be paying three times more than you need to – for car parts…

I selected two of the biggest selling and most popular cars: The Volkswagen City Golf and the Toyota Tazz. Then I picked two of the biggest and most well-established manufacture agents: Lindsay Saker and Toyota Imperial and two of the best national parts chains: Midas and Autozone. My comparitive research revealed that it’s imperative to “do your homework” before buying a spare part for your car (see chart below):
 
Clutch kit (VAT incl):

                Midas          Auto Zone          Lindsay Saker
Golf          R585.00        R617.00            R1931.00                         
Tazz          R570.00       R620.00             N/app                                

Basic service – 4 spark plugs, spin on oil filter, air filter element and new fan belt (VAT incl):

Golf

                      Midas           Auto Zone        Lindsay Saker    
Plugs            R45.60          R47.90             N/app
Oil filter        R28.95          R35.90             R43.85
Air filter        R22.70          R28.75             R29.40
Fan belt         R28.50          R25.60            R104.25
Total               R125.75        R138.15           R246.45

 
The facts every car-owner should know…

The glaring discrepancies in car parts means that you need to check part prices before approving work on your car. And even though the difference in car servicing might be significant, at first glance, consider that the above-mentioned prices only encompass a basic service – the more work your car needs, the bigger the discrepancy will be.

Before buying any new parts for your car, or approving a dealership’s work on your car – ask for a full quote (in writing) and then compare the cost of the parts needed with the following national parts chains:

* Auto Zone: http://www.autozone.co.za/; 0861 122 111
* Midas: http://www.midas.co.za/