How to Buy the Right Toyota Parts Online
Repairing or restoring a Toyota to its original condition relies upon having a good source of Toyota parts for that car. There are several different ways you can find Toyota auto parts, and most have significant drawbacks.
Salvage and Auto Junkyards
You can shop the junkyards and salvage yards to find the specific items you need, but there are serious drawbacks to finding genuine parts that way. You have no way to verify that the items you pull off a vehicle are OEM parts, since the vehicle may have been repaired with substandard aftermarket parts. You also run the risk of getting damaged items if the car was involved in a collision or treated badly. Far too often, the damage and wear on older Toyota parts isn’t readily apparent. Even if you buy parts from a salvage dealer who guarantees that the parts are OEM Toyota parts, and that they have been completely cleaned and refurbished, do you really want to take a chance on old parts that may have been damaged in an auto accident?
Toyota Car Dealers
You can usually purchase genuine Toyota parts from an authorized Toyota car dealer, but it’s not always a sure bet. Some dealers aren’t authorized to resell Toyota parts, only to service the cars. If the car you’re repairing is an older model, the dealer is not likely to have the parts on hand and may be reluctant to undertake a search for them. And you’re guaranteed to pay a hefty price for the Toyota car parts you buy from an auto dealer.
Aftermarket Toyota Auto Parts
You’ll often find aftermarket Toyota parts for sale at significantly lower prices than OEM Toyota items, but that discount may come with a hefty price of its own – lower quality. Genuine Toyota parts are manufactured to the same exacting standards as the parts that were originally used in the car, usually at the same factory that makes the items for the factory. OEM parts have been precision engineered for Toyota, and must meet safety and quality standards set by the auto manufacturer. You won’t get that assurance with aftermarket Toyota parts. You’re also not likely to get the guarantee that you’ll usually get when you buy genuine Toyota auto parts.
Buying Toyota Parts Online
A quick Google search will turn up hundreds of websites that sell Toyota parts. It’s important that you do your homework before you place your order at any one of them. First, be sure that they sell genuine Toyota or OEM Toyota parts, not cheap, aftermarket knockoffs. Read the parts descriptions carefully to make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting. If you decide to save money by buying a reconditioned or refurbished part, you should at least know that it’s what you’re buying – and know exactly what kind of warranty or guarantee you get with the part. Look for a company that has been in business for a while, and that has a website that’s easy to use, understand and navigate. You should be able to search for the Toyota parts you need by make, model and year or by VIN, for example, and prices should be prominently displayed. Finally, don’t forget to include the cost of shipping in the price to avoid a rude surprise at checkout.
Buying parts online gives you a wider selection and can get the parts into your hands faster than if you wait for a local dealer to order them and get them in. Know what to look for and how to protect yourself when you shop online, and take advantage of the many benefits of buying genuine parts online.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world’s MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
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