Parts
Genuine, OEM or aftermarket
Most garages either hide the parts question or quietly default to the cheapest thing that fits. We put the choice in front of you, explain what it actually changes, and let you decide.
Genuine
The manufacturer's own part, in the manufacturer's box, identical to what the dealer would fit. Same part number, same warranty position, same everything.
When it is the right call
Cars still inside a manufacturer warranty, leases and PCPs with strict return conditions, and anywhere you are protecting a full main dealer history for resale.
The most expensive of the three, and sometimes the right answer anyway.
OEM
Made in the same factory, to the same specification, by the same supplier who makes the part for the manufacturer. The difference is usually the box it arrives in and the badge stamped on it.
When it is the right call
Most cars, most of the time. It is the tier that saves real money without any technical compromise, and it satisfies the matching-quality test on warranty work.
Typically a meaningful saving on genuine for the same component.
Aftermarket
Made by an independent manufacturer rather than the original supplier. Quality ranges enormously, from excellent to genuinely not worth fitting, which is why it needs someone choosing rather than a search by price.
When it is the right call
Older cars, budget-sensitive work, and parts where a good aftermarket brand is genuinely as good as the original. We name the brand we intend to fit.
The cheapest of the three, and the one where choosing badly costs you twice.
The warranty question, answered properly
This is the thing that stops most people leaving the dealer, and it is usually based on something a salesperson implied rather than anything written down.
The position in UK law is that a manufacturer cannot require you to service your car at a franchised dealer as a condition of the warranty. Having the work done by a qualified independent garage does not in itself invalidate it, provided two things hold: the service follows the manufacturer’s own schedule, and the parts used are of matching quality.
That is exactly how we work. We take the schedule from the manufacturer system for your specific model, we use genuine or OEM parts where the warranty position calls for it, and we record what was done and what was fitted so the history is evidenced rather than claimed.
Worth saying plainly: warranty terms differ between manufacturers, and extended or third-party warranties can carry their own conditions. This page is general information rather than advice on your specific contract. If your car is inside its warranty period, bring the booklet or ring us and we will go through it with you before anything is booked in.
How we decide what to put on your car
The age and value of the car
A three year old car under warranty and a twelve year old runabout are different problems. Fitting genuine everything to an old car is not thoroughness, it is waste.
Whether the part is safety critical
Brakes, steering and suspension get quality parts whatever tier you pick. We will not fit something we would not have on our own car to save you a few pounds.
What you are planning to do with it
Keeping it ten years, selling it next spring, or handing it back at the end of a lease all point at different answers. Tell us and we will factor it in.
What you actually want to spend
The most useful conversation is the honest one. Tell us the budget and we will tell you what it buys and what it does not, rather than working it out afterwards on the invoice.
Whichever tier you choose, it goes on the invoice and the old part is kept back for you to look at. See car servicing for what each interval covers.
Parts and warranties, questions answered
Will using OEM parts affect my manufacturer warranty?
Under UK competition rules, having your vehicle serviced or repaired outside the dealer network does not in itself invalidate a manufacturer warranty, provided the work follows the manufacturer's schedule and uses parts of matching quality. OEM parts are made to the manufacturer's own specification, so they meet that test. Warranty terms do vary, so if yours is a newer car still inside its warranty period it is always worth reading your own warranty booklet, and we are happy to talk it through.
So why would I ever pay for genuine parts?
Sometimes you should. On a car still inside its warranty period, on a lease or PCP where the return conditions are strict, or where you are keeping a full main dealer history for resale, genuine is the sensible choice and we will say so. It is your money and your car, and the point of offering three tiers is that the answer is not the same for everybody.
Is aftermarket just the cheap option?
No. Aftermarket covers everything from excellent to genuinely poor, which is exactly why it needs someone choosing. We use aftermarket where the quality is right and the value makes sense, usually on older cars, and we will tell you what brand we are fitting.
How do I know what you actually fitted?
It is on your invoice, and the old parts are kept back for you to see. If you want to look at what came off before it goes in the bin, ask.
Do you keep a record for my service history?
Yes. The work and the parts used are recorded against the vehicle, and on Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT, Skoda, Porsche and Land Rover we update the manufacturer's online service record too, so the history lives in the car's own file. Older cars that still have a paper book get the book stamped.
Ask us what your car needs
Ring the workshop with your registration and we will tell you which tier makes sense, and why.
Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Drop the car at Cardiff Marine Village, Penarth Road.