After market auto parts are not only equally-effective, they are cost-effective as well. When refurbished properly, they work just as well but cost less than brand new parts. So as long as you purchase your after market auto parts from a reliable vendor, they should be a sufficient and affordable alternative to OEM auto parts.

A universal part is not a direct part, which means that its specifications (measurements, alignments) are not exactly the same as the one your car requires. It will fit any year, make, and model, but you might need to do some modifications to the part in order to make it fit. This applies to non-accessory items like body parts, brake parts, suspens

A single car has about 30,000 parts, counting every part down to the smallest screws, nuts and bolts. Some of these parts are made by the manufacturer, but there are lots of suppliers that make many of these parts. The 30,000 or so parts use different raw materials and different manufacturing processes.