Fram Oil Filter Cross Reference

Buying a new car is great. Everything works and you get a warranty for the first 50,000 miles or so. Ah, but what then? Once the warranty has run out, you can face problems with expensive automaker parts. This is where the aftermarket car parts industry comes in.

The aftermarket car parts industry refers to any parts used on a car that are not from the original manufacturer. The problem, of course, is such parts are very expensive. Much like generic versions of prescription pills, there are plenty of alternatives to manufacturer created parts. In fact, the industry is so big that it has over $257 billion dollars in sales each year.

So, what kind of scope are we talking about here when we say parts? Well, technically it can mean anything. When you get a vanity license plate frame, you are technically getting an aftermarket car part. More commonly, most people think of buying and using something like Fram oil filters when doing their own oil changes to using random replacement bulbs for interior lights.

The obvious question that arises with these parts is whether they are of high quality or not. The answer really depends on the old cliche' of you get what you pay for. Some parts are not so great and some are much better than anything that came originally on your car. The dollar value of the part usually is indicative, but not always. Still, a classic example would be brake pads. All cars need new brake pads at some points. If you buy the cheapest option, you're going to get squeaks and rough stops. If you spend the money on a top quality brake system like Brembo, you are going to have much better braking than you did when the car was first purchased. Again, you get what you pay for.

The aftermarket car parts industry is a great thing for car owners. Instead of being a slave to a car company, you can upgrade and downgrade your car as you like.

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