Yes, you absolutely can buy car parts directly from a dealership. Dealerships are not just for buying cars; they also operate parts departments that sell components to the general public and repair shops alike. As someone with years of experience as both a Dealership Service Manager and an independent shop owner, I can offer some insights into why you might consider this option and what to expect.
Repair facilities, including dealerships, typically make a profit on both parts and labor. This is a standard business model in the automotive service industry. When we calculate the price for a repair job, we factor in a reasonable profit margin for both the parts required and the labor involved in fitting them. If a customer decides to supply their own parts, it reduces the shop’s profit potential for that job.
Essentially, the profit we make on parts helps to keep our labor rates competitive. Without the revenue from parts sales, we would need to charge a higher hourly labor rate to ensure the job is financially viable for the business. This is why many shops, including my own, sometimes explain to customers that bringing in their own parts doesn’t necessarily translate to savings. We are usually willing to quote the job both ways – with customer-supplied parts and dealership-supplied parts – so the customer can see the breakdown and make an informed decision.
However, there are important considerations when you supply your own parts, especially concerning warranties. Many repair shops are hesitant to install non-genuine or used parts provided by the customer. The primary reason is warranty complications. If a part fails prematurely and it wasn’t supplied by the shop, it creates a grey area regarding the warranty coverage. The customer is then caught in the middle between the shop’s labor warranty and whatever warranty, if any, the parts supplier offers. From past experience, dealing with parts failures when customers supplied them rarely ends smoothly.
This is why, in my practice, I avoided jobs using customer-provided non-genuine or used parts. Keep in mind that this is based on my 45 years in the auto service industry, and policies can vary from shop to shop. It’s crucial to communicate clearly with any repair facility about their policies on parts and warranties before proceeding with a repair.
One potential advantage you might find is when dealing directly with a dealership. You may have room to negotiate prices with both the service and parts departments within the same dealership. This approach eliminates any ambiguity regarding warranty responsibilities, as both parts and labor come from the same source. Buying parts from the dealership ensures you’re getting parts designed for your vehicle, and if the dealership also performs the service, you have a single point of contact for any warranty concerns.
