Imagine that your used car breaks down on the highway while you’re on your way to work. After calling road assistance and a close family member, you realize you can’t fix the problem independently and need to turn to professionals, so your next calls go out to a tow truck company and a mechanic shop.

Here’s where the hassle and expenses begin, because having your car towed to the closest mechanic shop won’t come cheap. HomeGuide data shows that tow truck firms charge a minimum base rate of $50 for local towing or 5 or 10 miles, or a $75 hook-up fee plus $2 to $4 per mile for long distance towing. Now, that your car ended up with a mechanic, he will give you a repair estimate, but too often, you’ll have a rude awakening because the costs will be higher than most of your savings.

According to a July 2020 LendingTree survey, 28 percent of American drivers could not afford a $500 car repair without incurring debt, and 43 percent of Americans have gone into debt because of automotive difficulties. Even worse, several websites describe how customers have been duped into taking out predatory car repair loans.

A study by consumer advocacy groups including Consumer Reports highlights that car repair shops affiliated with famous brands—including AAMCO, Big O Tires, Grease Monkey, Jiffy Lube, Meineke, Midas, and Precision Tune Auto Care—are leading unwary customers into loans charging up to 189 percent interest.

“Loans at 189 percent are illegal in most states, but TAB Bank is helping EasyPay Finance evade those laws and multiply the pain of an expensive car repair,” Lauren Saunders, associate director at the National Consumer Law Center told Consumer Reports.

In order to avoid high repair costs, drivers can protect themselves by following some simple steps. In addition to keeping their vehicles in excellent condition, drivers can locate a reliable mechanic, who will collaborate with them in the long run. But there’s something else that could decrease the costs of repairs, and that is using non-original car parts. Although, it is worth noting that some mechanics and repair shops will oppose the use of aftermarket car parts. Here are the distinctions between OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and non-OEM car parts in case you've located an auto repair shop that can assist you with this problem, and you're curious about the advantages and drawbacks of these car components.

Related: Car Parts That Wear Out The Fastest

Differences Between OEM And Non-OEM: Non-Original Car Parts Are Cheaper

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Evidently, Original Equipment Manufacturer parts will be more expensive than their rivals, the aftermarket parts. As the original car manufacturer creates the OEM parts, drivers expect them to be of superior-quality, although this isn’t always the case. And while quality is debatable, the high costs associated with OEM isn’t. According to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), OEM parts tend to cost as much as 60 percent more than non-original parts. Meanwhile, a different study by the American Insurance Association reveals that using non-original car parts saves consumers up to $2.4 billion every year. There’s another aspect that boosts the prices of OEM and that is patents.

“Over the past decade, car companies have increasingly patented replacement parts for their vehicles, from fenders to headlights to mirrors,” says The New Republic. “Instead of having a choice of generic parts after an accident, auto repair shops must use patented parts from the manufacturer—and consumers pay the price for it.”

The New Republic explains how car manufacturers are misusing their right to obtain “design patents” to restrict repair choices and squeeze the last dollar from car owners. For example, Ford secured patents for several collision repair components for its model the 2004 F-150, including the head and tail lamps, grille, sideview mirror, and bumpers. But later, the American automaker filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging patent infringement when Keystone Automotive Industries and a number of other suppliers tried to import substitute F-150 components from foreign facilities.

Related: These Are The 10 Most Common Car Maintenance Misconceptions

OEM And Non-Original Car Parts: You Might Encounter A Difference In Quality

OEM And Non-Original Car Parts
via: GoMechanic

Even if most technicians and industry experts agree that Original Equipment Manufacturer parts are of the highest quality, there are still substantial quality differences among these car components. Ian Adams, Western region director of the R Street Institute, told The New Republic that “it’s telling that a lot of the parts come off the same assembly line, and one’s labeled OEM and the other is not.”

This argument is valid, although it is worth considering that the quality of aftermarket parts is not consistent, and consumers might be surprised to find out that it varies from repair shop to repair shop. Another thing to keep in mind is that OEM components come with warranties, whereas most non-original parts do not.