Community Chat

[Winkk]

I recently bought a 2018 SUV going from a 2010 sedan.  My insurance jumped tremendously and I'm shopping around for a better price.  I live in PA.

What I'm learning is that almost all insurance companies will only pay for aftermarket parts if you have an accident.  The won't pay for original manufacturer parts unless you have less than 15,000 miles on your car. 

Currently, Geico is coming in the cheapest (they only use aftermarket parts) but the thing is they are so cheap it concerns me.

Should I be concerned about the use of aftermarket parts?  A mechanic told me he hates to use them because if they don't work properly he gets blamed.

Your thoughts.

[sunshine45]

you should not worry.....

aftermarket parts are also guaranteed and even used parts are generally guaranteed.

we have never had a problem with aftermarket parts or even used parts on our cars.

if you want to find an insurance company that will allow the use of OEM parts, then you will definitley pay more for that insurance. is it worth it in the long run? not really.....

erie insurance is the company we have a policy with.

[2blonde]

Just as an FYI, I'm hearing from most of my friends (Ohio) that everyone's insurance rates have recently jumped.  My car is almost 4 years old, and my rates have been climbing too.  My newest policy started 4/1, and I was shocked at how much more it was.  I've been with this company (Erie Insurance) most of my life, and I really like them and don't want to change.  I have not made any auto claims since 1993 (one home owner's claim in 2006). so that's not the reason for the increases.

[deepwaterdotter]

We feel OEM parts are preferable to aftermarket, but it's just a personal preference.  We have no experience with aftermarket, so they may work well for your vehicle.

[CelticCrafter]

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@Winkk wrote:

I recently bought a 2018 SUV going from a 2010 sedan.  My insurance jumped tremendously and I'm shopping around for a better price.  I live in PA.

What I'm learning is that almost all insurance companies will only pay for aftermarket parts if you have an accident.  The won't pay for original manufacturer parts unless you have less than 15,000 miles on your car. 

Currently, Geico is coming in the cheapest (they only use aftermarket parts) but the thing is they are so cheap it concerns me.

Should I be concerned about the use of aftermarket parts?  A mechanic told me he hates to use them because if they don't work properly he gets blamed.

Your thoughts.

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When I was shopping around for a better rate, Geico was the cheapest and like you, so much cheaper that it concerned me too. 

I went with State Farm instead.

[sunshine45]

@Winkk

by the way, you can always request OEM parts, if available. you will just have to pay something on top of whatever the insurance company pays for the damage.

[NickNack]

I don't know if this is warranted, but I would be afraid of Geico.  If it seems too good to be true it usually is.  

[Alison Wonderland]

I learned that decades ago, so you're lucky you've only needed to learn this now.

When I was in my early 20s, I needed to replace the hood of my car and the front bumper. I went to 4 of the very fancy auto-repair places the insurance company recommended and all of them quoted me extremely high prices without ever looking under the hood of the car. One woman told it was too dangerous to even drive the car away from the repair shop without having it put on some rack to determine frame damage and tried to convince me not to leave by using fear tactics. Again, did not look around the car or under the hood, just quoted an exhorbitant price and tried to scare me. What's worse is that their shop displayed the Christian fish symbol on the windows and business cards.

A talked to a friend who recommended a small mom and pop shop that his whole family l loved and I took the car there. The woman in the office was the first  person to check under the hood to see if there was any damage to the radiator or the engine. She walked all the way around the car, then pulled out a catalog of all the car parts and gave me the prices of the new parts vs the aftermarket parts and explained the difference and made her recommendations. She quoted me the lowest price of the bunch. They weren't on the approved Insurance company list, so I called my insurance company, gave them the quote, and asked if I could use that shop. They jumped all over themselves to say yes. The shop fixed my car quickly and it looked fantastic when they finsihed, even with aftermarket parts. More importantly, I never had any trouble with the repairs and had the car another 6 years.

Worry less about the parts and worry more about the people who are fixing your car. Try to get a recommendation from someone you trust and, if you have the time, shop around to find the best repair price. It's worth it.

[SeaMaiden]

I have a 19 year old Chevy van that I pay $700 a year for.... and a 2016 kia  Sorroto that I pay about $600 a year for.  Go  Figure that out!.

  I have Farmers Insurance for my home and cars.  We have used Farmers for over 40 years and never had a claim or an accident. We are both 62 years young. I have never checked to see if there was cheaper insurance... we just stay with Farmers.

[Winkk]

That was my feeling too @NickNack.  But, my niece has them and when she had a accident she was very pleased.  This is a hard decision.  It's not just price but I want good customer service tto.

I've done Google searches for reviews of car insurance companies in PA, sometimes Geico comes out at the top and other times they come out at the bottom.