It goes without saying, car repairs are not a “happy” purchase for most people. There are, however, some car parts where saving money should not be the priority. In these cases, paying a little extra to get good-quality parts will save you in the long run, and may keep you and your family safer at the same time.
With that said, buying branded parts doesn’t guarantee a better outcome. It’s critically important to consider fitment and in many cases using parts made by the vehicle manufacturer will work better, and wear slower, saving you time and money.
Here are just some of the car parts worth paying a bit more for:
Tyres
They keep you stuck to the road, allow you to make it around tight bends, and stop when you need to. Good quality tyres are critical in keeping you and your passengers safe. They are, however, an easy product to find cheaper options of, and on face value, it can be hard to justify spending hundreds extra when it’s difficult to see the difference. There often is a big performance gap though, so we suggest doing your homework before buying tyres and shelling out a little bit more. Remember, replace tyres in pairs (for example, always replace the front left with the right and vice versa), and get a wheel balance to avoid uneven wear. You can check out our range of tyres from leading manufacturers here.
Brake Pads
Another product where you really need to consider spending top dollar in order to keep everyone safe. Brake pads do an obvious job that can be taken for granted until it’s too late. Cheaper pads often need replacing more often and can lead to undesirable noises (squeaking, squealing etc), which can drive you nuts.
We recommend getting a pro to replace your brake pads rather than doing it yourself. While it can be done at home, this is one part you need to work right, every time.
Drive (Serpentine) Belt
The drive belt uses the engine’s rotation to drive peripheral devices such as your alternator, and critically the power steering pump. If the drive belt breaks while you are driving your steering will become stiff and incredibly difficult to turn. At high speeds, this is obviously very dangerous.
The good news is that it is very rare for this to happen. Even so, get a quality belt if it’s showing signs of cracking or splitting, or if it’s stretched and making noise. You can request a quote to replace your belts here.
Engine Compression Components
Whether you need to replace pistons or gaskets or anything else engine compression related you should do it once and do it right. That is because these repairs are costly regardless of the parts used. To be sure you do this infrequently, make sure you get the best possible parts and get them installed by a qualified mechanic.
Anything that holds the wheels on
Your wheels are a really, really important part of your car. Keeping them attached to the steering system are tie rod ends, a small linkage component. Quality tie rod ends should last the life of your car, definitely well in excess of 100,000kms. If they are damaged or need to be replaced, do yourself a favour and replace them with quality parts.
Windscreen Wiper Blades
We thought we would finish with a car part you’ll likely replace numerous times during the life of your car, and that isn’t really expensive. Wiper blades are around $50, but they do have an important role to play (especially in winter). While pricing doesn’t vary hugely, getting a quality set of wiper blades will keep your vision clearer longer. However, while many of the other parts on this list require a mechanic to fit them, replacing your wipers is pretty easy, and can be done by almost anyone in their garage or driveway.