Routine maintenance and repairs are increasingly expensive, but there is a way to spend less: ask technicians to use non-original or used, overhauled, reconditioned or remanufactured spare parts. The differences
In 2024 alone, Italians spent on the maintenance and repairs of their cars 29.3 billion euros. An impressive figure, which emerges from the Aci 2025 statistical yearbook and which is constantly growing: the previous year it was 28.7 billion, in 2019, before the slowdown curve imposed by Covid, of 26.2 billion. And this despite the fact that in our country the car is used less than elsewhere: the average is, in fact, 10,712 kilometers per year, compared to 12,743 than other European nations comparable in terms of fleet size. The main causes of this considerable outlay (if we divide the total by a fleet of 41.3 million cars we arrive at an average expense of just over 700 euros per year per vehicle) are different. First of all, the increase inaverage age of carsarrived in 2024 a 13 years old: two months more than 2023, but much more than fifteen years ago, given that in 2009 the value was only 7.9 years. And almost a quarter of the total today belongs to emission classes between Euro 0 and Euro 3, therefore it is at least twenty years old.
higher prices
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Older cars means, of course, greater need for maintenance and repairs. And their limited use does not translate into benefits, because a stationary vehicle is often subject to greater deterioration of some components compared to one used regularly: think, for example, of batteries that run down, seals that deteriorate, tires that become oval due to inactivity, electrical and electronic components that are affected by humidity and temperatures and so on. However, a second reason for the increased cost of repairs and maintenance derives fromincrease in prices of spare parts. The growth curve recorded a peak in 2021-2022, and then slowed down, but without stopping: several studies indicate a value between 2 and 4% the annual increase in the average pricealthough with differences between bodywork parts (generally subject to higher price increases) and mechanical parts. Furthermore, there is no shortage of reasons for the increases: inflation trends, logistics and transport crises, the cost of raw materials, international geopolitical instability, greater complexity of vehicles compared to those in the past. At this point one wonders: but there are ways to save about maintenance and repairs of your car?
alternative choices
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The first solution is to ask the car repairer to use “non-original spare parts of equal quality”. This expression indicates the components that are not sold by the vehicle manufacturer, complete with original packaging and brands, but by its suppliers (with their brand) or by other producers of components in the so-called aftermarket (the vehicle after-sales market). “Equal quality” means that it must not be copies or poor-quality products (which also exist), but parts made with the same quality standards required by the car manufacturer for original spare parts in terms of performance, materials, compatibility and durability. This certainty of “equal quality” is also essential to ensure do not lose the validity of the manufacturer’s warranty on the car: their use is one of the conditions imposed on independent workshops not belonging to the official company network to ensure that any current coverage on the car does not lapse. The savings that can be obtained by using these non-original parts are variable, depending on the component that must be replaced and the quality offered by the manufacturer of the spare part, but it can be placed in a range that goes from 20 to 40% compared to the price of the original spare part.
the world of second hand
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Another valid alternative that allows you to save money is to turn to the used spare parts market. Which, however, as we will see, are not all the same. In fact, there are four types of non-new spare parts: used, overhauled, reconditioned and remanufactured. Let’s see what the main differences are, starting from used spare partswhich are simply those removed from a decommissioned vehicle destined for demolition. Typically, these components are put on sale as they are, after a cleaning (sometimes summary) and a simple visual inspection, necessary to ensure their completeness and functionality; operations which, however, do not protect against the presence of any hidden defects or damage that is not easily perceivable. They have a very low price, but since they have not been thoroughly tested they may themselves be subject to failures or have a limited useful life due to previously accumulated wear. At the same time, they still deliver significant economic convenienceprecious in the case of cars with a modest residual value, compared to which the cost of a new original spare part could be disproportionate. Why, for example, not opt for an alternator removed from an accidented car, saving a lot compared to a new one? Or, for an engine management or air conditioning control unit recovered intact from a seriously damaged car: they can often be found at car wreckers, at a much lower cost than the same new products.
review and beyond
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THE overhauled spare parts are those subjected to an inspection, cleaning, minimal repairs necessarysometimes carried out by replacing worn components with elements that were themselves recovered and one verification of their functionality. More reliable than used spare parts, they cannot guarantee the performance and durability of a new component, but their cost is not too much higher than that of a used element. A good example would be a water pump that has been overhauled, fitted with new seals and tested before being resold. Reconditioned spare parts, on the other hand, always obtained from a decommissioned vehicle, are subjected to simple interventions before being placed on the market, such as cleaning, a more accurate check (also with the use of testers), repair of small defects or the replacement of worn elements. Easy and inexpensive operations, therefore, but which guarantee a better quality level than the only overhauled spare part without excessively affecting its price which, therefore, continues to be competitive. A reconditioned starter motor, with the replacement of brushes and bearings, for example, can save 30 to 50% compared to the cost of a new component, but the choice can also be effective for a water pump, on which worn seals may have been replaced, and for the air conditioning compressor.
regeneration
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The remanufactured componentsfinally, they are completely dismantled, carefully checked and subjected to the replacement of any damaged, incomplete or worn element. These are usually dealt with by specialized companies, which carry out tests on the component, certify the work performed and, often, issue a guarantee. Their quality and reliability it is therefore close to that of a new spare partbut the same happens for the price, which rises considerably: the savings are therefore lower, but it may be worth making the effort for delicate and expensive components. An example? A turbocharger remanufactured, in which delicate parts such as bearings and impellers have been replaced, can constitute a good compromise compared to an expensive new element. Substantial savings can be obtained, in the event of serious failures of the original component, with i automatic transmissions regenerated or with entire engines. In fact, there are specialized companies that sell used or reconditioned “rotation” engines, sometimes dismantled from seriously damaged cars, checked and, if necessary, restored, declaring their mileage. Any examples? On the web you can find used engines such as a 1,900 16V Multjet for the Alfa Romeo 159 at 2,250 euros, one for the Audi A6 2.0 TDI at 2,650 euros or one for the Fiat Panda 900 Twin Air at 2,100 euros (prices excluding VAT). The overhaul of an engine instead involves the processing of its internal components, with – if necessary – the grinding of the cylinders, the grinding of the cylinder head, the replacement of pistons, valves and hydraulic tappets and more.
the choice
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The differences between these types of second-hand spare parts may seem subtle, but they are important: a carefully cleaned and checked component, in which worn or damaged elements have been replaced, can still have a long useful life and allow the buyer significant savings. Opting for a simply used spare part or for one that has been redeveloped in some way can depend on many factors, from your spending capacity to the actual value of the car to be repaired, up to the use you intend to make of it (if long distances are expected, it is better to focus on the maximum possible reliability of the component). No savings, however, must obviously be made when it comes to components relevant to the safety of the car. However, the environment also benefits from choosing second-hand products, because reusing previously used pieces and prolonging their life means reducing waste and decreasing the consumption of raw materials and energy used for production processes. As always, however, it is important to turn to reliable workshops and people who know how to advise you in your choice and who are also ready to advise against used vehicles if they see potential risks.
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