Are OEM Subaru Bumper Covers Better Than Aftermarket?
When it comes to replacing your Subaru’s bumper cover, you have a big decision to make. Should you pay top dollar for an OEM replacement part, or save some money on an aftermarket cover?
OEM bumper covers are more expensive than aftermarket bumper covers (but not always; see the next section). So it makes sense why some Subaru owners want to save money by getting an aftermarket bumper cover. But is it a wise decision? If you compare OEM and aftermarket bumper covers, you’ll find that OEM bumper covers offer a better return on investment.
OEM Bumper Covers Aren’t Always Expensive
It’s common to experience “sticker shock” at a car dealership. Car dealerships carry OEM parts, and they’re quite expensive. It’s because dealerships tend to mark up the prices by about 30%. Bumper covers cost hundreds of dollars, so 30% is a big chunk of change.
Here’s a little secret: you’ll save so much money by ordering a genuine OEM bumper cover from us online. We’re an authorized online dealer of OEM Subaru parts. You’d find rock bottom wholesale prices on our site. Check out our catalog of OEM Subaru bumper covers to see how much money you can save by ordering from us!
So now that you know you can get an OEM bumper cover at aftermarket pricing, let's talk about why OEM is the better option.
1. OEM Bumper Covers Are Easy To Find
All you need to do is find the right part number for your Subaru model. You can do this by searching for your model in our catalog of Subaru bumper covers.
If you decide to get an aftermarket bumper cover, you would need to spend a few hours researching everything, including:
- The best aftermarket brands on the market
- Your vehicle's paint color
- Ease of installation
- Cost comparison
- Warranty policies
Even after doing all that research, there's still no guarantee that you'll end up with a quality aftermarket bumper cover.
Let's say you spend 3 hours researching aftermarket bumper covers. When you factor in your time, you may find that you won't save money on an aftermarket bumper cover. Your time is worth something. Finding the right OEM part number takes only a few minutes.
2. OEM Bumper Covers Fit Better
Image Credit: OriginalMechanic
Here's a rule of thumb: OEM parts always, always fit better than aftermarket parts. We're talking about every single OEM part, including air filters and door handles. It's because OEM parts are exact replicas of the stock parts that came with your car.
When you get a genuine OEM bumper cover, you never have to worry about fitment issues. You can't say the same about aftermarket bumper covers. Aftermarket companies rarely follow OE specs to a tee. This means your aftermarket bumper cover won't fit your car perfectly and you'll likely run into installation issues.
It's common for car owners to encounter fitment issues with aftermarket bumper covers. It can be quite a frustrating situation. If the cover doesn't fit well, you would need to either return it or modify something on your vehicle to get it to work.
3. OEM Bumper Covers Are Made With Quality Materials
Bumper covers are cosmetic and functional parts. The impact bar behind the bumper cover absorbs most of the impact. OEM Subaru bumper covers provide more protection than aftermarket bumper covers. OEM bumper covers are built with high quality flexible plastic that can absorb a blow and then bounce back. Aftermarket manufacturers rarely use materials that are as high quality as OEM bumper covers.
It's common for aftermarket companies to view and market bumper covers as purely cosmetic parts. Perhaps it's because these companies don't want to spend the money developing or buying high quality flexible plastic. It's common for aftermarket bumper covers to be made with low quality materials. A cheaper plastic may crack or permanently dent instead of bouncing back.
The bottom line? OEM bumper covers are always the better and safer investment.