Everyone who has ever owned a car knows that, eventually, that car will need repairs. New parts are often needed to repair issues with vehicles. However, many people do not realize they can purchase quality used car parts to make those repairs. Not only can using used parts save money, but doing so can help save the environment too.
What are Used Car Parts?
Used car parts are exactly what the name suggests. These are parts that have been previously used on another vehicle. The perfectly working parts are pulled from the other vehicle and sold for use by other car owners. There are many places where used parts can be purchased, including websites like sircarpart.com.
When a vehicle is in an accident that an insurance company considers a total loss or when a car has reached the end of its life, the owners will often junk the car. However, many of these vehicles still have perfectly working parts. These parts can be removed and used for other vehicles.
For example, a brand-new car is involved in an accident where the rear end is heavily damaged. The damage is so extensive that an insurance company decides to total the vehicle since the cost of repairs is higher than the value of the car. However, the entire front portion of that vehicle is still in perfect working condition.
Salvage yards and other entities can then remove the engine, transmission, battery, and other mechanical parts for use in still-running vehicles. In addition, many parts of the front of the vehicle’s body can be utilized in vehicles with front body damage. Fenders, bumpers, tires, hoods, and even glass can all be reused.
Do Used Car Parts Work as well as New?
Yes, the used parts work just as well as the new ones. When a mechanical part of the vehicle is salvaged and sold by a used parts vendor, the used part is cleaned, inspected, and tested to ensure proper functionality. If the used part contains gaskets, seals, or other replaceable aspects, they are replaced with new ones. In most cases, the used parts come with the same warranty as the new parts.
In some cases, used parts are better than having the vehicle repaired with new ones, especially body parts. For example, if the fender on a vehicle is damaged and needs to be replaced, a new, unpainted fender is required. Vehicle owners will not only need to purchase the fender but will need to paint it to match the vehicle.
However, if the same fender can be found used, vehicle owners have a chance to find one with the same paint color. Matching parts eliminate the need to repaint it.
How Do Used Car Parts Save Vehicle Owners Money?
Car repairs can be quite expensive. Often, the biggest expense is the new part needed for the vehicle. If vehicle owners choose parts directly from the manufacturer, those parts will have a higher price tag than those from other companies or third parties. Unfortunately, even those parts can be costly.
Since used car parts simply need to be pulled from an old vehicle, cleaned, and inspected for functionality, they are sold at a much lower price than new ones. Used car part facilities do not need to mine for the ore or create an entirely new part. Since it costs much less to acquire a used one, it costs much less for a person to purchase that part.
Used body parts are the perfect option when insurance refuses to pay. As previously discussed, if a car with matching paint is found, owners can save even more by not needing to pay to repaint their vehicle. Since the parts are far less costly than new ones, owners can save significantly on the overall cost of repairs.
How Do Used Parts Help the Environment?
With the ever-growing population, serious strains have been put on our environment and the limited resources used to keep the world running. Choosing even small ways to help can make a difference, especially if everyone pitches in where they can. Purchasing used car parts can help in many ways.
Landfills
Landfills are a major problem all around the world. These areas collect garbage and debris that people no longer use. Putting a vehicle in a landfill is a great strain on the environment. First, it takes up a lot of valuable space in the landfill. If many cars are being dumped there every day, the landfill will reach capacity quickly.
Cars also have a lot of chemicals within them. Leftover gasoline, synthetic oils, battery fluids, and other toxic liquids are inside every vehicle. If left to rot in a landfill, those fluids will seep into the ground and poison everything around it. Eventually, it will poison the water in that area. Keeping cars out of landfills is very important.
Less Energy
It takes about 40 times the energy of an average washing machine to create one passenger vehicle. Each part of that vehicle requires a lot of energy just to produce it. From forming the metal into the right parts to creating the glass and plastics that make up a vehicle, a lot of energy is consumed. Most energy used is harnessed from fossil fuels.
Replacing a part in a vehicle with a used part eliminates the need to create a new part and reduces energy consumption as well. Although it may not seem like much, over time, it can greatly impact the consumption of fossil fuels in the automotive industry.
Fossil fuels are a finite source of energy. Once they are gone, that’s it. Reducing their use, even just a little, can help. In addition, fossil fuels create a lot of pollution in the world. By reducing the use, it also reduces pollution overall.
Fewer Resources
Not only does creating new automotive parts use fossil fuels, but it also uses a wide array of metals. Steel, iron, and aluminum are some of the metals needed to create the various parts of a car. These metals need to be mined, and their ores are used to create new parts.
Purchasing used parts reduces the need to mine new ores and use more metals to create new parts. These actions help add to the benefits of the environment.
Although it may seem like a small step in helping the world, purchasing used car parts can add up significantly over the years. The more people that participate in this practice can help make the world a little better and also save a little cash in the process.
