The bad news was that your car threw its timing belt. But, once you recover from the sticker shock of an operation such as that, now the work is all done and you can pick up your vehicle. Good news, right? Not so fast.

This is a question you probably should have asked before the mechanic started working on your car but what kind of parts did they use? Were they OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts or were they aftermarket parts. Some aftermarket parts can have potentially shorter life spans?

Some people might say, “Parts are parts.” It’s not true. Not all parts are created equal. Denny Norton, owner of Ringwood based Performance Unlimited, says that he approaches aftermarket parts with a sense of caution.

“Some aftermarket parts are as good as or better than OEM equipment,” he said. “Some aren’t. Experience teaches you which aftermarket parts you can trust.”

Aftermarket parts sometimes cost less than the OEM parts they were designed to replace. However, Norton said using the aftermarket version of a part is not always a money saving idea. Additionally, he said some repair shops use aftermarket parts without telling the customers.

“Some shops will use aftermarket parts and pocket the difference in price between that and the original equipment parts,” he said. “Customers wind up paying the full price for inferior parts and equipment.”

Norton said it’s essential that car owners work with a repair shop they can trust. He said that, when a shop replaces parts on a car, the customer has a legal right to take the old parts with him or her. He said they also have a right to see what kind of part was used on their vehicle.

“With some parts, it’s OK to use the aftermarket version,” Norton said. “In some cases, though, I wouldn't advise it.”

For more information about Performance Unlimited, call 815-728-0343 or visit http://www.4performanceunlimited.com.