Unpopular opinion: OEM parts are overrated for older machines

I used to swear by factory parts only, but a $45 aftermarket compressor relay saved a 15 year old fridge in Nashville last spring when the OEM was backordered 3 weeks. Now I wonder if we're just paying for the name on the box. Anyone else had aftermarket parts outlast the originals?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_diana1mo ago

The 2012 washer I fixed with a $30 aftermarket drain pump is still running five years later, and @the_amy nailed it, that OEM part was pure luck of the draw anyway. I used to be a factory-only snob too, but now I just match the part to the machine's age and stop overthinking it.

the_amy1mo ago

lol so the $45 chunk of plastic is now outliving the compressor it saved, meanwhile the OEM one probably would've died in the same humidity anyway. Name brand just means you pay extra for the same 50/50 gamble.