Original Parts and Warranty: What Car Owners Need to Know

The gap in pricing between an authorized dealer and a specialized independent workshop for scheduled maintenance is often substantial today. Routine service is typically an annual event, and paying 10 to 20 thousand more for dealer-based maintenance may not seem critical to some drivers. Still, many car owners look for cost relief on warranty-covered vehicles without risking the loss of warranty coverage. The idea of “original spare parts and consumables” is more flexible in practice than it sounds. What the manufacturer approves as original is usually those parts packaged in branded boxes and sent to dealers. Yet supplier changes, ownership transfers, or new packaging can create the impression of a different origin. In many cases the manufacturer offers the same products in its own packaging, and those items are effectively original as well. To illustrate, there are cases where an explicit Mazda original pad does not exist. Instead, third-party manufacturers supply the components. There is often no single brand labeled as the original oil either. For instance, oils that once came from Shell or Castrol or Mobil may be rebranded or substituted by other brands like Lukoil, with the result that the oils used in vehicles from brands such as Mercedes-Benz can still be considered original in the sense of meeting the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications. Numerous suppliers provide original consumables and components to a wide range of brands, including MAN, TRW, Ferodo, and NIBK. The key point is that ownership by a dealer is not the defining factor for warranty eligibility; many sources of genuine or equivalent parts are available beyond the official dealer network. To preserve warranty coverage, it is advised that maintenance be performed on schedule and that the recommended consumables be used. It helps if the service is conducted by workshops that hold the necessary certifications for the work involved, as noted by Semyon Ganin, Director of Marketing and Development at STO Filter. In a dispute over a warranty claim, it is often sufficient to obtain a written statement that explains the reasons for any refusal when a dealer asserts that service was not completed through official channels. In practice, such documentation frequently resolves the issue, given that there are no established grounds for denying warranty repairs when the service was performed in a certified workshop using compliant parts. Some maintenance tasks do not affect warranty status. For example, brake components can be replaced by any qualified shop, provided the correct parts are used and the work is performed to standard. A potential pitfall to watch for is the practice of filling fluids for the vehicle’s entire service life. If the fluids are scheduled for replacement at intervals aligned with the vehicle’s warranty period, they should be changed with the appropriate frequency to maintain performance and reliability. If longer component life is desired, planning replacements every 2–3 years is a practical approach.