The shortage of spare parts and consumables has pushed prices higher. We’re adapting to this new reality, and the cost of components imported from abroad continues to influence overall maintenance expenses. For years, Za Rulem Trading House has been expanding its range with products from domestic manufacturers that use minimal foreign components. They produce spare parts, accessories, and consumables not only for domestic cars but for foreign cars as well.
In a climate of scarcity and rising prices, this piece uses a live example to show how maintenance costs can vary when using original consumables, foreign alternatives such as SA Sakura, and Russian analogues like the Behind the Wheel line. The quality of these options was tested and confirmed by experts from Behind the Wheel, the oldest and most authoritative automobile publication in Russia.
To illustrate this, five popular models were selected for review:
- Hyundai Solaris
- Kia Rio
- Renault Duster
- Renault Kaptur
- Lada Largus
Maintenance consumables for Hyundai Solaris and Kia Rio
The original maintenance kit, including air, oil, and cabin filters, brake pads, oil, and spark plugs, is currently priced at 14,976 rubles. A Sakura set offers savings, but the price is only slightly lower at 14,043 rubles. The Behind the Wheel kit brings the total down to 10,537 rubles, while the SA set provides the deepest discount at 9,377 rubles.
Compared with February, prices have risen on average by 38.4 percent — more than a third higher.
Maintenance consumables for Renault Duster and Kaptur
The same original set for these crossovers costs 17,237 rubles today, up 93.1 percent from February. Non-original sets from SA and Sakura cost 11,148 and 14,137 rubles respectively. A Za Rulem Trade House kit at 10,327 rubles saves about 7,000 rubles, and its price has climbed 57 percent in a month, the slowest growth among the options. On average, market prices have increased by 72.2 percent.
Maintenance consumables for Lada Largus
Among these models, Largus proves the cheapest to maintain, yet its consumables have surged in price by 51.2 percent in a month. The Za Rulem Trade House kit — a set of filters, pads, oil, and spark plugs — now costs 5,989 rubles, the most affordable among major brands. A SA set is slightly cheaper at 5,884 rubles. Sakura becomes notably more expensive at 7,764 rubles, while the original set reaches 8,995 rubles, about three thousand more than the cheapest alternatives.
Across the examined cars, consumable costs rose by 38.4 percent, 72.2 percent, and 51.2 percent in just one month. That kind of jump is striking. The central question remains: will prices peak, or should shoppers stock up on spare parts for the future?
Here is the expert viewpoint.
Expert opinion
Oleg Zemtsov, Director of the Handelshuis Behind the Wheel, notes that spare parts and consumables have increased in price by an average of 15 to 100 percent, with oils up to 40 percent and tires around 30 percent. Two main drivers are cited for the price rise: volatility of the ruble exchange rate, which adds risk to pricing, and a developing deficit in supply.
Future fluctuations are likely to hinge on the deficit. Some brands have left the market, with some previously holding up to a 70 percent market share. Replacing them cannot happen quickly.
Who will fill the empty shelves and what comes next? First, it could be China and Turkey, but shortages and weaker competition may keep prices high. Second, Russia itself faces hurdles in ramping up domestic production due to needed equipment, technology, and organization. Third, gray or parallel imports might play a role.
Nevertheless, spare parts will continue to reach dealers and auto shops, with added logistic and transaction costs that push prices higher. The optimistic scenario for the end of the year suggests a price adjustment in the range of 3 to 15 percent.