I purchased an aftermarket part to replace the one destroyed when I hit a hay bale and knocked the fog light right through it! The first body shop to which I went for an estimate told me to send it back because it's so inferior to the factory part. They said that every time they tried to install one, it bulged and the tire caught it and destroyed it within a couple of months. A second body shop said, no problem we have used these and they work fine. What is reality here? I did find out that I paid $35 for the part, the factory part sells for not much more at $48, but it would cost me over $20 just in shipping to return the one I have. I am pretty much stuck trying the part I already have no matter what.

 

Sure you might get a aftermarket fender liner cheaper than OEM but look at the thickness of the plastic..paper thin compaired to the OEM thickness and it will stand up to road rash much better. Plus aftermarket can be a pita to line up. Keep your HHR American...even if its made in Mexico.
Auto body tech
Dave

 

OEM is usually the best for any sort of body part.

 

Non GM parts are a crap shoot. Some may fit ok but like he said they dont' always work.

Too often the real issues are fit and quality. They are importing a lot of these look alike parts from China. When they get it right they are good but too often they are not right.

Sheet metal panels are the worst. We did a Cutlass that has GM and China sheet metal parts that came with the crashed car. We never could get the hood and one fender right and both were aftermarket panels. The GM fender just went right on.

 

I have learned my lesson. It's not financially practical to return the splash guard, but I will be careful in the future. The fog light is perfect. So, as you said, it's hit-or-miss.

 

I will have it switched out when the local dealer does redo work in a week. The aftermarket fender liner is a poor fit and there is a gap where it is not flush with the inside of the fender. Lesson learned. Aftermarket light assemblies seem to be good, aftermarket body parts are bad.

Edit - This was not an insurance job.

 

On insurance work, the shop is supposed to notify the insurance company if they (the ins. co.) specifys an A/M part and it doesn't fit correctly. If the shop didn't do that, then the ball is in their court to fix it properly by getting the factory part. They may have to 'eat' the cost on the A/M part at this point.

(Or was it not an insurance job?)

 

OEM fender liner has been installed, and it looks and fits much better than the aftermarket one. I suggest that no one attempt use that aftermarket part. OEM isn't that much more expensive and is much better quality here.