Is it time to retire your ride? Maybe not! Sometimes you can save money and your vehicle, if you can just keep it on the road a while longer. Making your ride last used to be cheaper, but the price of repairs has grown along with advances in automotive technology.
We’ve seen the technology in our vehicles both advance and multiply. The systems that make up your vehicle have advanced in both complexity and capability. At the same time, the number of systems has multiplied, particularly in the areas of electronics and safety.
All of these advances come with a cost. Passenger vehicles are much more expensive to repair than they were a generation ago. Inflation certainly plays a part in this, but much of the increase is simply because the systems are more complex and take longer to repair. Another factor that increases the prices rests on parts. In particular, the proliferation of electronics throughout the vehicle. These systems allow for very impressive feats, such as automatic collision avoidance, but they’re expensive. They’re also tricky to repair, often requiring extensive calibration, again contributing to the rising average cost of repairs.
Luckily, there is an alternative to expensive OEM parts. The certified automotive recyclers participating in Retire Your Ride can provide the parts needed for most repairs, at a fraction of the price of purchasing new parts from the manufacturer.
Despite the lower cost, these are not aftermarket parts. Certified auto recyclers purchase end-of-life vehicles primarily as a source of parts. Very often, cars will reach the end of their natural life cycle with many parts in good condition. Automotive recyclers remove these parts before recycling the scrap portion of the vehicle.
The question remains, however, how can you know that the parts you’re buying are of high-quality? Every automotive recycler participating in Retire Your Ride is also a member of the Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC), the national professional association. While we cannot speak for non-members, we can tell you that all ARC members must abide by various codes of conduct and practice that ensure customers receive high-quality parts every time.
ARC members guarantee that the part you purchase will be in working condition or they will exchange it. Some recyclers offer longer warranties or optional extended warranties. This varies from recycler to recycler, but the basic guarantee is in force at every ARC member.
The professional recyclers that make up ARC’s membership have the confidence to offer these guarantees because of the steps they take to ensure parts are of high-quality.
In an ARC-member facility, all parts are inspected and tested during the vehicle dismantling process. This ensures that only those parts that meet strict guidelines for quality and wear are offered for sale. In some cases, parts may be remanufactured (engines, transmissions), and others may be reconditioned (lights, wheels).
All parts are inventoried and stored appropriately, with whatever level of environmental protection is required. This helps to ensure parts preserve integrity and performance. The model, year, and mileage of the originating vehicle are recorded as the parts are inventoried, providing vital information about the condition of the parts you’re purchasing.
All parts are also assigned an interchange number, an industry-wide identifier that indicates while vehicle, model, and type the part fits. All of this information is entered into an electronic system, allowing your local recycler to easily see which parts are in stock and precisely where they are located.
Not only that, but ARC members have access to a sophisticated parts locator network that connects the inventory data of members across Canada. If the local ARC member doesn’t have the parts you need, there’s a very good chance a member in another area will have just what you need.
There is a common myth that recycled parts are only for DIY enthusiasts, the folks who prefer to do their own repairs in their driveway or garage. This is not the case. The overwhelming majority of parts sold by ARC members go to automotive service professionals, who install them on vehicles just like yours.
Parts purchased from certified auto recyclers are both high-quality and cheaper than new parts, but they also have another advantage. Every single recycled part purchased and used means one less new part that has to be manufactured, with its attendant costs in material, energy, and resources. By using recycled parts, you are helping to reduce your environmental impact.
If you’re ready to retire your ride, we’re here to help. You can click here to get the process started. However if you’d like to keep your ride on the road a while longer, we can help with that too. Visit autorecyclers.ca/2024- to use the Parts Locator or find a certified auto recycler in your area.
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