As an important part of automobile repair and maintenance, auto parts not only affect the service life of the vehicle but also directly relate to driving safety. With the uneven brands, models, and quality of various accessories on the market, car owners face many challenges in choosing suitable accessories. How to judge the quality of accessories, choose original accessories or aftermarket accessories, how to ensure that the selected accessories match their models, and their maintenance and replacement cycles are all issues that car owners need to consider carefully when purchasing accessories. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide to help you make wise choices in the complex auto parts market.
How do you judge the quality of auto parts?
1. Brand and reputation
Choosing accessories from well-known brands is usually the first step to ensure quality. The manufacturing process of auto parts needs to undergo strict quality control, and most well-known brands have good production processes and strict quality management systems. In addition, the brand’s market reputation and historical experience are also a guarantee of quality.
How do you identify a good quality brand?
Market reputation: Check consumer reviews and product reviews on professional automotive websites.
Production process: High-quality brands will have clear production processes and quality control standards.
After-sales service: Well-known brands usually provide comprehensive after-sales service, such as warranty period, return policy, etc.
2. Materials and craftsmanship
The materials and craftsmanship of high-quality auto parts directly determine their performance and service life. For products such as roof racks, exhaust pipes, spoilers, side pedals, bumpers, etc., the selection of materials needs to meet multiple requirements such as high strength, corrosion resistance, and anti-aging. The following are the commonly used materials and their characteristics for these products:
a). Aluminum alloy
Applicable parts: roof racks, side pedals, spoilers
Aluminum alloy has become an ideal material for roof racks and side pedals due to its lightness, corrosion resistance, and high strength.
Lightweight: Aluminum alloy is light in weight, which can reduce the overall weight of the vehicle and reduce fuel consumption without affecting the load-bearing capacity of accessories.
Corrosion resistance: Even if exposed to rain, snow, salt spray, and other environments for a long time, aluminum alloy can maintain stable performance and is not easy to rust.
Strong plasticity: It is easy to process into complex shapes, such as the streamlined design of the roof rack and the supporting structure of the side pedal.
Common processes:
Anodizing: Enhances the anti-oxidation performance of the aluminum alloy surface, and can provide a variety of colors according to demand.
Spraying and coating: further improve corrosion resistance and appearance.
b). Stainless steel
Applicable parts: exhaust pipe, side pedal, bumper
Stainless steel is widely used in automotive accessories due to its high strength and excellent corrosion resistance, especially in high temperature, humid, or salt spray environments.
High-temperature resistance: The exhaust pipe works for a long time in the high-temperature exhaust gas of the engine, and stainless steel can maintain its strength and performance.
High strength: The side pedal and bumper need to withstand external impact or trampling, and stainless steel can provide reliable support.
Rust resistance: Even in coastal areas or areas where salt is spread in winter, stainless steel can effectively resist corrosion.
Common processes:
Electroplating polishing: Provide a mirror effect for the stainless steel surface and increase corrosion resistance.
Welding process: Ensure that the connection between stainless steel parts is firm to avoid loosening due to vibration or external force during long-term use.
c). Engineering plastics (ABS, polycarbonate, etc.)
Applicable parts: spoilers, bumpers
Engineering plastics such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) and polycarbonate have become the main materials for spoilers and bumpers due to their strength, impact resistance, and lightweight properties.
Strong impact resistance: ABS and polycarbonate can absorb impact force and reduce damage in low-speed collisions.
Good weather resistance: Engineering plastics can withstand long-term exposure to sunlight and rain erosion without aging or deformation.
High plasticity: It is easy to create the aerodynamic shape of spoilers or the complex structure of bumpers.
Common processes:
Injection molding: Ensure the integrated molding of plastic parts and reduce structural weaknesses.
Surface coating: Increase weather resistance through coating, while providing more color and texture options.
d). Alloy steel
Applicable parts: Roof racks, bumpers
Alloy steel is suitable for parts that need to bear weight or resist impact due to its excellent strength and toughness.
High strength: used for the bracket of the roof rack or the frame part of the bumper, which can withstand large loads or impacts.
Strong durability: In a high-intensity working environment, alloy steel can maintain long-term stability.
Good processing performance: easy to weld and form, suitable for mass production.
Common processes:
Heat treatment strengthening: Increases the hardness and strength of alloy steel through quenching, tempering, and other processes.
Surface galvanizing: improves corrosion resistance and prevents rust due to long-term exposure to humid environments.
f). Carbon fiber
Applicable parts: spoiler (high-end version)
Carbon fiber is gradually used in high-end car spoilers due to its ultra-high strength, lightweight, and unique visual effects.
Lightweight: The weight is only half of that of aluminum alloy, but the strength is higher, which can effectively reduce the weight of the car.
Strong weather resistance: Carbon fiber can resist high temperature, low temperature, and ultraviolet radiation, and is not easy to age after long-term use.
High-end appearance: The unique carbon fiber texture enhances the overall beauty of the vehicle.
Common processes:
Lamination process: The carbon fiber is laminated heated and cured to ensure structural strength.
Spraying protective paint: Prevents the surface of carbon fiber materials from being damaged by friction during long-term use.
For products such as roof racks, exhaust pipes, spoilers, side steps, bumpers, etc., high-quality material selection is essential. Through excellent materials and craftsmanship, automotive exterior accessories can not only meet the requirements of durability and functionality but also provide excellent appearance and safety for the vehicle.
3. Compliance with standards and certifications
All auto parts should comply with national and industry quality standards. Certified accessories are usually more reliable. Common quality certifications include:
3C certification (China Compulsory Certification): Ensure that accessories meet the quality and safety standards of the Chinese market.
OEM certification (original certification): indicates that the accessory is authorized by the car manufacturer and is its original accessory.
ISO9001/TS16949 certification: international standard quality management system certification, indicating that the manufacturer follows strict quality management specifications during the production process.
How to verify the certification?
Make sure the purchased accessories are certified by checking the certification mark on the accessory packaging or manual.
Confirm whether there is a formally authorized dealer to provide proof of these certifications.
4. Durability and performance testing
High-quality automotive exterior accessories need to have good durability and be able to maintain stable performance and appearance under various harsh conditions. The following are several core performance test standards:
a. High and low-temperature performance
Exterior accessories such as roof racks, spoilers, and bumpers are exposed to direct sunlight or low-temperature environments all year round, so the materials need to undergo strict high and low-temperature tests:
High-temperature environment: Ensure that the material will not crack, deform, or fade under long-term exposure to sunlight (such as roof surface temperature above 60°C).
Low-temperature environment: In cold conditions of minus 20°C or lower, the material must maintain toughness to avoid brittle fracture.
b. Corrosion resistance
Exhaust pipes, side pedals, and bumpers are often exposed to rain, mud, and salt (especially in coastal areas or winter salt-sprinkling areas), so they need to have excellent corrosion resistance:
Salt spray test: Evaluate the rust resistance of metal parts through salt spray corrosion tests (such as 48 hours or longer) to ensure that there will be no rust spots or performance reduction during long-term use.
Protective coating: For metal parts, such as roof racks, side pedals, or exhaust pipes, the surface coating needs to be corrosion-resistant materials (such as galvanizing or anti-rust spray paint) to prevent rust caused by daily wear and tear.
c. Wear and impact resistance
Bumpers, side pedals, and other parts may be subject to external impact or friction (such as small-scale scratches or trampling) during daily use, so it is necessary to:
Impact resistance test: Ensure that the bumper or spoiler will not crack or structurally damage in low-speed collisions (such as 5 km/h) or minor scratches.
Wear resistance test: For side pedals (parts that are often stepped on), wear resistance tests are required to ensure that the surface coating is not easy to wear or fall off.
d. UV resistance and aging performance
External accessories such as roof racks and spoilers are exposed to sunlight for a long time and are prone to aging and discoloration due to ultraviolet radiation, so it is necessary to conduct:
UV weathering test: Through an artificially accelerated aging test, evaluate the fading of accessories in an exposed environment (for example, the fading time is at least 3 years).
Anti-crack performance: Ensure that the material will not crack on the surface when exposed to UV rays and hot and humid environments for a long time.
f. Load and carrying capacity
For accessories that need to bear weight, such as roof racks and side pedals, their material strength and structural design are particularly important:
Carrying capacity test: The roof rack must ensure stability within the load-bearing range (e.g. 50-75 kg) without deformation or loosening; the side pedal must withstand the impact of repeated stepping (e.g. adult weight + dynamic impact force).
Vibration test: During vehicle driving (e.g. vibration test under high-speed road conditions), ensure that the fixing points of the roof rack will not loosen to reduce resonance noise.
