With the average price of garage labour in the UK soaring to £75 per hour and fuel prices continuing to sky rocket now is the time to cut your other motoring costs. In particular using second hand or ‘used’ car parts rather than going to your main dealer can save you hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

The use of used parts is becoming more widely accepted, there are indeed some insurance repair specialists who regularly use ‘as new’ second hand parts to get accident damaged vehicles back on the road. There is a general misconception in the UK that second hand means poor quality; this is not always the case. More and more vehicles are being written off by insurance companies and entering dismantlers’ yards, or scrap yards as they’re more commonly known, with what some would class as minor accident damage with the majority of parts and components being reusable.

Combine the current economic situation (with people saving money wherever possible) with around 1000 cars being written off every day, with the majority of these being no more than 5 years old, the quality used parts industry is booming.

So where do I get quality used parts from?

All the major motoring publications, Autotrader, Exchange & Mart etc, carry pages and pages of used parts suppliers. If you don’t fancy the idea of visiting a dismantlers yard yourself (although you will find that the days of barbed wire fences, guard dogs and cars stored up to the wheel arches in mud are well and truly gone) the majority of companies will be able to deliver the goods directly to you.

The internet is an invaluable tool to not only locate parts suppliers, but to do your homework and research the companies before you purchase anything. Check to see if the dismantler is a member of any Trade Organisations, make sure they have the relevant environmental certification etc. Try online auction sites but beware of private individuals pretending to be bona fide used car part suppliers. Most importantly, as with all mail order purchases, pay by credit card if possible, the assistance you can get from your card issuer in reclaiming money if things do go wrong is essential. It is also worth noting that many debit cards now carry a similar level of backup when purchasing goods but it is recommended that you check with your card issuer before paying for the goods.

Probably the quickest and most cost effective way of searching for your parts however is to use a Parts Location Service. These companies act in a similar way to price comparison websites where they source, from the suppliers on their systems, the best possible quotes for you. When you receive these quotes you then decide who to buy from, contact them directly and pay them. Most location services will offer you support and backup in he unlikely event of a problem occurring but as before make sure you research the company beforehand and read all its terms and conditions.

Once you’ve found the parts you need at an affordable price its back to the garage for that £75 per hour labour charge.

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