Repair shop owners are often faced with a dilemma when tempted to use aftermarket or parallel parts. Are they willing to save costs in exchange for exposure to potential risks?
The decision needs to be made with a full understanding of the implications for safety, durability, fit and future-proofing. Nissan makes the case clear.
What Nissan Genuine Parts bring to any repair is certainty that the parts fitted are purpose-built for the vehicle.
For collision repairers who want the best possible outcome for every repair job, this is a lot more than reassuring. Nissan Genuine Parts bring with them the commitment to safety, durability and quality that has become a hallmark of the Nissan brand.
Genuine parts are just that – genuine items made by the OEM with the same rigorous attention to testing and quality control as the original vehicle. This means it is not just in the workshop that they can make a difference but also in the performance and lifespan of the vehicle.
Safe vehicles after every repair
“One area of reassurance for both the repairer and the owner is that Nissan Genuine Parts deliver the same standards, experience and collective expertise of a global vehicle manufacturer,” says John Galvin, Nissan General Manager for TCS & Engineering. “These are the parts they want in their vehicles to meet the standards of that brand.”
Nissan uses its automotive engineering expertise to develop genuine parts that are manufactured with knowledge accumulated across design iterations, operational data, and testing cycles. These parts are the result of engineering decisions that define performance and safety and help ensure that any repair brings the vehicle back as close as possible to its new condition.
“A part’s shape and material is designed specifically to work in conjunction with safety systems that are themselves designed for the Australian vehicle program,” he says.
A genuine bumper, for instance, is designed with a specific material and exact shape to ensure the active safety systems of a vehicle dependent on cameras and sensors, are not obstructed or affected, either directly or through transmissivity of the material.
A clear picture of safety
Additionally, the use of genuine parts for auto glass and headlights, helps ensure these advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are working exactly as intended and expected by the driver.
“The glass is important, and particularly the windscreen”, John says. “Most of our newer vehicles, where they incorporate the radar as part of the active safety system, have the forward facing camera in the top of the windshield. This complements that system, to effectively get a stereo effect between the radar and the camera to make sure that the vehicle knows what it’s looking at and then activate the sensors appropriately.”
He says this camera is also used for High Beam Assist function, which automatically adjusts from high to low beam as it detects oncoming traffic, making the windshield critical to it operating correctly, with the headlights themselves being an important part of the system.
Similarly, OEMs like Nissan put considerable research and resources into improving the crash structure of their panels and Nissan Genuine Parts adhere to these standards. These are the safety features of vehicles often assessed by rigorous independent testing bodies like ANCAP.
“These parts are identical to intended design, based on the requirement of the occupant protection strategy – for example whether it is either stiff or deforms. They are specifically designed for the Australian vehicle program,” Galvin says.
Built to the conditions, built to last
Like these safety standards, the rigorous and extended testing regime done to ensure the durability of Nissan Genuine Parts gives greater certainty to repairers and owners.
Nissan conducts durability validation testing as part of the vehicle program and the genuine parts fitted on the assembly line are part of this standard.
“We have on-road testing and a durability rig which tests the car in different conditions to assess durability,” Galvin says.
“These same genuine parts are the parts you will buy – meaning they have been subject to the same level of testing.”
Critically, this durability testing directly influences vehicle design with Nissan setting higher severity ratings for its SUVs and LCVs due to Australia’s uniquely tough motoring conditions.
Long term solution versus short-term fix
Tight budgets and the urgency of turnover can prompt workshops to consider substitute parts but the decision to use Nissan Genuine Parts brings known compatibility and peace of mind long after the vehicle has left the workshop.
The contrast in potential repair outcomes between genuine and non-genuine parts could mean that whatever initial cost may be saved with a non-genuine part, may turn out to be a false economy if there are long term costs associated with imperfect fit, poor safety or reduced durability. If Nissan Genuine Parts can remove the potential risk and uncertainty that alternative parts bring to a repair, the tested durability of Nissan Genuine Parts can also add longevity. In this way they can bring more substantial value to the repair process than only considering the item price.
Repairers pride themselves on doing the job right. With Nissan Genuine Parts they are partnering with an OEM that shares the same objective and has made the investment in safety and durability, to help ensure each part delivers what a good repair demands.