toyota mufflerThis is a loaded, but important question.

There are plenty of aftermarket parts and accessories for your Toyota.  But are they better than Toyota OEM parts and accessories?  More importantly, are they safe?

The answer is complicated, and we talk about it on the Toyota Parts Center blog a lot. (See this and this article for more on the subject.)

There are plenty of aftermarket parts that are perfectly fine for your Toyota.  Many of the parts do an adequate job.  However, do the parts allow your Toyota to run at its best?  In many cases, the answer is no. 

This is because the engineers who designed the Toyota vehicles did not make the aftermarket parts.  There have been instances where aftermarket parts do not properly fit a vehicle.  With OEM parts, you don’t have to worry about this because the manufacturer made them.

This is not to say that all aftermarket parts are bad.

But why should you take the risk, when there are so many OEM parts available on the internet at comparable prices?

When it comes to your Toyota, it’s better to play it safe and go with the OEM parts.  They may sometimes cost a little more, but it’s worth the investment.  Your vehicle will run better and be on the road longer.