When browsing our online store for parts, you will commonly see the terms OEM, OE and Aftermarket used in product listings. Since these terms aren't always straight-forward, we've created this handy guide so you can better understand what you're purchasing. Rest assured that we will not sell you parts that we do not 100% stand behind, but not all parts are created equal. This is especially true of factory replacement parts where you see these terms the most.
OEM Parts
OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer." These are 100% genuine Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche or VW parts. If you order an OEM part, it will come to you in the packaging of its respective company (e.g. OEM Audi/VW parts will come in VW packaging, BMW parts will come in BMW packaging).
Many automotive manufacturers do not actually construct all of their parts but instead will design most of their parts and have an outside parts manufacturer produce them. These are the same parts that originally came equipped on your car from the factory. This is also one of the reasons that you will commonly hear people refer to them as "factory" parts.
OEM parts are typically revised as the vehicle manufacturer finds flaws in their own designs. This can be seen in Audi/VW parts by the ending letter(s) that denotes what version of the part it is.
OE Parts
OE stands for "Original Equipment." These are parts that are produced by a major manufacturer (e.g. Bosch, Febi Bilstein, Lemforder) that also manufactures OEM parts for a vehicle manufacturer (e.g. Audi, BMW, VW). As mentioned above, most vehicle manufacturers will design their parts and have a parts manufacturer produce them for them. Many of these parts manufacturers are allowed by the vehicle manufacturer to produce and sell the same parts directly to parts distribution companies like us. These OE parts are produced in the same facilities and on the same assembly lines as the OEM parts are, but the big difference is that they are placed in their respective parts manufacturer's packaging rather than the vehicle manufacturers packing.
A good example of an OE vs OEM part is a factory strut mount bushing. Febi Bilstein is a parts manufacturer that produces this part for VW but also produces it to sell to parts distributors like NGP. The only differrence between the two parts is the packaging that it arrives in and the price you pay for it.
Typical brands that produce OE parts are Febi Bilstein, Mahle, Meyle, Hengst,
Aftermarket Parts
Aftermarket parts are those that are produced by a company that has no affiliation with the vehicle manufacturer or the parts are produced using a different design than what the vehicle manufacturer used. Aftermarket parts typically fall into two categories: performance parts and OE-like parts.
Performance parts are typically designed to replace a factory part with higher performance in mind. These are usually designed to out-perform their factory counterparts and are visually different than an OE or OEM part. A good example of a performance part would be a Unitronic downpipe. It replaces the factory downpipe and is designed to flow exhaust gasses better than the factory part in order to provide you with more horsepower and torque (once you have installed an appropriate tune). If you look at the parts side by side, you can clearly see that it is an aftermarket part.
OE-like aftermarket parts are usually made using a design that is very close to what the vehicle manufacturer intended. However, these are usually produced by a parts manufacturer that does not produce OEM parts for the vehicle manufacturer. Typical brands in this category are Uro, Vemo, Vaico,
It is rare, but there are actually a handful of aftermarket parts that similar to the OEM part but are better than than the factory design. A great example of this are many of the Meyle HD bushings. Meyle will use a factory design to start with, but will then modify it to utilize a stiffer durometer rubber or in some cases will redesign the bushing to use more material to "beef up" the bushing so that it can handle more load. Another example of this is the Graf metal water pump assembly for the Gen 1 2.0T TSI engine. While it does fit like a factory part, the original design uses plastic as opposed to the all aluminum construction utilized by the Graf pump.