What is meant by 'OEM' parts?

[POD]

I'm in the process of overhauling the front axle in the 130 after a recent front-wheel-drive-only retrieval by a third party with a 'no care no responsibility' approach. I ordered a heap of parts from UK, US and a certain NSW-based supplier. I'm always careful to source quality parts when going non-dealer and so selected OEM parts for the lower swivel-pin bearings and upper swivel-pin overhaul kits. To my great annoyance, after a lengthy delay with the 130 on the hoist, a box of parts arrived containing NSK lower bearings and aftermarket upper overhaul kits from a notorious generic aftermarket supplier. I contacted the retailer who tried to tell me that OEM refers to any non-genuine parts. He was very reluctant to respond to my repeatedly asking what the letters 'O,E,M' stand for (the manager who I spoke to initially clearly had no idea what the letters actually stood for).
I'm happy (ish) to accept the NSK lower bearings as they are at least a reputable manufacturer (note that the online image clearly shows Timken bearings) but I have requested they send me a return post satchel for the upper kits and refund the purchase price (I have bought genuine from LR dealer in the meantime).
Not the first time I have had this problem with this particular online retailer, I bought an 'OEM' front grille last year and received a crap aftermarket one, they were all apologies on that occasion but this time have tried to explain their way out of it with nonsense about what OEM means. Seems to me to be a 'bait and switch' operation.

[loanrangie]

Yep they have obviously forgot what OEM stands for, i would be ****ed off also.

[scarry]

We all know what OEM stands for,it is either OEM or it isn’t.

[Tins]

Even wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_equipment_manufacturer) could tell the difference. Of course, OEM does not necessarily mean genuine, but it's going to be close. Differences will be minimal.

[gromit]

The term OEM is misused.
I doubt whether many items are made by the original supplier, especially for Series vehicles.
Maybe they are an OEM for another vehicle manufacturer and can then claim anything they make is OEM ??

Is it just the supplier claiming that it's OEM not really understanding what OEM means ?

I like "made to OEM specification" which means it should fit but there is no way it's made to the original spec. The manufacturer wouldn't be aware of the original spec. so it's just made to the same dimensions.

Even 'Genuine Land Rover' what does that mean, they outsource the parts and as vehicles get older and I bet the supplier changes as volume sales drop off. Possibly Britpart in a green box for Series vehicles ?

Unfortunately it's buyer beware.

I try & buy name brands where I can (e.g. brake parts).


Colin

[POD]

It's frustrating that sellers can't be trusted to supply what they say, makes me more inclined to suck up the dealer cost more often. Had the bearings not been in a blue box I may not have been alert to the switch. No way was I going to install swivel bearings from that crowd 9nor any bearing without a maker's mark on it), it's a big job to get in that far and I don't want them failing in a remote location. The woman I spoke to the other day who thought OEM was a synonym for 'generic' said 'we have a workshop department and they use those parts in our workshop'; I think she saw this as some kind of endorsement whereas I took it as one more confirmation that I need to be doing my own work.

[4bee]

It's frustrating that sellers can't be trusted to supply what they say, makes me more inclined to suck up the dealer cost more often. Had the bearings not been in a blue box I may not have been alert to the switch. No way was I going to install swivel bearings from that crowd 9nor any bearing without a maker's mark on it), it's a big job to get in that far and I don't want them failing in a remote location. The woman I spoke to the other day who thought OEM was a synonym for 'generic' said 'we have a workshop department and they use those parts in our workshop'; I think she saw this as some kind of endorsement whereas I took it as one more confirmation that I need to be doing my own work.




I have always believed it to mean "Original Equipment Manufacturer (ed)" Still a bit airy fairy though.

[POD]

Nothing 'airy fairy' about it, it means manufactured by the company that originally made it for the vehicle. The manager of this particular seller tried to tell me that the original manufacturer may not be making those parts any more so they can't necessarily get them so they use substitutes; I told him that if you can't get something you don't advertise it and you don't say you're selling it and you don't charge for it and send some dodgy substitute.
Anyway, I advise people to be wary of sellers offering 'OEM' parts and if you are buying a critical part from an aftermarket supplier, inquire into what you are buying. In this case the actual swivel pins themselves 'looked' identical to the ones I bought from the dealer, but the dealer gave me bearings etched with 'Timken France' whereas the bearings in the blue box had no markings at all. Probably made in South Asia by highly skilled barefooted men using cast-off 1950s British machinery to make things that look like bearings out of material gathered in the streets in wheelbarrows.

[Tins]

Nothing 'airy fairy' about it, it means manufactured by the company that originally made it for the vehicle.

Yes, it does mean that. However, it doesn't mean that that company hasn't changed, or changed hands, or even country. It doesn't mean the parts are made to the same standards as they were 20 years ago when the car was built.

Sadly, the vendors who took the trouble to source good parts from wherever they were available, like our good mate on here, are disappearing.

[scarry]

When we serviced all our service vans ourselves,we bought ALL the parts from the dealer,except oils.Even coolant,brake fluid,etc, was from the dealer.
Prices were very similar to aftermarket,and we had no issues at all with the dealer parts.

The timing belts/fuel pump/balance shaft belts, on some of them, came from the dealer in a kit,with the idler pulleys and seals.
Sure we could buy the parts separately from our local bearing place,which we used all the time for parts for work, for a similar price,but why bother.

The problem with older vehicles as some have said is many of the dealer parts will be N/A.

My brother was recently having trouble sourcing good quality coolant hoses for his Petrol D1.
He is still is not that happy with what he ended up with.

[Tins]

Dependent on country, car manufacturers are required to keep spare parts on hand for X years. When that time elapses they have zero need to maintain inventory, and most won't. Too expensive. They will sell off, or even destroy, old inventory. Of course, they don't actually make the parts themselves, but source them. The source companies are free to keep manufacturing them or not, up to them. Some parts they make may be used by other manufacturers as well, especially suspension and brake bits ( not so much these days I guess ) and will therefore be available through different channels. But eventually supply will dry up.

Totally agree with POD though, companies should not misrepresent their goods as OEM. Trouble is, while "BallJointsRUs" may have been a good company making ball joints in Birmingham 20 years ago, it doesn't mean that "BallJointsRUs", purchased by a bloke in the Far East, will be producing the same things. But, they can claim to be OEM.

Caveat Emptor.

[4bee]

Nothing 'airy fairy' about it, it means manufactured by the company that originally made it for the vehicle. The manager of this particular seller tried to tell me that the original manufacturer may not be making those parts any more so they can't necessarily get them so they use substitutes; I told him that if you can't get something you don't advertise it and you don't say you're selling it and you don't charge for it and send some dodgy substitute.
Anyway, I advise people to be wary of sellers offering 'OEM' parts and if you are buying a critical part from an aftermarket supplier, inquire into what you are buying. In this case the actual swivel pins themselves 'looked' identical to the ones I bought from the dealer, but the dealer gave me bearings etched with 'Timken France' whereas the bearings in the blue box had no markings at all. Probably made in South Asia by highly skilled barefooted men using cast-off 1950s British machinery to make things that look like bearings out of material gathered in the streets in wheelbarrows.

Or Candle Wax.

Once saw a very expensive Carrier Semi Hermetic compressor (6D79) in Singapore being reconditioned on the footpath in front of the backstreet premises & open to all the crap of the street, dust, moisture, ciggy butts, general ****e etc etc. WTF! Nothing surprises me these days.

[scarry]

Or Candle Wax.

Once saw a very expensive Carrier Semi Hermetic compressor (6D79) in Singapore being reconditioned on the footpath in front of the backstreet premises & open to all the crap of the street, dust, moisture, ciggy butts, general ****e etc etc. WTF! Nothing surprises me these days.

Not much would kill a 6D75/79/48/29,so it will just keep chuggin.

Same for a 5H whatever,20/40/60/80/100/126,we had quite a few on jobs with water cooled heads,model was slightly different, but my grey matter has lost it.

Great gear,rediculously reliable,the best around in it's day,today all going to scrap.[bigsad]

OEM parts on them when needed,direct from the manufacturer,no worries.Suction unloader bellows we often replaced not much else.