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When purchasing a part from us at Britcar Global, you may be overwhelmed by the choices on offer. We pride ourselves on stocking up to 15 suppliers of each Jaguar Land Rover car part. For example, our website currently lists 14 different versions of ERR3340 (an oil filter). 

When you search for a part, you will see different combinations of suppliers, brands, and types. But what exactly do we mean by type? There are three options for your Jaguar/ Land Rover parts: Genuine, OEM, or Pattern. 

Of course, we are often asked what the difference is – now, we have a more comprehensive answer for you!

Genuine Car Part

Genuine Jaguar Land Rover car parts come from the company Jaguar Land Rover itself. JLR supply these parts in genuine packaging. They tend to be the safest option as you know the part in question will definitely fit your car. Further, these parts are usually required by garages if you want to retain the warranty on your car (should it still be in place). These parts, however, are generally the most expensive option you can choose.   

OEM Car Part

‘OEM’ stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. These parts are manufactured by an external company that may now or in the recent past have supplied parts for Land Rover or Jaguar vehicles. The only difference to the genuine part is that it comes in the manufacturer’s box instead of a genuine box. For example, instead of printing Land Rover on the side, it may come with ‘Lucas’ if it is a switch or Hardy-Spicer if it is a U/J, for example.

While they are cheaper than their genuine counterparts, you may invalidate your car’s warranty if you do use them – it depends on the supplier so make sure you check in advance. Realistically, OEM parts are most suited to cars that are at least three years old. OEM parts are the same quality as genuine.

Pattern (P)/ Aftermarket Car Part

A pattern/ aftermarket part is usually a replica of a genuine part. Pattern parts, for example, are produced by a manufacturer who copies Land Rover’s design.

One advantage to a pattern part is that they tend to be a lot cheaper. This does not automatically mean they are substandard, rather the part has simply been made by someone else. However, you should bear in mind that sometimes there is a reason they are cheaper – they may make the quality of the material worse to save on money for example. 

Sometimes, however, high-quality aftermarket companies have actually analysed why the initial OEM part has failed and opted to improve the design for customers using better materials (for example). Overall though, they are likely to be cheaper than Genuine or OEM parts and present an ideal option for older cars.

Summary

At the end of the day, it comes down to how much you want to spend, the age of your car, and the quality you desire. Typically, there is no difference between genuine and OEM parts, other than the box but if you want to keep your guarantee intact for a newer car then you should be careful with what you choose. Remember, pattern and aftermarket parts are not necessarily worse than their genuine or OEM alternatives, rather they may be a copy or even an improvement on their counterparts.