Why Are European Car Parts So Expensive? (7 Reasons)

Wondering why European car parts are so expensive? Stay on this page to discover 7 reasons.

European cars are known for their quality, style, prestige, and performance. Not only that, they are equally known for reliability and ruggedness. Could this be the reason why their parts are so expensive?

In this article, we discuss 7 reasons why European car parts usually come at a higher price. Let’s check them out!

1. They Are Made With High Quality Materials

Most European automakers, especially the Germans and Italian, take pride in building high-quality vehicles. They’ll rather make use of high ended materials without minding the eventual price than going for low-cost ones. This often affects the price of their car parts.

For instance, German car makers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz use high-grade steel, aluminum, and other materials to construct their vehicles. These automakers are also regarded for their preference to the use of leather in building their car seat.

Unfortunately, the commitment of these European automakers to utilizing only high-quality materials usually has a toll on the cost of their car parts.

Note that there could be several aftermarket and OEM parts for most European cars, which are cheaper. However, the genuine parts of most vehicles of European descents often come at an expensive price.

This is because most of the parts are made in Europe, where the vehicles are manufactured.

Mind you, the higher quality materials used in producing European car parts contribute to their durability and longevity. In fact, European vehicles are notable for lasting longer than several other rides, including some American vehicles.

This is why many vehicle enthusiasts prefer to drive a European car, instead of other vehicles with cheaper car parts. You may want to check why European cars are so popular.

2. They Are Product of Extensive Research and Development

Another reason why European car parts could be so expensive is the extensive research that many European auto engineers engage in before building their car parts.

Most European automakers invest heavily in research and development to create the cutting-edge technology, advanced safety features, and stylish designs people admire in their vehicles. This also reflects in their innovative cabin designs and vehicle engineering.

The truth is, most European automakers often consider the cost of the research and development that goes into creating their car parts in the eventual cost of the parts.

While these car manufacturers might spend years developing a new transmission or braking system for their vehicles, the cost of the long years of research often results in a higher price point for those parts.

This is true for several other automakers, as well. The difference is just that, whereas most Japanese automakers consider affordability in several aspects of their manufacturing processes; the Europeans consider innovation and durability.

3. The Prestige Ascribed to European Cars Often Affects the Price of Their Parts

You’ll agree that there’s a prestige to owning a European car. Whether it’s Volvo or BMW, most car enthusiasts often equate a European vehicle for higher standard.

Because of the luxury that people often associate with these cars, many car parts dealers would give higher price points for European car parts.

You’ll agree that a set of brake pads for a Mercedes-Benz might be more expensive than a similar set for a Toyota. In fact, you’ll likely expect this to be so even before actualizing the price of the parts.

This happens mainly because of the prestige associated with the Mercedes brand, and it is the same for several other European rides, especially BMW, Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini.

4. They Are Often Complex To Build

As stated earlier, European automakers often engage in years of research to develop innovative products. This fact is what makes most of their vehicles more complex than several other makes and models.

More often than not, these automakers utilize advance technologies in building their vehicles and their parts. As a result, their vehicles are often complex to diagnose by a common auto technician.

The advanced technology and engineering that goes into creating these cars and their parts contributes to the complexity of those parts. And the more complex the parts are, the more likely it is for them to be expensive to manufacture.

You might want to check why European cars are different.

Besides, quite a few European car parts are often imported directly from the manufacturers. While there are several aftermarket and OEM parts for several other vehicles, it may be hard to get aftermarket replacement parts for some European vehicles.

This complexity also contributes to the higher cost of their parts.

5. They Are Produced Under Limited Production Plans

Another reason why European car parts are so expensive is because they usually run under limited production plans. While many European vehicles are so exclusive, their parts are particularly scarce.

This is because some European automakers only produce a limited number of vehicles each year, and it does increase their exclusivity and price.

Similarly, only a limited number of parts are produced for some of their vehicle models. This can drive up prices, especially when the demands for the parts have outweighed their availability.

Besides, if a part is only made for a limited number of models, it can be more expensive to produce. This is another possible reason why some European car parts are so expensive.

6. The Cost of Importing Car Parts From Europe Often Affects the Price

Because of the uniqueness of many European car parts, you can hardly find aftermarket parts for many of them. So, most car parts dealer are always left with importing them directly from their manufacturers.

This could also impact the cost of the parts.

Importing European car parts can incur additional costs like shipping, taxes, and import tariffs. When these add to the actual cost of the parts, it makes them more expensive.

Usually, consumers outside of Europe who are importing the parts often bear this consequence.

7. The Labor Costs in Europe Are Higher

Labor costs in Europe are quite higher than in other regions, especially in Asia. This can also contribute to the higher cost of European car parts.

Whereas several other manufacturers utilize unskilled labor in their manufacturing processes, skilled labor works most in Europe. Although with skilled labor you’ll expect qualitative production turnover, this would, however, come at a cost, which often reflects in the eventual production cost.

Moreover, labor costs can also affect the cost of shipping and importing European car parts. This is because, while the demand for the parts is often higher in non-European regions, skilled labor would mostly be involved in the delivery of the parts to where they are needed.

Final Thoughts

European cars are indeed highly reliable, but they could also require high maintenance or repair cost. Although you may rarely visit the mechanic shop when you drive some German vehicles, in the event of a need to replace a part, you may have to part with some high price.

This is mainly because of the uniqueness of many European car parts. And, as a result, your mechanic may have to place a special order for faulty parts to get your vehicle properly repaired.

Source

Why Are BMW Parts So Expensive? | Triangle Imports

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