OE vs "Genuine" Parts

It's often a misconception that car companies such as BMW and other European manufacturers manufacture their own components, hence stamped with "BMW", "Mercedes" etc. and are of superior quality to others. Not true! OE are the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) for these companies, simply made for their car companies, for public resale only with the manufacturer's "stamp" removed, as a result of licensing and copyright issues. As an example, people often state that gasket companies such as Victor Reinz and Elring are inferior to the Genuine BMW. Untrue. These companies actually manufactured gaskets for companies as BMW, VW/Audi etc. Other brands such as Hella and Bosch manufacture lighting and electrical components. As an example, BMW etc. coil packs are simply Bosch ones, simply with a BMW badge on them. Likewise, companies such as Behr and Borg-Warner manufacture many cooling components for German vehicles. Even companies as Rein manufacture some. NGK and Bosche both supplied BMW Spark-Plugs, and such numbers are also seen given by BMW as per these manufacturers.

Mann Filters to bends such as INA and Continental also manufacture components for BMWs and others, such as drive-belts, timing kits, tensioners etc. Other brands such as Mahle, Lemforder, NGK, Corteco, FTE/Valeo, ATE and Sachs also manufacture components that are simply stamped with your manufacturer's logo, but are available outside, at a cheaper cost (but, the same part), without the branding. Corteco, for example, produces many OE mounts and bushes for BMWs, as it is who BMW gets these made from, as also seals. As a result, many OEM parts are available - these are not the same as the ones the OE manufacturers supplies to say, BMW etc. - it could be simply that certain Hella products go into your BMW, or that Elring etc. also supply them, however also manufacture them for other vehicles (that aren't supplied to the manufacturer directly by them for this car) - but are manufactured to the same, or higher, quality standards, as OEM replacement components. There are, of course true aftermarket replacements. These may or may not be made to OEM factory-standards, as many of these are random brands, that simply re-manufacture parts described above. Yet, in some countries, such as the USA, companies such as APA who owns Uro do supply to European manufacturers, such as Mercedez Benz and Jaguar, hence are of better quality. Many companies belong to the same group, also, under different names. ZF for example, owns: Lemforder, TRW, Sachs, Webco and Boge. Federal Mogul is a brand that owns Moog, Munroe (shocks), Beck/Arnley, AE (hard engine parts), Champion (spark plugs etc.), Jurid, Wagner/Walker brands. Borg Warner, a pioneer in gearboxes (and also, now other products), owns Delphi, which produces many parts, especially suspension-related to good qualities. The Schaeffler Group owns the three well-known brands, INA, LuK and FAG, which can be thus seen as comparable quality. VW, Citroen, Porsche and even Airbus have used INA's bearings due to their reliability; these Rolls-Royce engines feature INA bearings - so you can be assured INA is fine for your BMW, VW, Mercedes - or even Jaguar! When looking at brands, then, we often have to be careful re stereotyping brands, as we can often write-off the actually factory-manufacturers of our own car's "badged" products!