The Right to Repair group in South Africa is pushing for legislation to allow car owners the right to choose where they wish to repair their vehicles.
The organisation said: "The Motorists have been lead to believe that original car parts can only be obtained from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), that they are superior parts for decades, and that independent workshops deal in inferior, or commonly referred to as pirate parts. That is not the case."
Gunther Schmitz, acting chairman of Right to Repair SA, said: "Probably 99% of the parts required for repairs (excluding accident repairs) and maintenance are manufactured by Original Equipment Suppliers (OES) such Bosch, Mahle, GUD etc.
"Consumers need to know that OEMs buy these same parts off the assembly line, by the commission, and sell them to the aftermarket repackaged with their logo on them."
We asked Wheels24 to share their thoughts on purchasing car parts from OEMs. Here's what they have to say: