Getting good auto parts in Nigeria has always been a Nightmare for Car owners and auto technicians and with the Standard organisation of Nigeria refusing to do its job on vetting the quality of auto parts being imported into the country, things have gotten much worse in recent years. Chi spare parts was started to solve this problem by providing car owners and auto technicians with the best auto parts backed up with warranty. At our present stage, we are unable to cover all of the market but we believe sharing some of our knowledge we have gotten over the years would help car owners and technicians in navigating the brutal auto parts market in Nigeria.

Before going to buy parts in Nigeria, always have your exact car model year and country of manufacture at the back of your mind. The country of manufacture is very important. Most cars sold in Nigeria and the rest of the African continent are used cars from different parts of the world (Europe, America, Asia and South Africa). A corolla made in the USA and a corolla made in South Africa both of the same model year do not share the same parts. There are very subtle differences. This also applies to European vehicles. A Mercedes made in Germany and another made in the USA have very subtle differences when it comes to parts.

Auto parts in Nigeria can be broken down into three major types. We would talk about the types and how to select the best parts within each type.

“Tokunbo” parts: These are the most common type of auto parts in Nigeria. They are most times sourced from accident cars and junkyards abroad. Being on your A-game when purchasing this type of auto parts is paramount. For parts like engines and transmissions, always ask for an extended guarantee. The market rule is 1 to 2 weeks for used engines and transmissions but insist on at least a month guarantee and always have the vendor write it on your receipt. You will need this if the engine goes bad before the guarantee period runs out. With the receipt, you can ask for a replacement or a refund. With delicate electrical sensors and parts, its best to avoid used parts if you can they do not work ninety percent of the time but if you insist on getting them then make sure to go with a technician that knows how to use an OBD 2 scan tool, he would install and test if the parts work with his scan tool. Do not pay for this parts if they havent been verified by a mechanic to work. It is extremely difficult to get a refund or a replacement later on after payment have been done on this kind of parts. Suspension parts come with a weeks guarantee as standard. Best to avoid as in most cases they are already worn out and fail almost immediately.

Cheap Chinese knockoffs: This are the most common type of new auto parts in Nigeria. They should be avoided at all costs. They are usually very cheap but cause more damage to your car than they are worth. Cheap Chinese brake pads make noise, create dust, destroy your brake discs and are extremely dangerous to your braking system. Knock off Chinese electrical sensors do not work at all. Cheap Chinese filters can destroy your engine. It makes no sense buying a fake Chinese filter of 500 Naira and then coming to buy a used engine for 350000 Naira later. Are there Good parts from china? Yes they are but parts from companies you cannot find a trace of on the internet or parts in white label boxes should be avoided at all costs. There are also cheap Chinese imitations of parts from well known original equipment manufacturers in the automotive world but this are very easy to spot out. Authentic Bosch auto parts come with barcodes you can use to check for their authenticity whereas the Chinese imitations do not. However if you are not technical, ask for a warranty. Authentic new parts from well known OEMs come with nothing less than three months warranty.

OEM and OE parts: This are the best auto parts to buy. They last very long and are always backed up by warranty. However it is impossible to get engines and transmissions brand new. At chi spare parts, we are working very hard to bring standard engine and transmission rebuilds to the Nigerian market. We are working to get the right partnerships for internal parts of this components before we introduce this into the Nigerian market. Our rebuilt engines and transmissions when we start will come with a 5 year warranty.

In summary, it is always best to get New OEM parts or high end aftermarket parts when you can. You can look to chi spare parts for this auto parts. All our parts are backed up with warranty and we give amazing prices on our auto parts.

https://chispareparts.com.ng/how-to-get-the-best-auto-parts-for-your-car-in-nigeria/