Genuine Accessories are made by a car manufacturer to their specifications according to the vehicle requirements and design layout. They can be made by the car manufacturer itself in their own factories according to the design and layout of the actual vehicles designers, or outsourced to well established manufacturing companies - Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) - who specialize in a given area of production and are given the specification details of a vehicle by the manufacturer to produce an item that is up to the vehicle manufacturer's quality expectations.

For example, genuine floor mats may be produced by a manufacturer, who specializes in making rubber, vinyl or carpet products. They are given the detailed product specifications with a set of standards for quality and workmanship from their respective vehicle manufacturer. This enables a vehicle manufacturer to put the same guarantee of quality and fit you would expect from the company you have purchased your vehicle from. This is more commonly seen in audio products such as mp3 players or adaptations of electronic components such as satellite radio or security systems which the car companies feel are best manufactured by a company who is well established and made a name for themselves in their respective fields.

So, the key feature of Genuine products, whether manufactured directly by the car manufacturers or outsourced to OEM companies, is that they are distributed through the authorized dealers and are covered by the corresponding manufacturer's warranty. That warranty guaranties that the products will fit and perform according to manufacturer specifications, and will cover against defects and malfunction over a certain mileage or period of time. In this guide the Genuine products will be equally referred to using either 'Genuine Accessories' or 'OEM Accessories' terms.

Aftermarket products are manufactured by companies who have researched a vehicle on their own and have designed their own products that may not necessarily live up to the standards or requirements set by a car company. Those products are not licensed and not certified by the car manufacturers. This can cause such problems as a voided warranty or issues regarding lease agreements caused by a minor manufacturing company incapable of offering the same guarantee as OEM products and will not be honored as per the vehicle manufacturer warranty.

The key benefit of using Genuine products is that they are designed and manufactured to the original vehicle specifications and standards and are guaranteed to fit and perform by the car manufacturer. OEM accessories hold the same value and quality you expect from the manufacturer of said vehicle and will not cause warranty conflicts or leasing issues with the company you purchased your car from.

More often than not they are designed at the time the vehicle was in development and tailored to the cars specific needs and requirements. On occasional vehicle manufacturer will wait to see the response from their customer base as to what is desired by the people and what items are popular among vehicle owner to better make a product that serves the needs and desires of their customers, thus a delay maybe seen in the release of an item in and OEM product in comparison to the actual release date of a vehicle into the market place.

Car manufacturers have a very specific idea of how they want to be represented in the market place. Their accessories are stylish and have a tasteful desire to be eye catching yet subtle. They intend to offer a specific image tailored to what they feel and hope is their customers base wants needs and expectation in car products and yet wish to express how their customer feel who they are and offer a sense of individuality with out being progressively individualistic. Thus, they do not offer a large variety of overly glamorous or ostentatious designs that pull away from how a car manufacturer wishes to be perceived by the general public.

This opens the door to Aftermarket companies to fulfill an individualist need left in the market place and offer a larger variety of stylish designs or convenience products that are tailored to standing out, or desire to be seen or heard. Although offered as a simple, immediate and some times cost effective solution to a customer's need those products do not always perform against the test of time and ware and tear as they are not necessarily made with high quality materials. Aftermarket products usually offer a 30-90 day warranty in comparison to a full 12 months promise extended to you by OEM products. Let alone the possibility of fitting issues to a vehicle. This in the long run makes their cost/value unrealistic, as they may need to be replaced two or three times compared to the lifetime of OEM accessories. We have all experienced this situation in our own vehicles or seeing these products on other vehicles on the road. Hence loud, publicly disruptive mufflers, or wing spoilers that are obviously foreign to the vehicle manufacturer perception of what is considered tasteful or classy.