Auto parts have reached the market

Marketplaces note an increase in the number of ads for the sale of auto parts and their range in the first quarter. Basically, spare parts for budget and mass cars are in demand. Dealers also see the stabilization of the availability of parts due to parallel imports in the Russian Federation. But market participants are also talking about a simultaneous increase in the number of fakes.

The number of offers for the sale of auto parts on marketplaces has been growing since the beginning of the year. So, at Avito for an incomplete first quarter, it increased by 21%, to 39 million, and “more than a million new unique spare parts and accessories appeared.”

In particular, new Varta batteries for Volkswagen, timing belts, mirrors and body parts for Lada cars, dry hair dryers for Kingmoon salons, LED lamps, original filters for Hyundai and Kia, Digitronic gas equipment, KYB shock absorbers, thresholds and arches from “SIB thresholds”, original kits for maintenance (oil and filters) Nissan. Total sales of spare parts for a partial quarter increased by 18.5%, and “more than half of sales are new parts and accessories,” says Avito.

Yandex.Market observes the expansion of the range of auto parts for the year from February 2022 by half, the number of sellers – by 2.5 times, calling the category “one of the fastest growing”. Most often they buy oil filters, timing belt kits, external electronic sensors, clutch kits. The leading brands are Volkswagen, Lada, Kia, Hyundai and Renault.

The peak of problems with the availability of spare parts was in the summer-autumn of 2022, notes Fresh Auto service director Alexander Nosko, now “there are components for regular scheduled maintenance for almost all models.” Supplies, in particular, were affected by sanctions – for example, the EU banned the import of components worth more than €300 into the Russian Federation. “If the model is localized, there are almost no problems with spare parts,” says Mr. Nosko. “Bumpers, headlights and windshields are available.” But with engines (assemblies and components), transmission units, the situation is “still difficult.” “Delivery times in the absence of stock can exceed three months,” he says. “Spark plugs in the “original” category are still not an easy position: there are analogues, but their price and quality do not always meet expectations. The outflow of manufacturers from the Russian market does not end.”

Thanks to parallel imports and well-established supply chains, dealers in many positions were able to reduce the shortage of spare parts, the Russian Automobile Dealers Association (ROAD) confirms. “There are parts from the nomenclature of departed brands, for example, SKD, with which not everything is going smoothly,” they admit there. “But now dealers can carry out service much faster than six months ago.” The main difficulties may arise with premium brands in terms of body parts, electronic components, security systems and glass elements, says Yulia Trushkova, Rolf’s service director.

Roman Timashov, Avtodom Altufievo Service Director, agrees that the situation with spare parts is now better than in the summer of 2022. “Consumables are available (filters, discs, pads), there are oils, windshields,” he explains. “It’s more difficult with body positions. Headlights, electronic components, units with a long, three to four months, waiting period. BMW, Chinese and Korean brands have central warehouses with good availability of spare parts. For other brands, the situation is more complicated. Up to 95% of parts for maintenance and repair are available from dealers or the wait will be from two to five days, adds Sergey Parshikov, Deputy General Director for Avilon Service.

Yulia Trushkova notes that due to the large volume of counterfeit products on the free market, customers turn to the dealer to get “high-quality routine maintenance work.” “We are seeing a trend towards an increase in fakes on sale,” she says. According to Ms. Trushkova, “Rolf” often works with requests from customers whose car malfunction was caused by the installation of a low-quality spare part in a car repair shop. There are cases, she adds, when installing a fake filter, at first glance indistinguishable from the original, led to engine failure.

Alexander Nosko adds that the absence of a number of lines of manufacturers of “original” spare parts, coupled with the lack of a clear system for assessing the quality of analogues, gives rise to a high price range without a clear line for assessing the risks of subsequent marriage: “This destroys the usual pricing system – linking to the “original” and provokes a race for ” the most advantageous offer” with little predictable risks of subsequent breakdown.”

Olga Nikitina