{{short description|Automotive industry concerned with secondary parts}} {{Other uses|Aftermarket (disambiguation){{!}}Aftermarket}} The '''automotive aftermarket''' is the secondary parts market of the [[automotive industry]], concerned with the [[manufacturing]], [[remanufacturing]], [[Distribution (business)|distribution]], [[retailing]], and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, equipment, and accessories, ''after'' the sale of the automobile by the [[original equipment manufacturer]] (OEM) to the consumer. The parts, accessories, etc. for sale may or may not be manufactured by the OEM.<ref name=ITA>{{cite web|title=US Automotive Parts Industry Annual Assessment |url=http://trade.gov/mas/manufacturing/OAAI/build/groups/public/@tg_oaai/documents/webcontent/tg_oaai_003759.pdf |access-date=5 February 2015 |year=2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412001450/http://trade.gov/mas/manufacturing/OAAI/build/groups/public/%40tg_oaai/documents/webcontent/tg_oaai_003759.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2015 }}</ref>
The aftermarket encompasses parts for replacement, collision, appearance, and performance. The aftermarket provides a wide variety of parts of varying qualities and prices for nearly all vehicle makes and models.
Consumers have the option of repairing their vehicles themselves (the "[[Do it yourself|do-it-yourself]]" or "DIY" segment) or can take the vehicle to a [[Automobile repair shop|professional repair facility]] (the "do-it-for me" or "DIFM" segment). The aftermarket helps keep vehicles on the road by providing consumers the choice of where they want their vehicles serviced, maintained, or customized.
==Size of the automotive aftermarket== The [[United States]] automotive aftermarket covering light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles is estimated to be worth $516 billion (2025). The [[United States]] automotive aftermarket contribute more than 1.9% to GDP according to [[Hedges & Company]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What Is The Automotive Aftermarket? |url=https://hedgescompany.com/blog/2023/11/what-is-the-automotive-aftermarket/ |website=Hedges & Company |publisher=Hedges & Company |access-date=12 September 2025 |ref=}}</ref> The aftermarket employs 4.9 million people who work at manufacturers, distributors, retailers and repair shops.<ref name="aaia">{{cite web|url=https://www.autocare.org/data-and-information|title=scope & impact|year=2020|access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref>
In the United States, online sales of aftermarket accessories have increased year over year over traditional brick and mortar stores. In fact, according to [[Hedges & Company]], "Total online eCommerce revenue for automotive parts and accessories in 2024 was at $42.4 billion in the US." That includes $21.7 billion from first-party 1P eCommerce websites and $20.7 billion from third-party 3P marketplaces.<ref name=hedgesandcompany>{{cite web|title=U.S. Automotive eCommerce Market at $42.4 Billion in 2024|date=3 September 2025 |url=https://hedgescompany.com/blog/2021/11/auto-parts-ecommerce-38-billion-in-2022/|publisher=Hedges & Company|access-date=2025-09-12}}</ref>
[[Singapore]], which does not have a domestic automobile industry, is an especially important destination for businesses exporting automotive parts and accessories due to its high automobile turnover stemming from the peculiarities of its [[Driving in Singapore|driving laws]]. (In short, car owners are legally required to get rid of their cars after ten years of use and Singapore's [[Driving in Singapore#Preferential Additional Registration Fee|compensation scheme]] to offset the registration fee of new cars has incentivized more frequent turnover.)<ref name=sing/>
High automobile turnover and the preference for new parts means that the market for remanufactured and reconditioned auto parts is very small. Combined with a high demand for "accessories, car-care products, prestige items, and new spare parts," Singapore's automotive aftermarket is large. In fact, Singapore has become a major automotive ''components'' manufacturing base, as several leading multinational corporations (MNCs) have established international procurement offices as well as their [[Southeast Asia]] distribution centers.<ref name=sing>{{cite web|last=Ng |first=Haw Cheng |title=Singapore: Automobiles and Vehicle Parts & Accessories |url=http://www.aftermarketsuppliers.org/Doc-Vault/OAC/Singapore-Automotive-Report.pdf |publisher=[[U.S. Commercial Service]] |date=November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320095812/http://www.aftermarketsuppliers.org/Doc-Vault/OAC/Singapore-Automotive-Report.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-20 }}</ref>
In [[Canada]], the automotive aftermarket is a [[Canadian dollar|C$]]19.4 billion industry that employs about 420,000 people.<ref name=aiaCanada>{{cite web|title=About AIA |url=http://www.aiacanada.com/about.cfm |year=2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203010703/http://www.aiacanada.com/about.cfm |archive-date=2013-12-03 }}</ref>
In [[Australia]], the automotive aftermarket industry in 2013 was estimated to generate a [[Australian dollar|AUD$]]5.2 billion turnover, with 21000 staff, and 1400 manufacturers.<ref>{{cite web|title=AAAA submission to the Productivity Commission |url=http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/130191/sub054-automotive.pdf |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212092552/http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/130191/sub054-automotive.pdf |archive-date=2014-02-12 }}</ref>
in [[Europe]], the total volume of Independent Aftermarket (IAM) amounted to 127 billion Euros in 2015 (end-user prices without labor and tax). At that moment there were 54 parts traders with annual turnover over 100 mio Euros in Europe, 6 of them exceeded 1 billion Euros.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Car Aftermarket in Europe 2017 |url=https://www.wolk-aftersales.com/news-zu-wolk-after-sales-experts/car-aftermarket-in-europe-2017.html |year=2017 |publisher=Wolk After Sales Experts GmbH|access-date=2019-03-28}}</ref> Meeting platform for the international automotive aftermarket is the B2B trade fair [https://automechanika-dubai.ae.messefrankfurt.com/dubai/en.html?utm_source=email&utm_medium=mfme-signature&utm_campaign=link Automechanika Dubai] which takes place every two years in Frankfurt. At last edition the hot topics were connected cars, autonomous driving, alternative drives and the workshop of the future.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Automechanika - Profile|url=https://automechanika-dubai.ae.messefrankfurt.com/dubai/en.html?utm_source=email&utm_medium=mfme-signature&utm_campaign=linklanguage=en}}</ref>
==Online versus brick-and-mortar aftermarket accessory vendors== Among online retailers, [[Amazon.com]] and [[eBay Motors]] are the largest sellers of aftermarket parts and accessories in the U.S. by both units sold and revenue, and are expected to grow 25% in 2014, far outstripping traditional chain stores. As [[DIY]] parts sales soften at the retail counter, chain stores have pushed themselves into the [[Automobile repair shop|DIFM]] commercial business, eating into distributors’ and [[Wholesaling|wholesaler]]s’ market share. Since 2007, DIY sales at the chain stores have fallen a total of 3% to 5%, while commercial sales have brought in a double-digit sales increase. AutoZone’s DIFM sales in 2013 alone increased over 13%.<ref name=hedgesandcompany2>{{cite web|title=Online Sales of Parts & Accessories to Hit $5 Billion in 2014|date=30 April 2014 |url=https://hedgescompany.com/blog/2014/04/online-sales-of-auto-parts-to-hit-5-billion-in-2014/|publisher=Hedges & Company|access-date=2016-03-26}}</ref>
Online sales of auto parts and accessories in the United States, including 3P marketplaces, are estimated at $42.4 billion in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|title=U.S. Automotive eCommerce Market at $42.4 Billion in 2024|date=3 September 2025 |url=https://hedgescompany.com/blog/2021/11/auto-parts-ecommerce-38-billion-in-2022/|publisher=Hedges & Company|access-date=2025-09-12}}</ref>
==Legal issues== Automobile manufacturers have attempted to hinder or suppress automotive aftermarket sales by means of [[copyright]] or [[patent infringement]] litigation. For example, in ''[[British Leyland Motor Corp. v. Armstrong Patents Co.|British Leyland Motor Corp. v Armstrong Patents Co.]]'' in the UK, the [[Judicial functions of the House of Lords|House of Lords]] decided in 1986 that Leyland could not claim copyright infringement in order to prevent the aftermarket sale of replacement tailpipes to purchasers of those motor cars.<ref>{{Cite BAILII |country=UK |litigants=British Leyland Motor Corp. v Armstrong Patents Co. |court=UK House of Lords |division= |year=1986 |num=7 |para= |date=27 February 1986 }}</ref>
''[[Aro Mfg. Co. v. Convertible Top Replacement Co.]]'' is a 1961 [[U.S. Supreme Court]] case in which the Court redefined the [[U.S. patent law]] doctrine of repair and reconstruction: "No element, not itself separately patented, that constitutes one of the elements of a combination patent is entitled to patent monopoly, however essential it may be to the patented combination and no matter how costly or difficult replacement may be."<ref>[http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/377/476/case.html "''Aro Mfg. Co., Inc. v. Convertible Top Co.'' - 377 U.S. 476"], p. 343.</ref>
In 2005 Harley-Davidson filed a patent and trademark infringement lawsuit against two aftermarket engine manufacturers producing drop-in replacements for Harley's engines, namely [[S&S Cycle]] and Delkron, Inc. Harley accused S&S and Delkron of copying parts for [[Harley-Davidson Twin Cam engine|Twin Cam]] engines and using Harley trademarks without permission. S&S argued that the suit was without any legal basis, and asserted that "a mutually beneficial relationship existed" between them and Harley.<ref name="ama2005">{{cite book|title=American Motorcyclist|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43|access-date=15 July 2018|date=August 2005|publisher=[[American Motorcyclist Association]]|pages=43–}}</ref>
== See also == *[[Aftermarket exhaust parts]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Industries}}
[[Category:Automotive accessories]] [[Category:Automotive industry]] [[Category:Electric vehicle conversion]] [[Category:Vehicle modification]]