OEM vs Aftermarket O2 Sensor
 

Hello All,

So my CEL came on and I got it scanned at part source. Code came up as P0420 - Bank 1 Sensor. They priced out the O2 sensor at $250 (not sure of the brand). I went to the Mazda dealership and got a quote for an OEM sensor at $530.

Do you think there is a difference in reliability between the OEM and part source O2 sensors?

Which one would you buy?

If I do go with the OEM one, I can cross the border and get one at the Mazda dealership there for $337

Thanks for your input.

Rob

All of those prices seem a little out to lunch. Have you checked with one of the forum vendors? I've seen Mazmart, for example, selling OEM sensors for a very good price.

However, it doesn't really matter where you bought it (i.e. Partsource) as much as who built it. Is the Partsource a reputable brand like Bosch, for example?
It's not like Mazda builds the O2 sensor.. they just source one to their spec from a supplier and put it in a Mazda box. For that price difference I'd go with a quality 3rd party, but if it was only a few dollars, I'd stick with OEM to be safe.

There are certain things that make sense to buy OEM, there are others where it does not. For the most part, the things to buy OEM are the things you cannot buy elsewhere. :) Call around to local parts stores to see if there is some variance in the price.

are you manual or automatic? (stupid question, i know)