Waved the wing: how prices for spare parts have changed over the year
Average prices for spare parts for foreign cars show growth, while parts for Russian cars have become noticeably cheaper. This conclusion was reached by the National Agency for Industrial Information (NAPI), having analyzed, at the request of Izvestia, the prices of spare parts from the so-called insurance basket, i.e. those that are most often affected by accidents. Experts say that fraudsters may be interested in raising prices. Details - in the material.
Wings, doors, mirrors
NAPI has studied the change in average prices for original spare parts from Internet aggregators for a year, the data is at the disposal of "Izvestia". Thus, in December 2024 compared to December 2023, the average price tag for parts for Russian cars (Lada, "UAZ") decreased by 29.2% (to 18,005 rubles).
Radiator grilles (by 73.7%), wheel rims (by 57.7%) and rearview mirrors (by 56.1%) became cheaper, only airbags and hoods became more expensive - by 2.8% and 2.1%, respectively.
Over the same period, the average price tag for spare parts of Chinese cars increased by 12.3%, up to Br69,144. If the rear wings went up in price by 75.5%, the front wings became cheaper by 44.7%. The average price tag for doors has also increased - by 14.4%-19%, while grilles and wheel disks have become cheaper by 20.4% and 15.9%.
Parts for non-Chinese premium cars have the most noticeable growth in price: the average price tag for the year increased by 111.4% to Br183.6 thousand. The most expensive parts were doors - from 190.5% to 246.4%, depending on the location. The average price of rear fenders also increased - plus 202.8%. By comparison, front fenders added only 12.1%. The only non-Chinese premium item that got cheaper was rearview mirrors, -13.9%.
Spare parts from the above segments differ quite seriously in price. If the rear wing for Russian cars costs an average of Br25.5 thousand, then for Chinese cars - about Br140 thousand, and for premium cars - Br287 thousand.
The study does not include the price of spare parts for new models introduced in 2024. They affected the average price tag in different ways: in the segment of Russian and premium cars it decreased to 38 and 106.4%, while in the segment of Chinese cars it remained almost unchanged - 13.3%.
Chaotic pricing
NAPI notes that after 2022 there is chaotic pricing in the automotive aftermarket.
- Most parts for Russian Lada and UAZ cars are manufactured in Russia from Russian raw materials and subcomponents. Consequently, their cost is less affected by the depreciation of the ruble, difficulties in making payments abroad, and delivery of goods from abroad," says Tatiana Arabadzhi, Director General of NAPI.
The decrease in the average price tag, according to her, may be due to the correction of overpricing: a significant part of consumers in December 2024 was ready to buy spare parts only at a lower price.
The growth of average prices for spare parts for premium non-Chinese cars is associated with the ruble's depreciation against the dollar and euro, periodic difficulties in making foreign payments, logistics, and rising inflation in 2024, NAPI noted. Other sources also confirm the growth in the cost of spare parts.
- Regardless of the brand, prices for spare parts have increased, including those of Chinese manufacturers. The prices for spare parts of the brands that left the Russian market due to more complicated logistics and high dollar/euro exchange rate have jumped more, - said the press service of Caready multi-brand network of car services.
Why are the prices for spare parts so different
The press service of AvtoVAZ found it difficult to provide a detailed comment on the results of the NAPI survey "due to the lack of information on models, body types and articles, as well as the peculiarities of the data presented for the two brands".
It emphasized that recommended maintenance prices, which include both the cost of work and the cost of spare parts, have remained unchanged over the past year.
- The distortions are caused by individual spare parts. It is impossible to say that spare parts have gone up in price a lot, even with these figures without taking into account the distortion. It's about the rate of inflation. There will be some parts that shoot the whole scale up, and there will be some that drag it down. At the same time, it is striking that a number of positions have become cheaper, some quite sharply," says Anton Shaparin, Vice-President of the National Automobile Union (NAU).
The situation with spare parts is different for different premium brands, he notes.
- For example, at one point brought in large quantities of windshields for Range Rover, and they first cost 200-300 thousand, and then sharply fell in price to 70 thousand. Body parts for premium cars now few people bring for several reasons. First - it is bulky and expensive, and second - there is a big competition with car dealerships, because there are all these cars there. In reality, parts can be found much cheaper, but you have to look for them," said the expert.
Shaparin noted that thanks to alternative imports there are many analogs for cars of non-Chinese brands, cheaper than the original parts.
Chinese brands present in the Russian market, supply parts centrally, you can not save money on the purchase of non-original. It is almost impossible to find analogs for body parts and engine parts, experts note, although parts for certain models from China can be ordered on marketplaces.
Beneficial to insurance fraudsters
According to Shaparin, high prices for individual parts of premium cars can be profitable for fraudsters who "wash" money through hull insurance and MTPL.
- Often there can be an artificial acceleration of prices for spare parts of a rare premium brand such as Maserati. "Draws" the accident, ideally the car has OSAGO and DSAGO. You lightly damage the car, attract a friendly appraiser, and through the court the payment is made, - said Anton Shaparin.
Such distortions work in the thin market, says the expert.
Waiting for a parcel from China
The costliness of some non-marketable body parts may also be due to the fact that often only a few are available.
- When you need consumables, there's no problem. When you need the most popular items, no problem either. A subscriber of mine got hit in the door and found out it was impossible to buy a left rear door on a crossover. They are not available at all. As a result, the door on the car that is produced here was ordered through an official dealer in China," said Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem.
This, in particular, means that when it comes to the fact that in some warehouse the coverage of spare parts for a certain brand is 95%, it means that there may be one door, and if you need two of them, the second will arrive at an unknown time, he notes.
They'll take the cheapest
Against the background of the data provided by NAPI, the guides to the average cost of auto parts of the Russian Union of Motor Insurers (RUA) changed moderately during the year, in some periods showing a decrease. This is explained by the fact that insurers, when forming average prices, focus on certified non-original spare parts, among other things.
The cheapest spare parts are likely to be used for insurance repairs, and they may turn out to be fakes, warns Anton Shaparin, especially since analysts note the growth of counterfeits.
- There are quite a lot of fakes on sale now. The part may have the original number, partnumber (catalog number), but the price varies ten times. Many people compare the fonts on the boxes, but there is no guarantee at all," cautions the expert.
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