Suzuki parts are sometimes difficult to find, or at least parts that work can be difficult to find.  Inexpensive retailers of aftermarket parts are a major source for automotive parts such as these, but frequently the owners of unusual cars such as Suzukis find that the parts don’t fit exactly right.  Here are some tips for finding Suzuki parts for your car.

Buy from the dealership whenever possible.  The local Suzuki dealership is always the best place to get parts for your car, if you have that option.  Many people shy away from buying Suzuki parts from the dealership, since they are considerably more expensive there than what aftermarket parts retailers can offer.  However, the dealership is a better option for several reasons.

First of all, parts purchased from the dealership will be genuine Suzuki parts, which means that they will be the same make and quality as what was on the car when it was originally sold.  In general you can expect a much longer life from genuine dealer parts than you can with cheap aftermarket parts.

Secondly, genuine Suzuki parts are guaranteed to fit correctly.  Because many aftermarket parts manufacturers try to get by making parts that fit several different makes and models of cars, there are often subtle differences between the parts you buy at these stores and the parts you take off of your car.  There is nothing quite as frustrating as getting halfway into a repair job, only to discover the replacement part doesn’t fit the way it should and will need to be returned.  Buying parts from a dealership will save you from the chance of this happening.

Research the availability of the part you are looking for.  Of course, buying directly from the dealership is not always an option.  Sometimes they no longer have the part, particularly if it is an odd part or an older model of vehicle.  Other times the price is so ridiculously high compared to the aftermarket options, that the benefits are no longer worth the extra cost.

In any case, whenever you are looking for Suzuki parts, it is to your advantage to do your research and call around first.  This way, you know before you step foot out of the door who has your part and who doesn’t, not to mention what price it is at each place and what warranty is offered.  This saves you the time and gas of driving around to every parts store, some of which may not have what you are looking for.  In addition, it makes the next steps much easier to accomplish.

Remove the part and take it with you.  Taking the part with you for comparison is vital, because this is how you know whether the part you are looking at is exactly the part you need.  Even the smallest differences can make a part not fit right or work correctly, so going off of memory is not a good idea.  By having the old part in your hands, you will know exactly what the new part should look like in order to work.

Don’t forget about junkyards.  Junkyards can be a good source of Suzuki parts, especially parts that don’t tend to wear out frequently, or that you can gauge the wear on the part just by looking at it.  For instance, getting brake pads for your Suzuki at a junkyard is not such a good idea, since brake pads wear out frequently, and you are not likely to save much money, if any at all.  However, using the junkyard to find a part that takes longer to wear out, such as brake discs or drums, is not a bad idea.  You may save a lot of money in the long run, and you will not necessarily have to replace the part much sooner than you would have otherwise.

Finding Suzuki parts for your car does not have to be impossible.  True, these cars are somewhat unusual, and therefore can sometimes be difficult to find the correct parts for.  However, by following these tips you can make the job much less tedious and ensure your search will be successful.