Sooner or later, something will go wrong with your vehicle, and naturally, it will happen right after the warranty expires. You’ve heard the terms “remanufactured” and “rebuilt” being bounced around when it comes to parts replacement, but you have absolutely no idea what they mean. While you don’t have to worry about them quite yet, a little advance knowledge may be helpful.

When you need a part for your vehicle, you have a few options available. You can get a new, used, rebuilt or remanufactured part. A new part is self-explanatory. A used part has been taken off a salvaged car and is sold as is. A rebuilt part has just been repaired. A remanufactured part has been restored to like-new condition. According to the Federal Trade Commission guidelines, a remanufactured part has to be dismantled, all the external and internal parts cleaned, all the rust and corrosion removed, all the defective and worn parts restored or replaced, all the missing parts restored with new parts and all the necessary operations performed so the part is in good working order.

A rebuilt part is created at local body shops and how well it is done depends on the experience, skills and judgment of the mechanic. It will have a shorter lifespan than a remanufactured part. Rebuilt parts are cleaned and reused; the only parts that are replaced are the ones that are broken or worn down. That means something else totally different could go wrong with the part in the future.

A remanufactured part is created in a factory and all the parts are disassembled and given a thorough cleaning. Upon inspection, every part is brought back to specifications, so once the part is reassembled, it should function as well as a new part and cost you less.

While it is generally understood that remanufactured parts are stripped down, restored and rebuilt practically from scratch, there are individuals who will call their rebuilt parts “remanufactured” because it makes them sound like higher quality parts. Those responsible for rebuilding parts all have their own way of doing things, so there are no clear standards. The difference between a rebuilt and remanufactured part also lies in the warranties. A rebuilt part will have a shorter warranty period, usually ranging from 30 to 90 days, while a remanufactured part will be somewhat longer, usually between a year and the lifetime of your vehicle.

Keep in mind that sometimes you may not have a choice as to whether to use a new or rebuilt or remanufactured part. In the case of newer or limited production models, there may only be new parts available. Once a vehicle reaches a certain age, dealers quit stocking parts, so in the case of older vehicles, there may only be rebuilt or remanufactured parts available.

Whether you decide to use a new, used, rebuilt or remanufactured part when given the option is up to you. Just keep in mind that buying a remanufactured part is cheaper than buying a new one, a rebuilt part is better than a used one and a remanufactured part is as close as you can get to a new part.