Who actually makes the OEM part
Vehicle manufacturers do not make tie rod ends. They source them from a specialised supplier network of steering and suspension component manufacturers. The supplier ships the part to the factory assembly line in the carmaker's branded box; the part counter at the dealer stocks the same supplier's part in a Ford / GM / Honda / Toyota branded box. The price markup at the dealer counter is the carmaker's parts division margin plus the dealer's retail margin.
The same supplier sells the same engineering directly to the aftermarket under their own brand. Lemforder sells direct to aftermarket buyers for German brands. 555 (Sankei) sells direct for Japanese brands. Federal-Mogul (through the Moog brand, now DRiV) sells direct for several US and Asian brands. Mobis (Hyundai-Kia group's parts arm) and CTR (Korean OE supplier) sell direct for Korean brands. The aftermarket part is the OE part minus the carmaker's parts-division markup, which is why aftermarket OE-equivalent parts run roughly half the dealer price.
The exceptions are rare and mostly limited to: very low-volume performance vehicles (specific parts for the Type R, GT3 RS, M3 CS), brand-new platforms where the aftermarket catalogue is still building (2024+ models often have only OEM for the first 12 to 24 months), and carmaker-engineered upgrades where the OE part is genuinely different from anything in the aftermarket (some Jeep heavy-duty kits, some BMW M-Performance specific components). For mainstream vehicles on mainstream platforms, the OE part is the supplier's part with extra markup.
Who supplies which OEM
The table below maps US dealer OEM brands to their typical OE suppliers and the equivalent aftermarket brands that source from the same network. Pricing differential is broadly consistent across categories at 40 to 60 percent savings vs OEM dealer pricing.
| Carmaker | OEM brand | Typical OE supplier | Aftermarket equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | Motorcraft (Ford parts division) | Federal-Mogul, TRW, Spicer | Moog (Federal-Mogul direct), TRW, Mevotech |
| GM | ACDelco Gold / Original Equipment | ACDelco Professional is same brand at aftermarket pricing | ACDelco Professional, Moog, Mevotech |
| Stellantis (Ram/Jeep/Dodge) | Mopar | Various; Dana Spicer for solid-axle Jeeps | Moog, Mevotech, Steer Smarts (for Jeep) |
| Toyota / Lexus | Toyota Genuine Parts | 555 Sankei, Somic Ishikawa | 555 direct, Beck-Arnley, Moog |
| Honda / Acura | Honda Genuine Parts | Musashi, Somic | Beck-Arnley (similar supplier base), Moog |
| Nissan / Infiniti | Nissan Genuine Parts | 555, Musashi | 555 direct, Moog, Mevotech |
| Subaru | Subaru Genuine Parts | 555, Somic | 555 direct, Beck-Arnley, Moog |
| Hyundai / Kia / Genesis | Hyundai Mobis Genuine | Mobis, CTR | CTR direct, Moog, Mevotech |
| VW / Audi | VW / Audi Genuine | Lemforder, TRW | Lemforder direct (huge savings), Meyle, Febi-Bilstein |
| BMW / Mercedes | BMW / MB Genuine | Lemforder, TRW | Lemforder direct, Meyle HD, Febi-Bilstein |
Supplier mappings drawn from publicly disclosed supplier relationships, parts catalogue cross-references, and physical inspection of supplier stamps on OEM parts.
Three cases
Case one: under bumper-to-bumper warranty. Inside the basic limited warranty (typically 3 yr / 36k mi, longer on Hyundai/Kia and some luxury programs), using OEM parts at a dealer keeps the warranty claim path simple. The dealer fits the OEM part at no out-of-pocket cost if the failure is warranty-covered. Skipping the dealer for aftermarket parts is your right under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and does not void other warranties, but it complicates the specific component claim.
Case two: open recall or TSB. If your specific year-make-model is covered by an active recall or warranty service action for the failed component, the dealer performs the OEM repair at no cost. Always check NHTSA recalls and your manufacturer's owner centre TSB list before paying out of pocket.
Case three: leased vehicle approaching return. Lease return inspections vary by leasing company; some flag aftermarket parts as a wear-and-tear deduction. If you are within 6 to 12 months of lease return, OEM parts are the safer choice to avoid lease-return deductions. Document the work carefully with itemised receipts.
For everything else (out-of-warranty, owned outright, mainstream vehicle), the OE supplier's aftermarket part delivers equivalent durability at meaningful savings. The premium for OEM in these cases is mostly paying for brand peace of mind rather than real engineering difference.
Lemforder direct, the biggest single saving
European dealer pricing for OEM tie rods often runs $300 to $700 per outer end. The same part, made by Lemforder for the factory assembly line, sells directly under the Lemforder brand for $90 to $220. The saving per part is the single largest in the OEM-vs-aftermarket category. A full both-sides inner-plus-outer job on a BMW 3-series can save $800 to $1,600 by switching from BMW dealer OEM to Lemforder direct.
Lemforder is not the only European OE supplier. TRW supplies several German brands. Meyle HD (a German aftermarket brand that often improves on the OE design with heavier-duty construction) is the sleeper-pick value option for many European cars. Febi-Bilstein is another common European aftermarket brand at the value end of the spectrum.
The catch with European OEM-direct: most US chain shops do not stock these brands and may resist installing customer-supplied parts. Use a European-specialist independent shop in your area, or use a Bosch Service Centre, or use any indie shop that lists German-car experience. The savings are large enough that the small extra effort to find the right shop is worth it.