VIDEO: Exactly Why You SHOULD Think Twice Before Going Aftermarket

Although the Spies may disagree with Consumer Report's findings on the 2010 Lexus GX, we think the firm does some tremendous work. Sure, a lot of it may not be put out there for enthusiasts but that isn't the brand's mission.

For example, check out one its latest blog posts regarding aftermarket, replacement parts. If this doesn't have you second guessing your next aftermarket purchase, you may be missing a few screws. Just sayin'.

We'll let Consumer Reports finish this one off...

**Click "Read Article to see what Consumer Reports has to say about this experiment

***Make sure to take a look at the video down below


New crash-test video dramatically illustrates what can happen when a cheap aftermarket part suffers even a low-speed impact: It explodes into a shower of pieces.

The video, right, first shows a Ford front bumper reinforcement for a 2006-2009 Fusion in a 6.1-mph collision with a fixed barrier. The part, made of relatively pliable polycarbonate polybutylene terephthalate (PC/PBT) plastic performs as designed. It deforms as it absorbs the impact energy, then springs back into shape in the test, conducted by MGA Research, a Wisconsin-based testing firm.

...Although the knock-off looked just like the original and had PC/PBT markings imprinted on it, materials testing revealed that it was actually made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, which is more brittle and not up to the job. As you can see in the video, the knock-off part failed completely on impact, breaking up into hundreds of pieces...