Warranties on Used Parts: What "Parts Only" Actually Means
Most yards publish a warranty. Very few explain what it actually does.
The short answer
A used parts warranty covers the part being what the seller said it was. "Parts only" means the seller will replace or refund a faulty part but will not pay the labor to remove and refit it, which is close to universal across the trade. Ninety days is the de facto industry standard length. The thing that voids a used parts warranty faster than anything else is improper installation, including drilling, forcing or modifying a part to make it fit. If something does not fit, stop and call the seller before you change anything.
What "parts only" means in practice
If a part fails or turns out not to be as described, the seller replaces it or refunds you. What they will not do
is pay your shop for the hours spent taking the old one off and putting the new one on.
That sounds unfair until you consider the economics: a labor warranty on a part sold for a few hundred dollars
could cost the seller several times the sale value on a single claim. The yards that do offer labor cover almost
always charge extra for it and cap it at a published hourly rate.
How long should a used parts warranty be?
Ninety days is the de facto standard across professional yards. Shorter than that is uncompetitive. Much longer,
offered free on a used panel, is worth reading carefully, because the exclusions usually do the work the headline
number is not doing.
What voids one
- Improper installation. The big one, and it is listed first in nearly every yard's terms.
- Modification. Drilling, cutting, grinding, welding, repainting or refinishing.
- Forcing a part to fit. The moment a bracket is bent or a hole opened out, it is a modified part.
- Damage after delivery. Including collision and off-road impact.
- Commercial competition use. Racing and competition are excluded almost everywhere.
What a body panel warranty realistically covers
This is where honest yards and vague ones separate. A used bumper cannot carry a mechanical failure warranty,
because there is no mechanism to fail. What it can and should carry is a promise about accuracy:
- It is the part described, for the vehicles stated.
- There is no undisclosed structural damage or previous repair.
- The hardware and provision described are genuinely present.
- The photographs are of the actual unit.
That is exactly what ours covers. The full terms are on the warranty page.
Comparing yards properly
Do not compare headline lengths. Compare these:
- What does it actually cover, in words?
- Who pays return freight on a valid claim?
- Is there a restocking fee, and how much?
- How is a wrong-fitment return handled?
- Is the remedy a replacement, a refund, or store credit?
- Is it transferable?
Restocking fees are where the real difference sits. Twenty five to fifty percent is common in this trade. We charge
nothing, which is set out on our returns page.
People also ask
Do used car parts come with a warranty?
From professional yards, usually yes. From a self-service junkyard, usually not. Always find the terms before you buy rather than after.
How long are used parts under warranty?
Ninety days is the trade standard for a free parts-only warranty. Longer paid tiers exist at some yards, typically 12 or 24 months, sometimes with labor included.
Does a used part warranty cover labor?
Almost never as standard. Where labor cover exists it is a paid upgrade with a capped hourly rate.
Is the warranty transferable if I sell the truck?
Usually not. Most used parts warranties apply to the original buyer only, ours included.
Related guides and parts
Our warranty
The full terms.
Returns and refunds
Thirty days, no restocking fee.
What salvage yards can sell
And what they should not.