How to Find Hard-to-Get Auto Parts, New or Used — A Shop's Playbook

Q: What does LKQ mean in auto parts?

LKQ stands for 'like kind and quality' — industry shorthand for a recycled OEM part in comparable condition to what was on the vehicle. It is also the name of the largest vehicle recycler in North America, which is why estimators often say 'check LKQ' to mean 'price the recycled option.'

Every estimator knows the drill: a job stalls because one part is on backorder, discontinued, or priced like it's made of gold. The difference between shops that quote in minutes and shops that lose an afternoon isn't a secret supplier — it's the order they search in. This is that order.

1. Decode the VIN before you search anything

Year/make/model is not enough on modern vehicles — one model year can hide two engines, three trims, and mid-year production changes. The 17-character VIN pins all of it down, and the U.S. government's NHTSA vPIC decoder resolves it for free: no account, no charge, straight from the agency that regulates the data.

Decode once, write down year, make, model and engine, and every search after that gets more precise. Wrong-part returns almost always trace back to skipping this step.

Shortcut: our free Parts Finder does the NHTSA decode automatically — paste the VIN and it builds every search below from the decoded vehicle.

2. Price used & salvage first — the recycler network

For body panels, lamps, mirrors, wheels and trim, recycled OEM is usually the fastest path to a correct part at a sane price. Auto recyclers across North America list their inventory on a shared network searchable at car-part.com — you pick the exact year, model and part from their menus and see which yards have it, graded by damage.

Interchange matters: recyclers index parts with interchange numbers, so a match may come off a different year or trim than yours — that's normal and correct when the interchange says it fits.
Distance is money: a cheap hood three states away stops being cheap once freight is added. Weigh yard distance for big parts.
Grades are honest: damage codes exist so you know what you're getting. A lower-grade panel can still be the right buy for a repair you were going to refinish anyway.

3. Compare landed price on eBay — new and used together

eBay Motors is the biggest single pool of both new take-off, used, and aftermarket parts — but the sticker price lies. A $80 fender with $95 freight loses to a $120 fender that ships free. Always compare the landed price: item plus shipping, side by side.

Check the condition bucket — new, remanufactured, refurbished, used, for-parts — and read what the seller actually says about it.
Prefer listings that state an OEM part number or exact fitment; compare that number to the one on your old part when you can.
Look at the return policy before you pay, not after the box arrives.

Shortcut: the Parts Finder pulls live eBay listings sorted by landed price (shipping included) with condition badges, from one search.

4. Then price new & aftermarket

With the recycled and marketplace prices in hand, you know what "a good deal" means before you open a catalog. Three definitions keep the options straight:

OE — the part in the automaker's box, sold through the dealer network. Highest price, zero fitment risk.
OEM — made by the same manufacturer that supplies the automaker, sold under the supplier's own brand.
Aftermarket — third-party manufactured. Quality ranges from excellent (certified panels) to economy; the price usually tells you which one you're holding.

Catalog sites like RockAuto and CarParts.com show the aftermarket depth for a part, and a Google Shopping sweep catches vendors neither catalog carries. For a collision estimate, quoting the spread — recycled vs. aftermarket vs. OE — is exactly what makes the estimate defensible.

5. When all you have is a part number

Sometimes the fastest search skips the vehicle entirely. OEM part numbers live on stickers, castings and etchings on the old part. Search the bare number first — sellers usually list the number without the make in front of it, so "24ABC636A003" finds listings that "Carrier 24ABC636A003" misses.

If the exact number comes up empty, remember numbers get superseded: the automaker revises the suffix while the base number survives. Search the base number without its last letter group and check what the hits say about supersession.

The 10-minute sourcing playbook

Decode the VIN — year, trim, engine locked down (free, NHTSA).
Search the recycler network for body/trim parts — note the best grade, price and distance.
Pull eBay landed prices — new and used together, shipping included.
Check aftermarket catalogs — RockAuto / CarParts.com / Google Shopping for the new-part floor.
Quote the spread — recycled vs. aftermarket vs. OE, with the part number on the line. Done before the coffee's cold.

Run the whole playbook in one search

VIN, year/make/model + part, or a bare part number in — live eBay prices plus pre-filled car-part.com, RockAuto and Google Shopping searches out. Free, no signup, built for shops.

Open the free Parts Finder →

Parts-sourcing FAQ

Should I use a used or new part for a collision repair?

It depends on the part and the job. Cosmetic panels (fenders, doors, deck lids) are commonly sourced as recycled OEM when a clean one is available, while wear items and safety-critical components are usually bought new. Many insurance estimates are written around like-kind-and-quality (LKQ) recycled parts, so knowing the salvage price matters even when you ultimately buy new.

What does LKQ mean in auto parts?

"Like kind and quality" — industry shorthand for a recycled OEM part in comparable condition to what was on the vehicle. It's also the name of the largest vehicle recycler in North America, which is why estimators say "check LKQ" to mean "price the recycled option."

How do I avoid buying the wrong part online?

Anchor everything to the VIN: decode it first so year, trim and engine are exact, compare the OEM part number on the old part to the listing whenever you can, and check the seller's return policy before paying. If a listing doesn't state fitment or a part number, ask — or move on.

Are remanufactured parts any good?

A remanufactured part has been rebuilt with wear components replaced, and reputable rebuilders test to the original specification and warranty the part. Quality varies by rebuilder — judge the warranty terms and core requirements, not just the price.

Why do part numbers for the same part look different?

Automakers revise and supersede part numbers over a model's life, so the same part can carry several numbers with different suffixes. If an exact-number search comes up empty, search the bare number without the make, then the base number without its suffix — supersessions usually keep the base.

This guide is part of AutoShopCRM, shop-management software built for collision and mechanical shops. The Parts Finder stays free whether or not you ever use the CRM.

How to find hard-to-get auto parts — new or used