As much as we love second hand car parts, there are certain instances when it may be best to instead buy a brand new part.

Which parts does this apply to?

There are a number of parts which are not really designed to be reused and won't perform well if removed from one vehicle and placed on another. These can include things like brake pads, ball joints, bushings, oils and fluids, some safety equipment and airbags that have done off (obviously).

Especially when it comes to safety related items, reusing old stuff is not a good idea for your own safety and the safety of others.

Brake pads are a good example of this. Why would you use half worn down pads when new pads generally cost around $50?

Other items such as ball joints require force to remove which can damage them, and certainly will shorten their life. So used second hand ones will just mean that you need to replace them again soon.

Oils and fluids probably go without saying (and we're not sure who would even do this) but oils and fluids break down and become contaminated over time, so it's never a good idea to reuse them from one vehicle to another.

Generally speaking, most parts are perfectly fine to use second hand, but ones like those listed above are probably not a good idea. They won't perform well and you'll just need to replace them again soon anyway so you aren't saving anything in long run (it could actually end up costing your more!).

Keep this in mind for shopping for parts and stick to second hand parts when it's a good idea to!