mobility
Car manufacturers have a virtual monopoly on visible spare parts; there is no free competition in this market. Consumers bear the consequences: some parts are twice as expensive today as they were ten years ago.
Last updated: October 7, 2024
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Prices for automotive spare parts such as headlights, taillights and trunk lids have risen again. This emerges from a current evaluation by the General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV). “While the inflation rate in Germany has recently fallen, car manufacturers continue to increase prices. Between August 2023 and August 2024, prices rose by an average of 6.2 percent. For radiator grilles it was even over 10 percent,” says Jörg Asmussen, General Manager of GDV.
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Ten years ago, trunk lids cost half as much
This price increase is part of a long-term development that GDV has been monitoring for years. “The costs for car spare parts are rising rapidly and are largely independent of general price developments. While the consumer price index has increased by around 28 percent since 2014, car manufacturers have increased their spare parts prices by an average of almost 75 percent,” said Asmussen. Trunk lids and rear quarter panels are now twice as expensive as they were ten years ago and taillight prices have increased by 86 percent.
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Higher repair costs burden insurers
For insurers, these rising spare part prices lead to significantly higher repair costs in the event of accidents. “Last year, the average property damage in a car’s motor vehicle liability insurance was around 4,000 euros – in 2013 it was still 2,500 euros,” says Asmussen. German motor vehicle insurers had to cope with losses of over three billion euros as early as 2023 due to increased repair costs. For 2024 they expect a further loss of around two billion euros.
How this cost development affects vehicle insurance premiums is a decision for each individual insurance company. “However, there is a clear connection between rising spare parts prices and insurance premiums,” explains Asmussen.
Automakers have a monopoly on visible spare parts
The ongoing price increase is encouraged by a quasi-monopoly among car manufacturers. The so-called design protection not only protects the design of vehicles, but also that of all visible body spare parts such as fenders, hoods, exterior mirrors or doors. “Motorists and workshops are forced to buy many of these spare parts directly from the car manufacturer – free competition practically does not exist here,” criticizes Asmussen. Although a change in the law is intended to reform design protection, the existing rights of car manufacturers will be retained until 2045.
Background to the GDV investigation
For the annual analysis of spare parts prices, GDV engineers and statisticians record the costs in the Audatex damage calculation database. The study covers 34 vehicle brands from small cars to luxury models. For each model, up to twenty commonly used spare parts that are replaced after accidents were analyzed.
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