Study: Car Repairs With Original Parts Are Costly. (Property/Casualty).

Rebuilding a car with original manufacturer crash parts costs more than four times the car's original retail price, according to a study by the Alliance of American Insurers.

Without the cost of paint and labor, a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier LS four-door sedan rebuilt entirely from car company parts cost $63,240.14, compared with the car's original retail price of $15,395, according to the alliance.

As part of its argument for using "generic" or aftermarket parts, the alliance says it has rebuilt various cars to demonstrate how much more car company parts cost than generic parts.

The alliance doesn't rebuild a car using all generic parts because not all the parts are available in generic form, said Kirk Hansen, the alliance's director of claims.

The cost of repairing damaged cars accounts for about 40% to 50% of the premium for most auto insurance consumers, Hansen said, so the cost of crash parts has a direct impact on what consumers pay for auto insurance.

To help hold down vehicle-repair costs while assuring quality, the alliance and its member companies support the sale of competitive replacement parts approved by the Certified Automotive Parts Association.