Americans are keeping their cars longer than ever. At least one major automaker now wants to help them do that.
Stellantis, parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and other brands, already has one business that sells replacement parts (and improved parts for those who make aftermarket modifications). That company, Mopar, is so integrated with the company’s image that the Mopar name sometimes serves as a slang term for Stellantis cars as a whole.
Related: Here’s How Much the Average Car Repair Now Costs
But Mopar parts aren’t cheap. So Stellantis is launching what it calls a “second-line brand of high-quality aftermarket parts.” bproauto (yes, all lowercase) parts will “cost less than original-equipment offerings and are backed by a standard 2-year/unlimited-mile warranty,” Stellantis says.
As new car prices (and interest rates) have risen, Americans have worked to keep their old cars running longer. The average car on American roads is now 12.5 years old – a record high. People looking to repair their cars on a budget don’t always turn to Mopar’s parts to do it.
So bproauto will offer “a new, competitively priced, private label line of high-quality, factory-backed parts for most makes and models,” says Mopar head Mike Koval. Today, the company offers just a few consumable parts like air filters, batteries, and brake pads. But it plans to offer more complex parts, including fuel pumps, tie rod ends, and shocks.
“Mopar will remain the global original-equipment parts and authentic accessories brand for Stellantis,” Koval says. But “bproauto will offer an alternative for nearly all brands and all cars – new, used, owned, rented or shared.”
The move makes sense, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see rivals follow suit.
