There is little worse than ordering a spare part for your vehicle, waiting for it to arrive and then popping it in only to realise that it wasn’t the correct part to begin with. Then you have to go through the whole process again, returning the part and buying a new one, all the while your vehicle sitting useless in the garage.

If you know what you are doing, however, buying a new spare part doesn’t have to be such a headache. There are a few basic things that you need to know about your car before you start looking for parts that will maximise the chances that your new spare part will fit like a glove.

Know the basics about your car 

Now this one might be obvious for most people but it really is foundational for buying the right spare parts for your car. The first thing you should have clear in your head is basic information about your car including the make, model, year and series. For most vehicles just knowing this information may be enough to get you the part that you need to get your repair done. Additionally, with most suppliers and spare parts search systems this is the first information that they ask for.

Know your Vehicle Identification Number 

If you aren’t sure about some of the basic information like the year your car was manufactured then your vehicle identification number or VIN can help you find that. Every vehicle has a VIN that helps identify it and this can be found on the doorpost, in the corner of the dashboard or on the data sticker in your vehicle's service book.

The VIN number is a unique identification code that can help tell you everything you need to know to find the right parts for your vehicle, including things like the make, model, series and year.

Keep in mind that parts can be different for automatic and manual versions of your car 

This is one of the most common mistakes that people make, but parts are often different between automatic and manual vehicles. Things like radiators, CV joints and engine mounts can be significantly different, so it is important to keep in mind whether the spare part is made for an automatic or manual car before you buy it.

Know whether your car made for the Australian market 

European cars that are sold in Australia are often assembled to meet the local conditions, which means that they can be slightly different to their counterparts in Europe. This means that when you are buying replacement parts for your European car here, you should definitely check that you are buying the right part for the Australian version.

Note whether your car is special edition 

While they may be cool special edition or high performance versions can differ from the standard version of a car. Keeping this in mind when searching for new parts is important to ensure that the spare part you purchase will fit correctly and perform well over time.