Remanufactured parts: changing the conversation in the workshop

6 May 2026  

As the availability of remanufactured components grows, Aftermarket spoke with Tomasz Galazka, Head of Global Remanufacturing Strategy and Business Development at ZF Aftermarket, to understand the benefits of using remanufactured components and how those benefits can be reinforced with customers.

For many independent garages, remanufacturing still sits in a slightly awkward place. It clearly offers something – lower cost, a more sustainable repair, and better availability – but some customers remain hesitant. The idea that it is simply a second-hand part, and therefore somehow a compromise, has not entirely gone away.

What garages are fitting, though, is not a reused component in the traditional sense, but one that has been through a controlled, industrial process designed to bring it back to original equipment (OE) standard. ZF Aftermarket’s remanufactured units, for example, are validated and tested in much the same way as new parts, with the same quality benchmarks, audit processes and end-of-line testing applied. In fact, in one case, one of ZF’s products underwent 18 months of continuous testing before it was released to market. 

“We bring the components to the same standard as OE products, like new, and sometimes better,” Tomasz Galazka, Head of Global Remanufacturing Strategy and Business Development at ZF Aftermarket, said. 

That is a useful line for workshops to hold onto, because it reframes the conversation. This is not about compromise. It is about delivering OE-level performance in a different way.

It is also worth being clear that remanufacturing is not suitable for every component, and being upfront about that helps build credibility. Larger mechanical parts and complex mechatronic units tend to offer the most value, where the original manufacturing effort and material content can be recovered. By contrast, low-cost or high-wear items such as brake pads or certain sensors are often cheaper to replace than to remanufacture. 

That balanced view matters because one of the biggest challenges is not resistance from customers but understanding. Many vehicle owners do not clearly distinguish between repair, reuse and remanufacture. In practice, that puts the responsibility on the workshop to explain the options properly.

Handled well, remanufacturing becomes a straightforward value proposition. The customer is offered a component that performs like new, carries the same warranty, and typically comes at a saving of around 10 to 25%.  Alongside that sits the environmental benefit, with less raw material required and a clear contribution to a more circular approach to vehicle repair.

Of course, none of this works without a functioning supply chain, and this is where remanufacturing becomes a shared effort. Fundamental to that is the core return process. Without a steady flow of used components coming back into the system, there is nothing to remanufacture. As Tomasz puts it, “if we have no cores, there is no reman business.” 

For garages, this is where a bit of care goes a long way. Components need to be removed cleanly, stored properly and returned in good condition. Damage, contamination or missing parts can all affect whether a unit can be successfully remanufactured, and ultimately that feeds back into availability for the wider market.

Looking ahead, the role of remanufacturing is only set to grow. ZF’s own portfolio has expanded from around 5,000 to more than 7,300 part numbers in the space of a year, a clear indication of both demand and investment in this area. 

For independent garages, the opportunity is relatively simple. Customers are already open to cost savings, and, increasingly, to more sustainable choices. What they need is clarity and confidence.

Remanufacturing is no longer something to justify – it is something to offer with confidence.

Once that shift happens, the conversation becomes much easier. It is no longer about persuading a customer to accept less, but about helping them choose a different, and often smarter, way to achieve the same result.

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