The Best Selling Auto Parts On eBay

eBay is one of the world’s largest automotive parts and accessories ecommerce platforms. Whether you’re a parts manufacturer with a global footprint or a small reseller just getting started, eBay is worth your time.

What follows is an outline of the best-selling types of parts and accessories on eBay, plus some auto industry specific recommendations for growing your eBay store.

Updated May 2025.

Top Selling eBay Parts By Category

There are three main categories of parts that tend to sell well on eBay:

1. Wheels and Tires
2. Suspension/Undercar Components
3. Body Parts

The products in these three categories have one of two traits. Either they’re universal (or universal-ish) or they’re super specialized and hard to find locally.

Tires and wheels are pretty universal, which means they should turn relatively fast. And niche/specialized parts (like a replacement headlight assembly for a specific year amke and model) are usually only available locally from a dealership parts department and typically sold at a premium.

Top-Selling Wheels and Tires

Best-sellers tend to come in two flavors:

1. Tires and wheels from well known brands like Goodyear, Continental, Firestone, BF Goodrich, Lexani, Michellin, Vision Wheel, Fuel, Enkei, etc.
2. Tires and wheels from brands you’ve never heard of that are popular because they’re cheap.

Tires outsell wheels of course, and the best sellers are mostly all-season passenger tires. However, there are customers looking for aggressive tread off-road tires (and wheels to go with them), so there’s opportunity here for accessories retailers.

Top Selling Suspension and Undercar Parts

The list is pretty short – trailer hitches do surprisingly well, as do individual suspension component replacements (like replacement stabilizer bars or ball joints). The demand for suspenion parts is mostly for cheap/low-cost replacements, so off brands tend to do well.

Top Selling Body/Exterior Parts

There is a booming business in selling consumers replacement body parts for minor collision damage:

• Replacement side mirrors, which often get broken off on garages or in parking lots
• Replacement door handles, which can break with rough or repeated use
• Replacement headlight assemblies and/or grille assemblies, which can take damage from road debris
• Replacement bumper covers

There’s also some demand for accessories that upgrade these parts when they need replaced. For example, if a truck owner damages a bumper, they might decide to buy an aftermarket steel bumper as a replacement. Or if a headlight assembly is damaged, and aftermarket LED assembly might be purchased instead. These parts are often replaced by the consumer themselves, as many consumers won’t file an insurance claim for minor body damage.

However, these parts are hard to ship…if you’re not packaging these parts correctly, you’re going to be dealing with a lot of shipping damage claims.

Other Top-Sellers

Outside of these three categories of parts, there’s solid demand for parts in these categories as well:

• A/C Compressors and A/C control systems
• Alternators and Generators
• Battery Accessories (chargers, jump batteries)
• Crate engines
• Decals, stickers, and Replacement Emblems
• EGR System Components
• Exhaust System Parts (cat-back systems and mufflers)
• Floor Mats
• Fuel Filters and Fuel Pumps
• Ignition System Parts (coils, distributors/timing kits, spark plugs and plug wires)
• Keys and Keyless entry fobs (mostly replacements)
• Manuals and Literature – Vintage stuff like old brochures, etc.
• Performance Chips and Programmers
• Radiators
• Seat Covers
• Weatherstripping

None of these categories are as popular as exterior accessories, wheels and tires, or lighting, but even an unpopular category on eBay represents millions of dollars in parts revenue each year.

Finally, vintage car parts are pretty popular on eBay. If you’re in the business of selling classic car parts, eBay is probably a good place for you to list.

What About Maintenance Consumables?

The best sellers are brake kits, oil filters and oil, spark plugs, wiper blades, light bulbs, air filters (either cabin or engine), and shocks/struts. None of these parts have a lot of margin in them, however, so it rarely makes sense to sell them online. Unless you’re a brick and mortar retailer stocking these parts, you probably want to look elsewhere.

Tips For Selling Auto Parts On eBay

If you’re listing parts that are popular on eBay, you’re halfway there. In addition to having the right inventory, you’ll want to follow these tips:

• Price your auto parts to be competitive. You can’t sell parts on eBay if you aren’t competitive. While eBay shoppers aren’t necessarily “bargain hunters,” they’re very price sensitive. An extra dollar or two can make a big difference.
• Consider your shipping costs and keep shipping rates free or as low as possible – customers review shipping charges before purchasing.
• Offer rapid customer service. eBay shoppers will shoot you a question and expect a fast answer. If you don’t respond quickly, they’ll move to the next seller.
• Communication is key. When you receive an order, let the customer know you’re processing things. When the order is placed and you have a tracking number, notify the customer ASAP. When the order arrives, make sure the customer got their part. Communicating like this is the best way to secure good feedback. (Well, that and selling parts as promised.)
• Take excellent pictures of your products. Get a photo from several angles and use good lighting. If a part is used or has some wear, be honest about that in the photo and description.
• Categorize your auto parts correctly for quick sales. Think about where your customer will search.
• Write excellent product descriptions, so there’s no confusion about the part your customer is buying.
• Never list items you don’t have in inventory. Double-check your store and supply regularly.
• Establish a returns policy, and make it obvious for customers to see.

While eBay isn’t necessarily the best option for selling auto parts online, it can be a great place to unload excess inventory and increase your total revenue. We’ve also seen companies that sell inexpensive replacement parts and accessories do a substantial amount of revenue on eBay (and do so steadily).

If – after selling on eBay for a while – you decide to launch your own auto parts ecommerce website, be sure to check out our blog post about auto parts ecommerce website providers. Then, give us a call. Auto parts ecommerce is our specialty.

Pro-Tip – eBay Is A Big Deal Outside The US

If you’re a manufacturer, and if you’re able to invest in global distribution, eBay is a potential gold mine. We won’t cover the details here, but we would be happy to talk to you about what’s working for some of our larger clients. We can also connect you with company that specializes in global eBay management and growth. Contact us to learn more.