Reclaimed part
used part · green part · circular economy part · PIEC
A reclaimed part — known in France as a circular-economy part (PIEC) — is a component removed from an end-of-life vehicle, inspected and put back on the market without industrial remanufacturing. French repairers are required, for certain part categories, to offer this option to consumers.
Director of publication : Florian Précigout
The French information duty has put the subject into the workshop conversation: on the categories concerned, the customer must be able to choose. Not all parts are eligible — safety-critical parts and those subject to wear or particular stress are excluded from the scheme.
This is not a remanufactured exchange. A reclaimed part is sold as inspected, without systematic replacement of wear components and without rebuilding: a different value proposition, with a different level of warranty.
For a distributor the stake is not to let that demand leave. A workshop required to offer a reclaimed part and unable to find one through its usual channel opens an account elsewhere — and that account later gets used for other things.
The trap
Confusing reclaimed parts with remanufactured exchange. Process, warranty and price all differ: presenting one as the other invites a dispute at the moment of failure.
Frequently asked
Can every part be offered as reclaimed?
No. The scheme excludes safety-critical parts and parts subject to wear or particular stress, among others. The exact scope is set by the applicable regulation.
What warranty applies to a reclaimed part?
It depends on the supplier and the sales contract, and it is not aligned with a new part or a remanufactured exchange. It has to be stated when the option is offered.