What the ARA Is
The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) is the national trade association for automotive recyclers and salvage yards, established in 1943. Among its functions, the ARA publishes the Recycled Parts Standards & Codes — a standardized system for grading, describing, and communicating the condition of used automotive parts.
The grading standard exists for a simple reason: before it, condition descriptions were subjective. One yard's "good" was another's "functional." The ARA standard replaced that ambiguity with objective, measurable criteria — grades tied to mileage for mechanical parts, and damage measured in precise units for body parts.
ARA member yards are expected to follow these standards. When a Radar Parts result shows a grade, that grade follows the ARA specification — not the yard's own description language.
Grade A, B, and C — The Three Levels
The ARA uses three primary grades for used parts, with variations for specific categories like wheels, airbags, and assemblies. The core grades apply across almost all part types:
Grade A — Excellent
The highest quality used part. Minimum damage, if any. For mechanical parts, Grade A indicates low mileage. For body parts, Grade A means no damage — or damage totaling one unit or less (a unit being defined as the surface area of a standard credit card). A part coded 000 — meaning zero damage in any position — is Grade A by definition. What a shop owner would show a customer without hesitation.
~60k mi
Grade B — Good
Second-level quality. Moderate wear or damage, but fully functional and operational. For mechanical parts, Grade B covers a wide range of higher-mileage vehicles that have been maintained and operate normally. For body parts, Grade B means greater than one unit but no more than two units of damage on standard panels. The workhorse of the used parts market — this is what most repairs run on.
mi
Grade C — Fair
Third-level quality. Still usable and operational, but with more significant cosmetic flaws, higher mileage, or more extensive damage than Grade B. For body parts, Grade C exceeds two units of damage. The right call for structural parts that won't be seen, for price-sensitive repairs, or for buyers who will repair or refinish the part anyway. Not a defect — a documented level of condition.
or cosmetic
Mechanical Parts — Graded by Mileage
For mechanical components — engines, transmissions, differentials, axles, transfer cases, and similar powertrain and drivetrain parts — the ARA grade is primarily determined by odometer reading, adjusted for average annual mileage where total mileage is high.
| Grade | Total Mileage | Annual Average (if >60k) |
|---|---|---|
| A — Excellent | Under 60,000 miles total | OR: Over 60k total, but under 15,000 mi/year average |
| B — Good | 60,000 to 200,000 miles total | OR: Any vehicle over 60k where average exceeds 15,000 mi/year |
| C — Fair | 200,000 miles or more | Regardless of age or annual average |
The annual mileage adjustment exists to account for age. A 10-year-old vehicle with 150,000 miles (15k/year) grades differently than a 5-year-old vehicle with 150,000 miles (30k/year). The latter reflects harder use and grades lower even though total mileage is the same.
Body and Sheet Metal — Graded by Damage Units
Body panels, doors, hoods, fenders, bumpers, roofs, and sheet metal assemblies are graded by the extent of cosmetic damage — not mileage. The ARA uses a unit system where one unit equals the surface area of a standard credit card.
| Grade | Standard Panels | Large Assemblies (front/rear clips, cabs) |
|---|---|---|
| A — Excellent | 0 to 1.0 units of damage | 0 to 3.0 units of total damage across the assembly |
| B — Good | 1.1 to 2.0 units of damage | 3.1 to 6.0 units of total damage |
| C — Fair | More than 2.0 units | More than 6.0 units of total damage |
The unit system is intentionally objective. A unit of damage is not an "hour" of repair time — repair hours vary by technician skill and shop rate. A credit card-sized area of damage is the same at every yard in the country. This consistency is the whole point.
A part can have rust, dents, or other damage and still qualify as Grade A — as long as the total damaged area is one unit or less. Grade A does not mean "zero damage." It means limited, well-documented damage within the A threshold.
Damage Codes — Reading the Three-Character System
When a part has cosmetic damage, ARA-compliant yards describe it using a standardized three-character damage code. Each character tells you something specific:
Where on the part the damage is. Positions are numbered by clock position (e.g., 5 = center panel, 2 = lower left, 7 = right edge).
What kind of damage. Common codes: D = Dent, S = Surface Scratch, R = Rust, H = Hail, E = Bent, P = Parking Lot Dings, J = Rip or Crack, K = Buckle.
How much damage, in units. 1 = one credit card-sized area. 2 = two credit card areas. 0.5 = half a credit card. A part coded 000 has no damage at any position.
Reading a few examples:
5D1 → Center (5) · Dent (D) · 1 unit (credit card area) → Grade A
// Part: Hood, lower right
2S2 → Lower right (2) · Surface scratch (S) · 2 units → Grade B
// Part: Tailgate with collision bend
2E4 → Lower right (2) · Bent (E) · 4 units → Grade C
// Part: Fender, small parking ding
5P.5 → Center (5) · Parking ding (P) · half a unit → Grade A
// Part: No damage at any position
000 → Zero damage → Grade A (clean pull)
A single part can have multiple damage codes if there are multiple damage areas. The total across all codes determines the grade. A door with 5D1 and 7R0.5 has 1.5 units of total damage — still Grade A because the combined total stays at or below 2.0 units... wait, no: 1.5 units exceeds the 1.0 unit Grade A threshold. That door is Grade B. This is why reading all damage codes matters, not just the first one.
Grade Is Not Origin — A Critical Distinction
Grade describes the condition of the specific used part being offered — how much wear it has, how many miles, what cosmetic damage if any. It says nothing about who manufactured it.
Origin — OEM, aftermarket, or remanufactured — describes the manufacturing lineage. OEM means it was produced by or for the original vehicle manufacturer to factory specification. Aftermarket means it was made by a third-party manufacturer.
A low-mileage Toyota engine pulled from a wreck is OEM and Grade A. A high-mileage Toyota engine pulled from a 220,000-mile fleet vehicle is OEM and Grade C. A new aftermarket fender just installed on a salvage vehicle (rare but possible) could be Grade A. The categories don't interact — evaluate them independently.
Radar Parts surfaces both grade and origin as separate fields on every offer. Don't let a high grade substitute for verifying origin when origin is your spec, and vice versa.
Matching Grade to the Job
The right grade depends on what the part is, where it goes, and what the customer will see and expect. Here's a practical guide:
| Part & Job Type | Recommended Grade | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Visible body panel for a paying customer (door, hood, fender) | Grade A | Customer will see it. Condition has to hold up post-paint. Grade A limits damage to one credit card area. |
| Body panel to be repainted or refinished regardless | Grade B or better | Minor damage gets addressed in the repair. Grade C may have structural concerns — inspect carefully. |
| Structural component (frame section, inner panel) | Grade A or Grade B | Hidden from view, but structural integrity matters. Grade C on structural parts requires careful inspection. |
| Engine or transmission, customer vehicle | Grade A preferred | Under 60k miles. Longer service life ahead, lower risk of latent wear issues. |
| Engine or transmission, older vehicle or fleet unit | Grade B acceptable | Cost-appropriate for the vehicle. Grade B mechanical parts are fully functional — just from a higher-mileage source vehicle. |
| Non-visible mechanical bracket, support, or mount | Grade C acceptable | Condition not visible. Functional standard met. Cost-efficient for low-stakes components. |
| Wheel replacement, will be seen by customer | Grade A | ARA wheel grading is strict — Grade A means no blemish at all. Grade B has a blemish up to one unit. |
How Radar Parts Uses the Grade
When you submit a part request on Radar Parts, you specify your minimum acceptable grade. Our sourcing engine filters results to that threshold — Grade A requests only surface Grade A offers. You can also specify "Grade B or better" to widen the results while keeping Grade C out.
Every offer returned includes the ARA grade, the damage code where applicable, the mileage for mechanical parts, and the supplier reliability score. You see what grade is being offered before you commit — not just a yard's description of "good shape."
Where a yard provides a full damage code (e.g., 5D1), we surface that too so you can make an informed decision about whether the specific damage on that part is acceptable for your job.
Source Graded Parts Through Radar Parts
Submit a request with your minimum grade spec. Our sourcing engine contacts our network and returns verified, ARA-graded options with full delivered cost shown upfront.
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