vs
Starter motor VALEO or OEM FORD
Valeo came out of my 2010 I bought at 74k over 200k now so pretty sure that was OEM. The starter was also a Valeo.
Pros: OEM part, long lasting
Mileage: 200000 km
Starter motor finally gave out when south Florida got hit with the cold spike a few days ago and may have upset the starter motor, of all things. Battery was great, reading 12.3- 12.5 volts. Surprisingly, autozone packs a brand new (debatable) Valeo starter motor for $220 (including shipping and taxes), which is a BMW OEM supplier. Just missing the torx that mounts the starter motor that I will need to grab in my shop and then will swap. Thought I’d share this, since autozone gets a mixed rep for parts for BMWs in the BMW community. iv gotten my alternator and starter from them. 2 months after alternator install and it still works like OEM equivalent. It’s worth checking them out.
Pros: works like OEM equivalent
Cons: missing torx
Starter motor finally gave out when south Florida got hit with the cold spike a few days ago and may have upset the starter motor, of all things. Battery was great, reading 12.3- 12.5 volts. Surprisingly, autozone packs a brand new (debatable) Valeo starter motor for $220 (including shipping and taxes), which is a BMW OEM supplier. Just missing the torx that mounts the starter motor that I will need to grab in my shop and then will swap. Thought I’d share this, since autozone gets a mixed rep for parts for BMWs in the BMW community. iv gotten my alternator and starter from them. 2 months after alternator install and it still works like OEM equivalent. It’s worth checking them out.
Pros: works like OEM equivalent
Vehicle:
BMW
I took the starter out, it looked OK. Removing the solenoid connector was really difficult since the plastic piece that you push to disengage it had disintegrated with time/heat. No 12V on the solenoid terminal when I pressed start.
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Passat B7
Mileage: 220000 km
That plastic is awful
Cons: awful plastic
Vehicle:
Ford Focus
Plastic becomes brittle. They are a bugger to remove without breaking. But they do still occasionally snap.
Cons: plastic brittle, difficult to remove, snaps easily
Vehicle:
Ford Focus
Mileage: 150000 km
High temp plastic does turn brittle over time... plastic breaks manufacturers will tell you that the plastic is just as strong and wear resistant. But we all know its just to make shit cheaper.
Cons: plastic turns brittle, cheap manufacturing
Vehicle:
Ford Focus
Just cheap shitty plastic my guy
Cons: cheap, shitty plastic
Vehicle:
Ford Focus
Those starters fucking suck they get so much corrosion around those terminals when you go to break the nut lose it'll snap the plastic right off its a shitty design
Cons: suck, corrosion, plastic snaps, shitty design
Vehicle:
Ford Focus
It is obviously made out pot metal, so yeah super cheap.
Cons: made of pot metal, super cheap
Vehicle:
Ford Focus
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Which starter motor to choose — VALEO or OEM FORD?
If choosing starter motor across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare starter motor across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which starter motor are better — OEM FORD or VALEO?
In March 2026 on PartReview, starter motor VALEO were overall better than OEM FORD.
- VALEO received a PR Score of 78 out of 100, and OEM FORD scored 12 points.
- VALEO ranked 7 in the overall ranking, and OEM FORD ranked 10.
- The average rating is higher for VALEO (4) than for OEM FORD (1.3).
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Starter motor VALEO have better feature ratings than OEM FORD:
- Cranking - owners believe, that this property for VALEO is better than OEM FORD.
- Multiple attempts - drivers claim, that this property for OEM FORD is outperforms VALEO.
Which starter motor are more popular — VALEO or OEM FORD?
Starter motor VALEO and OEM FORD were equally popular according to data in March 2026.
By vote balance, starter motor VALEO surpassed OEM FORD:
- For VALEO, the ratio of positive (29) to negative (8) votes is 21 vote.
- For OEM FORD, the ratio of positive (10) to negative (70) votes is -60 votes.
By number of reviews, starter motor OEM FORD surpassed VALEO:
- For starter motor VALEO there are 12 reviews: 9 positive, 1 neutral, 2 negative.
- For starter motor OEM FORD there are 26 reviews: 2 positive, 2 neutral, 22 negative.
Which starter motor do car owners prefer — VALEO or OEM FORD?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, starter motor VALEO and OEM FORD have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of starter motor
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of starter motor VALEO with: Bosch, Denso, OEM Honda, Duralast, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Toyota, OEM Subaru, AC DELCO.
Also available: comparisons of starter motor OEM FORD with: Bosch, Denso, OEM Honda, Duralast, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Toyota, OEM Subaru, AC DELCO.
You can also see who is better among other starter motor manufacturers: Denso or Bosch, Bosch or OEM Honda, Denso or OEM Honda, Bosch or Duralast, Bosch or OEM FORD.