With decades of experience as a Parts Manager at new car dealerships I could not begin to count how many times I have been asked by a customer “Can I install that myself?”. It is such an open question it is hard to answer.

Unlike many aftermarket accessories, genuine auto accessories are designed by the manufacturer to precise and exacting specifications to easily fit the specific year and model of the vehicle it was made for. Many aftermarket accessories are made to apply to as many different models as they can for a broader range of coverage.

That often means many non-genuine accessories “kind of” fit a lot of models. So with genuine accessories you do have the advantage of the product being easier to install because it was usually made specifically for that vehicle.

As to “can you” install it yourself? Well that depends on your own mechanical abilities. Without knowing how comfortable someone is with tools or wiring or following where slot A fits into slot B, it is hard to answer that question.

We can offer suggestions for an accessory being easy, hard, or you should have the dealer install that, but they are just guesses on your ability.

Most genuine accessories come with installation instructions. For those contemplating the purchase of an accessory and wondering what is involved with the installation, we have tried to assist you.

In our on-line catalogs at AutoPartsPeople.com when available from the manufacturer we will add a link from the product page of an accessory to a PDF with the installation instructions. For example:

2017 Mazda CX-3 Side Window Deflectors

Side Window Deflectors
#DB4F-V3-700
The weather outside should stay outside. Our sleek Side Window Deflectors help reduce wind noise and keep the elements out while you let fresh air in (set of 4).
Click here to view a PDF of the installation instructions.

With that you are able to view the steps involved and make your own decision of “can I install that”.

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