[democidist]

So, when I bought the car used the dealer did a good job of disguising that the door panel was peeling itself off due to part of it where the fastener secures to was broken. That weak point gradually makes more of the panel peel off (not completely). Has anyone else experienced something similar? I got a used non-broken door panel to replace it and all new OEM fasteners, but haven't put them on yet. Has anyone used stronger non-OEM fasteners to help prevent this or was it a fluke that I shouldn't be worried about?

[arpad_m]

This tends to happen when the door panel is pulled off to install something, say, aftermarket speakers, or when the mirror or the door lock needs to be fixed. If you install a door panel using new OEM fasteners and then never remove it (or pop it very carefully), you should be good. My door panels were never removed and they are still as good as new, no rattles, no gaps, no loose clips after 6+ years.

Also, in my experience non-OEM plastic fasteners are typically weaker (and cheaper to remain competitive), so I'd stick with OEM in this case.

[Chutzpah]

If you already have OEM fasteners, stick with them. As Arpad stated, they’re almost always better quality than aftermarket.