Hollander Interchange Explained: Will This Part Fit My Car?
Salvage yards do not guess whether a part fits your car — they read an interchange number. Here is how that system works and how to check fitment yourself before you hand over cash.
Key Takeaways
- One Hollander interchange number groups parts that are physically identical across models and can cover 6 to 12 vehicle applications.
- Car-Part.com lists 150-250 million parts from roughly 3,100 recyclers, and searches on interchange rather than year-make-model alone.
- Digit 8 of your 17-digit VIN is the engine code on most domestic and Asian vehicles and settles fitment questions year and model cannot.
- Same year and same model still yields different parts: running changes, trim, and plant codes split one model year into 2 or more part numbers.
What the Hollander interchange is
The Hollander Interchange is the auto recycling industry's standard system for identifying which used parts are compatible with which vehicles. Every OEM part gets assigned a number, and any two parts carrying the same number under the same application are treated as functionally identical — swap one for the other and the car works.
Hollander, now part of Solera, built the system by tearing down vehicles and cataloging what actually matched rather than trusting manufacturer part numbers. That distinction matters. A carmaker issues a new part number when a supplier or a sticker changes, none of which affects whether the part bolts to your car. Interchange tracks the physical part.
According to the Automotive Recyclers Association, more than 9,000 auto recycling locations operate in the United States, and nearly all mid-size and larger ones run inventory on interchange data. When a yard says a fender off a 2014 Camry works on your 2015, they are not guessing. They are reading a screen.
How the numbering works
An interchange record has three components. The part type, written plainly — hood, bumper cover, alternator, engine assembly. The interchange number, a numeric code specific to that part type. And the application range: the years, makes, models, and qualifiers it covers.
Numbers are unique only inside a part type. Interchange 041 for a headlamp has nothing to do with interchange 041 for a transmission. Quote the part type with the number when you call. "I need alternator interchange 300" tells the counter everything; "I need a 300" tells them nothing.
Variance codes and qualifiers
Variance codes are the short suffixes and notes attached to an application that narrow it further: "w/o fog," "Coupe," "AWD," "6 cyl," "thru 3/14," "Mexico built." Each splits an otherwise matching group into subgroups that do not interchange.
Most bad used-part purchases trace back to reading the interchange number and ignoring the qualifier. A 2011 Chevrolet Malibu front bumper cover with fog lamp cutouts and one without share a base application and carry different variance. They will not swap without cutting. Read the whole line.
How salvage yards use interchange day to day
Yards use interchange to turn one incoming car into inventory that sells to dozens of owners. When a wrecked vehicle arrives, the yard enters its VIN and the software returns interchange numbers for every sellable part on it. Those numbers upload to the national listing networks, which is how an Ohio yard sells a door to an Arizona shop.
This is why the counter asks for your VIN before answering any fitment question. Ask two things back: which interchange number they matched, and what donor vehicle the part came off. If they cannot answer both, treat the quote as a guess.
How to look up an interchange number
The fastest free path is Car-Part.com, which searches live inventory across roughly 3,100 recyclers and 150-250 million listed parts. Enter your year, make, model, and part; the results group by interchange and show which other vehicles feed that group.
Each listing shows the donor's year and model, part grade, mileage, and warranty terms. Grades follow the Automotive Recyclers Association scale, where damage is counted in units and one unit is an area a credit card would cover: Grade A is 0.0 to 1.0 units, Grade B is 1.1 to 2.0, Grade C is 2.1 or more. When a 2007 Honda CR-V engine shows up in a search you ran for a 2009 Accord, that is interchange working, not a database error. Hollander licenses the full dataset to yards and shops; owners rarely need it.
Start with your own build data before searching anything. Our free VIN lookup tool decodes your 17-digit VIN into engine, transmission, trim, and plant — the four fields every interchange qualifier keys on.
Verify fitment yourself with casting numbers and RPO codes
You can confirm a match without any database by comparing the numbers cast, forged, or stamped into the part itself. This settles disputes, because the number on the part is the part.
Casting and forging numbers
Casting numbers are raised or recessed digits molded into iron and aluminum parts — blocks, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, calipers. Forging numbers appear on crankshafts, connecting rods, and steering knuckles. Photograph the donor part's number in the yard and compare it to yours before you pay. Matching casting numbers mean the same casting; machining can still differ, but a mismatch is a hard stop.
RPO codes on GM vehicles
Regular Production Option codes are the three-character build codes GM prints on a label in the glovebox or on the spare tire cover. They name the exact engine, transmission, axle ratio, and trim package the vehicle left the plant with. LS4, MN6, GU6, and NHT each identify a specific component, and a yard can match your RPO list against a donor's without a database. BMW and Mercedes-Benz print equivalent option codes in the trunk or under the hood.
VIN digit 8 as the engine code
On most domestic and Asian vehicles, the eighth character of the 17-digit VIN identifies the engine. Two identical-looking sedans from the same model year with different characters in position 8 have different engines, sometimes different mounts, and different accessory drives.
Use it as a first-pass filter. On engines, transmissions, ECUs, and airbag modules, get the donor's full 17-digit VIN in writing before money changes hands, then compare digit 8 to yours. A seller who will not hand over the donor VIN on those four categories is hiding something.
Why same year and same model is not the same part
Two vehicles can share a model year, a model name, and a trim badge and still take different parts, because manufacturers revise parts mid-production without changing the model year. This is the most common reason a used part arrives and does not fit.
Four things split a model year. Running changes, where a design revision lands in March and splits the year into "thru 3/14" and "from 3/14" groups. Trim level, where an LX and an EX-L differ in wiring, sensors, and mounting points. Plant of manufacture, where Mexico-built and Japan-built versions use different suppliers. And optional equipment — towing packages, sunroofs, driver assistance sensors — which changes harnesses and brackets.
Interchange encodes all four as qualifiers. Year and model alone encode none of them. According to the Automotive Recyclers Association, U.S. auto recycling generates $32 billion annually reselling parts that would otherwise be crushed, and the yards capturing that value track qualifiers rather than model names.
Platform families that share parts
A platform family is a group of models built on shared engineering, and it is where interchange produces the biggest savings. Know the family and you know which donor cars to search.
| Family | Vehicles and years | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Honda K24 | Accord 2003-2012, CR-V 2002-2011, TSX 2004-2008, Element 2003-2011 | Variants differ in head, intake, and oil pan; cores cross widely, complete engines do not |
| GM W-body | Impala, Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Regal, Century across the 1997-2009 range | Suspension and 3.8L drivetrain cross well; body panels rarely do |
| Ford CD3 / CD4 | CD3: Fusion, Milan, MKZ, Mazda6 2006-2012; CD4: Fusion, MKZ 2013-2020 | Separate platforms; they do not interchange with each other |
| Toyota 2GR-FE | Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Sienna, Lexus ES 350 and RX 350, 2005-2018 by model | FWD and AWD brackets and oil pans differ; verify by donor drivetrain |
| GM LS | Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Escalade, Camaro, Corvette, 1997-2013 Gen III and IV | Truck and car versions differ in oil pan, intake height, and accessory drive |
| Subaru EJ25 | Phase I 1996-1998, Phase II 1999-2010: Legacy, Outback, Forester, Impreza | Phase I and Phase II heads, intake manifolds, and timing components do not cross. 1999 is a split year |
| BMW N52 / N54 | N52 naturally aspirated 2006-2015, N54 twin turbo 2007-2013 in 3 and 5 Series | Not interchangeable. Different blocks, heads, fuel systems, engine management |
What the Honda K24 example actually means
The K24 runs in the Accord 2003-2012, the CR-V 2002-2011, the TSX 2004-2008, and the Element 2003-2011. That does not mean any K24 drops into any of those cars. The K24A1 in a CR-V, the K24A4 in an Accord, and the K24A2 in a TSX differ in cylinder head, camshafts, intake manifold, and compression.
What crosses reliably is shorter: blocks, cranks, rods, oil pumps, water pumps, starters, many brackets. Still worth hundreds of dollars. Search the family, then verify the variant by casting number.
Subaru EJ25 and the 1999 split year
Phase I EJ25 engines ran 1996 to 1998 and Phase II ran 1999 to 2010, and their heads, intake manifolds, and timing components do not cross. The 1999 model year is where people get caught: the 1999 Legacy Outback, SUS, and GT used a Phase II shortblock with Phase I DOHC heads, pistons, intake manifold, and engine harness. Reading "1999 EJ25" off a listing tells you almost nothing on its own. Identify the phase by casting number and by whether the head is DOHC or SOHC before you buy anything above the block.
The BMW case is the warning
N52 and N54 are both 3.0L inline sixes sold in overlapping 3 Series and 5 Series years, and they are not interchangeable. The N54 is twin turbocharged with direct injection integrated into the head; the N52 is naturally aspirated, uses Valvetronic variable valve lift, and sits on a magnesium and aluminium composite block. The heads use different bolt patterns, so even a head swap between them fails. Verify the engine code, not the badge.
Bolt patterns and wheel interchange
A bolt pattern is the lug count and the diameter of the circle the lugs sit on, written as 5x114.3 for five lugs on a 114.3mm circle. Matching it is the first filter for wheel interchange, not the only one — center bore, offset, and load rating have to work too.
| Bolt pattern | Typical vehicle families |
|---|---|
| 5x114.3 | Honda Accord and CR-V, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Mustang 2015 and newer, many Hyundai and Kia |
| 5x120 | BMW 3 and 5 Series through about 2018, Chevrolet Camaro 2010-2015, Acura TL and MDX |
| 5x112 | Volkswagen and Audi, Mercedes-Benz C and E Class, newer BMW on the CLAR platform |
| 6x139.7 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Tahoe, Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner, Nissan Frontier |
| 5x100 | Subaru Impreza and Forester through 2010, Toyota Corolla, VW Golf Mk4, Scion tC |
| 5x150 | Toyota Tundra 2007 and newer, Sequoia, Land Cruiser 200, Lexus LX 570 |
Center bore is where bolt-pattern-only shoppers get burned. A wheel with the right pattern and a smaller center bore will not seat on the hub; a larger bore needs hub-centric rings to run without vibration. Measure before paying at a self-service yard, where entry runs $2-$5 and all sales are final.
Transmission families and interchange
Transmissions interchange within a family, not across a model line, so establish the family first. A 4L60E out of a 2003 Silverado and one out of a 2003 Trailblazer share a case and internals but can differ in bellhousing, tailshaft length, and valve body calibration.
Four families you will meet constantly. The GM 4L60E, a four-speed behind small-block V8s and V6s from the early 1990s into the late 2000s. The Ford 4R70W and its later 4R75W revision, behind modular V8s in F-150, Crown Victoria, and Explorer. The Chrysler 48RE, a heavy-duty four-speed behind the 5.9L Cummins in Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks, 2003 to 2007. And the Toyota A750E, a five-speed in 4Runner, Tacoma V6, FJ Cruiser, and Lexus GX.
On any transmission, get the donor's 17-digit VIN, the tag number off the case, and the warranty in writing. Full-service yards typically give 30 to 90 days on drivetrain.
Parts to skip regardless of what the interchange says
Interchange tells you whether a part fits. It says nothing about whether the part is safe to reuse. These categories are wear items or safety hardware where used is the wrong call at any price.
- Brake pads and rotors — consumables with unknown remaining life and unseen heat damage.
- Tires — age, internal damage, and repair history are invisible from the outside.
- Airbags and SRS modules — deployment history is unverifiable and counterfeit inflators are widespread.
- Timing belts and serpentine belts — rubber degrades on the shelf, and a timing belt failure takes the engine.
- Fuel system components — pumps, injectors, and filters carry contamination you cannot inspect.
Working near airbag or SRS wiring: disconnect the negative battery terminal and wait a minimum of 15 minutes before touching anything. Never probe the yellow SRS connectors with a meter. Store any removed module face up, never face down on a solid surface. OSHA has documented deployment injuries during untrained dismantling, and the EPA treats undeployed inflators as reactive hazardous waste under RCRA.
A working checklist before you buy
Run these six steps in order and your return rate drops to near zero.
- Decode your VIN first — engine, trim, transmission, and plant code, all four fields, written down before you call anyone.
- Get the interchange number and part type together — from the yard counter or a Car-Part.com search on your exact vehicle.
- Read every qualifier on the application line — build date splits, trim, drivetrain, and options are where the mismatches hide.
- Demand the donor's 17-digit VIN — mandatory for engines, transmissions, ECUs, and airbag modules, useful on everything else.
- Compare casting or forging numbers in person — photograph the donor part's number and match it against yours.
- Confirm the warranty in writing — 30 to 90 days is standard at full-service yards; self-service is final sale.
Ready to source the part? Search verified yards by state and city in our salvage yard directory, and see the field version of this process in our guide to buying used auto parts at salvage yards. If the donor car is your own, check what it is worth in our breakdown of cash for junk cars or get a quote to sell it.