Spare parts · 2026
3D printed car and motorbike parts
Can you 3D print car parts?
Yes, as long as they're plastic parts with no safety role: trim clips, covers, bezels, brackets, knobs or interior parts that are no longer sold on their own. Heat is what matters: the dashboard of a car parked in the sun can reach 70 °C or more, so never PLA, always ASA or ABS. A small part costs €6–€17 (typically €10), excluding VAT and shipping. On Fabrishare, a network of makers, you post the part for free and get quotes within 24–48 hours.
Which car parts can be 3D printed?
It depends on where the part goes. What usually works, area by area:
| Area | Parts that work well | Material | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car interior | Trim clips, covers, bezels, cup holders, phone mounts, knobs, glovebox catches | ASA or ABS | The dashboard and parcel shelf can reach 70 °C or more in the sun |
| Exterior | Caps, bumper and wheel-arch clips, brackets, covers | ASA | Sun and rain all year; nothing that affects the MOT |
| Motorbike | Sat-nav or phone mounts, covers, fairing clips, small guards | ASA or PETG | Vibration: thick walls and bolts with washers |
| Motorhome and caravan | Cupboard catches and latches, interior furniture parts, covers, brackets | PETG, ASA or ABS | It gets hot inside in summer too |
| Classic car | Discontinued interior parts: handles, vents, covers, trim | ASA or ABS | Keep the broken part: it's the best reference |
Which parts should never be printed?
The rule: if the part holds, brakes, protects or gets checked at the MOT, it isn't printed.
Yes: parts with no safety role
- Plastic clips, fasteners and covers
- Interior trim, vents and handles
- Phone, sat-nav or dashcam mounts
- Knobs, cup holders and glovebox parts
- Catches and furniture parts for motorhomes
Never
- Brakes, steering, suspension or structural parts
- Seat belts, their anchorages, or anything covering or next to an airbag
- Lights, mirrors and number plate holders: they affect type approval and the MOT
- Engine-bay parts or anything near the exhaust: the heat there is beyond any standard filament
Can a 3D printed part handle the heat in a car?
It's the most common mistake with car parts, which is why the material matters more than the shape.
Never PLA
PLA softens from around 55 °C. In a car parked in the summer sun, the dashboard can reach 70 °C or more: a PLA part warps on the first hot day, not over months.
ASA or ABS for the cabin
Both handle around 90 °C. ASA also resists sunlight without turning brittle, so it's the choice for anything visible through the windows and for the outside of the car. Both need an enclosed printer, which not every maker has: that's why it's worth saying in the project that the part is for a car.
PETG, only in the shade
It softens at around 70 °C. Fine for the boot, under the seats or on a motorbike that isn't left in the sun, but not for the dashboard.
What to send so the part fits
- 1
Make, model and year
For example, «2002 Volkswagen Golf Mk4» or «2019 Honda CBR500R». Parts change between versions of the same model.
- 2
The part number
Many plastic parts have a number moulded on the inside. With it, the maker can look for a ready-made file and you can check whether the part is still sold.
- 3
Photos with a ruler next to it
From every side, including where it clips in. If it's broken, tape the pieces together for the photo.
- 4
The measurements that matter
With callipers: holes, distances between screws, thicknesses and the width of the clip legs.
- 5
Where it goes and how many
Whether it's in the sun, vibrates or gets wet. And for clips, order a few spares: a couple always break when a panel comes off.
When printing a car part makes sense
Printing isn't always the cheapest option. It's worth it in these cases:
It's no longer made
The clearest case: classic cars and twenty-year-old models, where a plastic cover or handle can't be found even at a breaker's yard.
Discontinued parts: how to get themOnly sold as an assembly
One tab snaps and the dealer only sells the whole panel or console. The printed part costs a fraction.
It doesn't exist
A dashcam mount, a phone adapter, a made-to-measure cover: parts nobody sells, designed for your vehicle.
No STL file?Several identical parts
For a classic car club or a garage: runs bring the price right down, to about €3.65 each for 100 small parts.
Small batch 3D printingWhen not to
If the part is sold on its own and cheaply at the dealer or a breaker's yard, buy it: it'll be the original material and fit first time.
Vehicle parts in the network
Of the 110 registered requests on Fabrishare between May and October 2026, 26 were spare parts and functional parts, one of them a motorbike part. The maker network has also handled the lock for a motorhome: a part that works every day and had to be tough, not decorative.
As a guide, a small FDM part such as a clip or bracket costs €6–€17, excluding VAT and shipping. If the maker has to model it from photos and measurements, the design is charged separately and shown in their offer.
How to order a part for your car or motorbike
- 1Post your project for free: the STL file if you have it, or photos with a ruler, measurements and the make, model and year.
- 2Say where the part goes (interior, exterior, motorbike, in the sun) so the maker can choose the material.
- 3Within 24–48 hours you get offers with price, material and lead time. You choose one, and the maker prints it and ships it to you.
Questions about 3D printed car parts
Can you 3D print car parts?
Yes, plastic parts with no safety role: clips, covers, trim, brackets, knobs and interior parts. Brakes, steering, suspension, seat belts, airbags and structural parts, never.
Which material holds up inside a car?
ASA or ABS, which handle around 90 °C. In summer, the dashboard of a car in the sun can reach 70 °C or more: PLA warps from around 55 °C and PETG gives way at around 70 °C. Never PLA in a car.
How much does it cost to 3D print a car part?
A small part such as a clip or bracket costs €6–€17, typically €10, excluding VAT and shipping. In runs it drops to about €3.65 each (100 small parts). If it needs modelling, the design is extra.
Will a printed part pass the MOT?
Interior parts and clips aren't checked. Anything that affects type approval, such as lights, mirrors or the number plate holder, shouldn't be printed: it can make the car fail its MOT or roadworthiness test.
I don't have the file. Can it still be done?
Yes. Send photos from every side with a ruler next to the part, the main measurements and the make, model and year. Some makers in the network model the part; the design is quoted separately.
Can motorbike parts be printed?
Yes: sat-nav or phone mounts, covers, fairing clips and small guards. Because of vibration, ask for thick walls in ASA or PETG. No brakes, levers, footpegs or parts near the exhaust.
What about a motorhome or caravan?
It's one of the best fits: cupboard catches, latches, covers and interior furniture parts, which break with use and often aren't sold separately. The network has printed the lock for a motorhome.
Can I order several identical parts?
Yes, and it's cheaper per part: about €3.65 each in a run of 100 small parts. With clips, always order a few spares.
How long does it take?
Offers arrive within 24–48 hours. A small part prints in under an hour; each maker gives the total lead time, shipping included, in their offer.