Every older car eventually hits the same wall. A door-trim clip snaps, the dealer says the part is no longer available, and the only used one at the junkyard is just as brittle as the one you broke. For a large class of small plastic parts, 3D printing is now a practical way out: scan the original, fix what's broken in CAD, and print a replacement in a plastic chosen for where it lives in the car.

It isn't the answer for everything, though. This guide covers which parts are good candidates, how the scan-and-reprint process works, which materials belong where, and the parts we won't print at any price.

Which car parts are good candidates for 3D printing

The best candidates are small, non-structural plastic parts whose failure is an annoyance, not a hazard:

Interior clips and fasteners: door-panel clips, trim retainers, fender-liner clips. See clips and fasteners.
Trim pieces: ashtray sliders, bolt caps, visor clips and switch blanks on cars that have been out of production for years.
Interior function: cupholders for cars that never had a good one, phone mounts and gauge pods. See cupholders and gauge pods.
Repair parts that work around a known weak point, such as the E36 coupe door repair kit or the Wrangler JK visor fix tube.
Air guides and ducts that aren't load-bearing. See ducts.

Some of these are already in our catalog. For example, the Mercedes R129/W124/W140 exterior door trim clips, the 80s/90s Mercedes door trim panel clip, the BMW E46 sun visor clip and the E46 ashtray slider. If your part is listed, you can skip the scan.

The scan-and-reprint workflow

When there's no file and no replacement, we work from the part itself. Our 3D scanning service currently handles small and medium parts, from a single clip up to roughly shoebox size. Larger parts such as bumpers and body panels are scanned with our handheld scanner.

Request a scan quote. Describe the part, its size and what you need back, ideally with photos. You get a fixed price, not an hourly estimate.
Get the part to us. We're online-only, so most people mail the part in. Within San Diego we can arrange a courier pickup.
Scan. The part is captured on a turntable scanner. Very glossy, dark or clear surfaces may get a light coat of removable scanning spray.
Rebuild. A broken part is a starting point, not a template. Snapped tabs are restored, worn edges are squared up, and critical dimensions such as holes and mating faces are checked by hand. You can have the result as an STL/OBJ mesh or as an editable STEP CAD file.
Print and return. The replacement is printed in the material that suits its location and shipped back with your original.

Already have a CAD file or STL? Skip straight to the instant quote. Uploaded files are priced from a real print simulation. If you're designing the part yourself, the design guide covers wall thickness and tolerances for clips and snap fits.

Materials by location in the car

A part that works perfectly on the bench can fail in the car because of heat, sunlight or chemicals. Choose the plastic by where the part will live:

Cabin, out of direct sun

Door pockets, under-seat parts, glove boxes and console bins don't see extreme temperatures. PETG works here and is our everyday baseline. ASA or ABS add heat margin if the car spends summers outside.

Dashboard, rear deck and anything near glass

This is the hottest place in a parked car. A 2018 study by Arizona State University and UC San Diego measured dashboards averaging 157 °F (about 69 °C) after one hour parked in the sun. Use ASA, ASA-CF, ABS or PC here, never PLA. Our ASA vs PETG vs carbon fiber guide goes into detail.

Exterior trim

Anything outside needs UV resistance. ASA was developed for outdoor use and holds its color and toughness in sunlight far better than ABS or PETG. ASA-CF adds stiffness and a matte carbon look.

Engine bay

Heat plus oil and coolant exposure calls for engineering grades. Use PAHT-CF for brackets and covers near hot components, and PPS-CF where fuel, oil or coolant can reach the part. Compare them in the materials guide.

When not to 3D print a car part

Some parts must never be replaced with a printed copy, however good the scan. We won't print these, and we'd urge you not to source them from anyone else either:

Brakes. The only exception is cooling ducts, as air guides, for track use.
Seatbelt parts, including guides, buckles and anchors.
Steering parts.
Pedals.
Seat mounts.
Structural brackets.
Fuel-system parts.
Anything in or near airbag areas, including dash-top mounts over an airbag seam.

The reason is simple. These parts are engineered, tested and certified to survive crash loads and to fail in predictable ways. A printed copy can look identical and behave very differently. If a part's failure could hurt someone, buy the OEM or certified replacement.

Brake cooling ducts are the one brake-adjacent part we print, for example the BMW E90/E92 M3 brake duct. They guide air and carry no load, and they're intended for track use.

Practical tips before you send a part

Send the broken pieces too. Even fragments show us the original geometry.
If you have an unbroken twin (the passenger-side clip, say), send that instead. It scans better.
Note the year, make, model and trim, and any OEM part number printed on the part.
Tell us how many you need. Clips often come in sets, and catalog parts get 10% off at 3+, 15% at 5+ and 20% at 10+.

Standard turnaround on printing is 2–3 business days once the design is ready. Catalog parts carry a fit guarantee: a free reprint within 30 days if the part doesn't fit the listed vehicle. Browse the full car parts catalog to see what's already available.

FAQ

How big a part can you scan?

Right now, small and medium parts up to roughly shoebox size. Larger parts such as bumpers and body panels are scanned with our handheld scanner.

Is a 3D printed clip as strong as the original?

For most interior clips and trim retainers, a printed part in the right material is fully up to the job. Often it's better than a decades-old original that has gone brittle. It is not a substitute for safety-critical parts, which we don't print.

Can I get the CAD file as well as the part?

Yes. Scanning can deliver an STL/OBJ mesh, an editable STEP file, or a printed replacement, and you can combine them.

Replacing discontinued car parts with 3D printing (and when not to)