FAKE PARTS

COUNTERFEIT PARTS

An article published in a popular Arab newspaper in October 2010 confirmed, “Out of every 6,000 fatalities due to accidents on Saudi roads, half of those are as a result of using FAKE spare automobile parts.”

A counterfeit part is “an unauthorized copy or substitute part that has been identified, marked, and/or altered by a source other that the part’s legally authorized source and has been misrepresented to be from a legally authorized source.”

 

Figure 1 Comparative illustration: Genuine vs Counterfeit parts

* On Pressure test results indicate earlier deterioration manifested from fake parts that may result in engine failure. The genuine parts, however, withstand pressure beyond the specified recommended maintenance interval.

Counterfeit parts are becoming more sophisticated and harder to distinguish by mere packaging and appearances. Price is often an indicator – if it is clearly cheaper than an authorized dealer, there is a high probability that it is fake. You should also check if the supplier is listed on the manufacturer’s website as an authorized dealer.

* Vehicle’s warranty is voided by using counterfeit parts.