Fake auto parts endangers lives

In south-east Asia, fake automotive parts are becoming a threat to the domestic markets. It is a matter of time until the problem spreads to the UK.

Auto parts - especially ones for Hyundai and Kia cars - are made cheaply in China. This has been a trade which has gone on for a long time, but recently, faked parts started coming complete with the logos of the manufacturers the Chinese factories are cloning.

The Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reports that not only are main manufacturers’ parts being cloned, but that batches of less-than-genuine parts from subcontractors have been found as well.

Fake parts could have fatal consequences

Some of the cloned parts are integral parts of the powertrain and other parts of the car: Turbo components marked Honeywell, brake components with forged brand markings, clutches, bumpers etc have been found. The problem is partially that this puts financial pressure on the manufacturers, but far more importantly, the fake parts are of substantially lower quality: Less strong, more prone to rust, and less tolerant of heat.

With components such as turbochargers and brake systems faked, this is obviously a serious problem - the faked brake systems have been found to wear far faster than original parts, and in some cases fail completely after only a few thousand miles, leaving drivers without brakes.

May become a problem in the UK

Faked parts are not yet a big problem in the UK, as the automotive importers keep close tabs on where the parts they use in their cars come from. Via web-sites such as eBay, however, it is possible to buy car parts which are being shipped from China and Hong Kong. To the un-trained eye, it could be difficult to determine if the parts arriving in the post are fakes or the real thing: Some of the faked parts aren’t just stamped with counterfeit manufacturer logos - they also come with forgeries of certificates of authenticity!

So far this year, Korean customs has found more than £2m worth of fake Chinese automotive parts. The faked motor parts have so far been surfacing all over Asia and the middle east, with occasional reports of dubious parts in some parts of eastern Europe.

UK manufacturers and importers are familiar with the problem, and are on the look-out for faked parts. They are facing a difficult task, however, as some drivers - especially ones who partake in the auto modification subcultures - are prone to import performance parts themselves, for economical reasons.