Hamaton lines up to support counterfeit car parts campaign

17 December 2024  

The trade in counterfeit vehicle parts not only harms legitimate manufacturers and traders while enriching criminals, but can also lead to life-changing or life-ending consequences for road users, Hamaton has warned.

Citing the recently-launched ‘Fake Always Breaks’ awareness campaign by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), plans for which were revealed earlier this year by Aftermarket magazine, Hamaton said the initiative highlights the dangers to consumers and the motor trade that counterfeits parts are more likely to fail, putting lives at risk, and endangering road users.

Counterfeit vehicle parts are not subject to the same rigorous testing as legitimate products and are likely manufactured using vastly inferior materials. Safety-critical items such as tyres, wheels, airbags, and brakes are among the most purchased counterfeit items, with a recent IPO survey finding one in six motorists purchased a fake part in the past 12 months.

Although some counterfeit purchases are made inadvertently, 58% of motorists did so knowing the part was counterfeit. The most commonly purchased counterfeit car parts in the UK include car batteries (25%), tyres and wheels (23%), windscreen wipers (19%), airbags (14%), and brake pads or discs (12%).

The IPO survey also found that getting parts for a cheaper price was a significant factor when intentionally buying a fake part, with 31% of motorists citing cost savings as a reason, with a further 34% buying fake parts because they felt there was no discernible difference in appearance.

Warranties

It can be difficult to tell the difference between genuine and counterfeit car parts, with 45% of motorists who bought a fake part thinking it was genuine only finding out after the part faulted, with a further 30% becoming aware during routine service checks. Garages should avoid using customer supplied parts and only fit parts from trusted suppliers and reputable vehicle parts distributors.

This practice not only enhances the safety of vehicles, but also reassures customers that all components meet the required legal standards. Fitting counterfeit car parts can also invalidate warranties and cause liabilities to garages, with counterfeit parts unlikely to be covered by the garage under warranty if the part subsequently fails, with additional costs to the motorist for replacement parts and labour. 

It can be hard to tell counterfeit tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) products from genuine ones as counterfeiters try to make exact copies of OE TPMS parts. Counterfeits often use inferior or low-quality components to reduce production costs, which leads to these counterfeit products not performing in the same way as OE or aftermarket TPMS products manufactured by a reputable manufacturer.

With TPMS sensors, there are a few key giveaways that they might be counterfeit such as missing or misspelled manufacturer names or logos, incorrect countries of origin, and missing FCC numbers and other factory markings.

You should also pay close attention to the quality of production, checking for cheap looking or non-standard components such as screws and valves, missing parts on the circuit board, and cheap potting or low-quality plastic housings on the sensor body.

Unauthorised

For TPMS diagnostic tools, counterfeits can be identified in similar ways as with sensors, and will have been produced using low-quality materials to reduce costs. Again, look for any incorrect branding, logos or icons on the tools faceplate that may indicate a counterfeit, also taking note that the production markings, warnings symbols, and the FCC identification numbers and text on the rear of the tool.

The main issues from using counterfeit TPMS diagnostic tools are caused by the unauthorised or pirated software provided by counterfeiters to operate the tool, with these using out of date sensor protocol databases with no subscription or updates available.

The omission of software or database updates should be a sign that the purchased tool is not authentic, as the official, licenced software will typically only be available to download via the tool manufacturers website or distributor network. A non-updated diagnostic tool will likely have major restrictions to the available sensor coding processes, with the input of non-updated protocols resulting in the persistent failure to program sensors correctly.

Hamaton has a range of TPMS products for all vehicle types including diagnostic tools, sensors, valves and consumables designed to fit seamlessly into existing changing and maintenance procedures.

Manufactured to the most exacting standards, Hamaton TPMS products are produced under controlled quality standards, and are certified by TÜV SÜD for IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 9001:2015 to ensure durability, lifespan, and quality.

Miles Rees, IPO deputy director of enforcement, said of the campaign: “The ‘Fake Always Breaks’ campaign seeks to arm motorists and the vehicle repair and servicing industries with the awareness they need to help spot a fake, avoid the risks, and report sellers.”

Guidance

The campaign is being supported by a range of manufacturers in the automotive industry, vehicle repair and servicing sectors, including the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation and the Independent Garage Association, and highlights new guidance and advice for consumers and the motoring industry on how to spot and report counterfeit car parts.

Most car parts manufacturers have brand protection teams that investigate counterfeit vehicle parts, and garages and workshops that identify fake parts should report them directly to the manufacturer using the contact information provided on the business guidance document which can be found on the IPO website.

There you will also find a consumer guidance document on what to look out when purchasing car parts so you can avoid counterfeit products.