Why are fake parts not worth the risk?
The rise in counterfeit TPMS products endangers road safety, undermines trust in workshops, and harms legitimate manufacturers. Steve Hodges, marketing manager at Tyresure, explains why fake parts aren’t worth the risk.
The growing trade in counterfeit vehicle parts is a major problem for the automotive industry, and the risks go well beyond lost revenue for legitimate manufacturers. These fake products undermine safety on the roads, put lives at risk, and damage the reputations of workshops and service centres that unknowingly use them.
Counterfeit commercial vehicle parts are not subject to the same rigorous testing as legitimate products and are often manufactured using vastly inferior materials.
Dodgy dealings
Safety-critical items such as tyres, wheels, brakes, and HGV reflective tape are among the most purchased counterfeit items in the UK, with a recent Intellectual Property Office (IPO) survey conducted as part of its ‘Fake Always Breaks’ campaign 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.
Garages, workshops, and HGV service centres should avoid using customer supplied parts and only fit parts from trusted manufacturers and reputable vehicle parts distributors. This practice not only enhances the safety of commercial vehicles, but also reassures fleet managers and HGV drivers that all replacement components meet the required legal quality standards.
Fitting counterfeit commercial vehicle parts can also invalidate warranties and cause liabilities to garages and workshops, with counterfeit parts unlikely to be covered under warranty if the part subsequently fails, with additional costs for replacement parts and labour.
It can be hard to tell counterfeit commercial vehicle TPMS products from genuine ones as counterfeiters try to make exact copies of OE TPMS parts. But they cut costs by using inferior components so the counterfeit cannot perform as well and will fail much more quickly than OE or aftermarket TPMS products manufactured by a reputable manufacturer.
The clues are there
The clues to snide TPMS sensors and diagnostic tools include missing or misspelled manufacturer names or logos, incorrect countries of origin, and missing FCC numbers and other factory markings. You should also check the quality of production, cheap looking or non-standard components such as screws and valves, missing parts on the circuit board, and poor potting or low-quality plastic housings on the sensor body.
The main issues from using counterfeit TPMS diagnostic tools are caused by the unauthorised or pirated software supplied 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 is a sign that the purchased tool is not authentic, as the official, licensed software will typically only be available to download via the tool manufacturers website or distributor network. A non-updated diagnostic tool will suffer major restrictions to the available sensor coding processes, with the input of non-updated protocols resulting in the persistent failure to program sensors correctly.
At Tyresure, we pride ourselves on the quality of our TPMS sensors, diagnostic tools, and related products. Our equipment is manufactured to the highest standards and is certified by TÜV SÜD for IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 9001:2015. We offer comprehensive software support, ensuring that our diagnostic tools are always up to date with the latest sensor protocols. These updates are essential for maintaining compatibility with evolving vehicle technology and are only available through our official channels.
Don’t risk it
Investing in genuine products not only protects workshops from the risks associated with fakes but also ensures smooth operations and satisfied customers. By using certified tools and sensors, workshops can confidently meet the expectations of fleet managers and vehicle owners, knowing they are providing safe and reliable solutions.
The trade in counterfeit TPMS products isn’t just a challenge for manufacturers like us – it’s a threat to the entire industry. Counterfeit parts might seem like a cost-saving shortcut, but the risks they pose far outweigh any perceived benefits. As professionals, we owe it to ourselves, our customers, and the wider public to uphold the highest standards of safety and reliability.
