Surge in counterfeit parts worries Australian auto industry

A staggering 1.7 million counterfeit car parts were intercepted and confiscated by Daimler last year, leading to renewed calls for greater awareness how to spot fake components.

The German automotive company believes the number of non-genuine parts found for sale online is higher than pre-pandemic levels, with its head of Legal Product Intellectual Property, Florian Adt, saying the firm has had to implement new strategies to tackle counterfeiters.

"Over 1.7 million counterfeit Daimler products were confiscated in 2020," said Adt.

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Genuine vs counterfeit wheels after being stress tested

"We initiated and supported over 550 raids by the authorities. This is a slight increase compared to the previous year – despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

"We have adapted our brand protection strategy and increased our activities to combat counterfeiting in online trading. All in all, we were able to have 138,000 fake products removed from online platforms. This is around three times as many as during the same period before the pandemic."

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Genuine brake pads (left) will perform significantly better than knock-offs (right)

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has established its Genuine is Best campaign in association with the Australian Border Force to crack down on counterfeit parts infiltrating the country, with Chief Executive Tony Weber saying the increased rate of fake parts is worrying for consumers.

“With over 1.7 million counterfeit parts confiscated by a single brand in 2020, automotive manufacturers worry that Australian motorists do not understand the safety risks associated with fakes, nor the conditions under which they’re likely produced," said Weber.

"Car manufacturers spend years developing quality parts to the highest standards, in line with Australian design and safety rules. Data from trade association Unifab indicates counterfeit parts achieve higher profit margins than illegal drugs.

“This indicates fake goods are being manufactured by organised crime syndicates, likely linked with human trafficking – and under poor working conditions.

"Australian motorists cannot purchase counterfeit parts without putting themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk.”

Earlier this month the Australian Border Force intercepted a hoard of counterfeit Toyota parts, all of which were ordered by local customers who were unaware they were non-genuine.