The British government has cracked down on illegal car parts in recent weeks, capturing a massive haul from one supplier.
What’s going on?
According to a press release from the UK government, police seized 3,600 fake car parts worth more than £100,000 from a self-stocking facility in South Gloucestershire.
Parts included spark plugs, oil filters, air filters, fuel filters, windshield wiper blades, and sensors, all designed to help bypass safety testing.
Officers found improperly marked parts manufactured to masquerade as properly certified parts, and unlabeled parts in plain boxes, designed to mislead consumers.
Why are fake car parts concerning?
Counterfeit car parts are a booming black market in the UK; according to a 2024 report, the amount imported into the UK in 2021 was worth £2.2 billion.
The second report showed that one in six British drivers had bought fake parts for their car knowingly or unknowingly.
However, there was more at stake than simply the protection of brand rights or licensing fees; Counterfeit parts are often made of inferior materials and have not been properly tested for safety, making them more susceptible to failure or other issues than standard parts.
While this may mean they are cheaper in the short term, the repeated need to replace them drives repair costs through the roof.
In addition, parts that fail while the car is on the road can cause potentially serious accidents, and the inferior materials used in manufacturing can pose health hazards to drivers and passengers.
“Counterfeit vehicle parts are not only illegal – they are potentially lethal,” said South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet Member for Trading Standards, Sean Rhodes.
“Our Trading Standards team, working with national partners and industry experts, has acted decisively to protect drivers and the wider public,” he continued.
“We encourage everyone to be vigilant when buying vehicle parts, especially online, and to report anything suspicious. Safety must come first, and this seizure sends a clear message that we will not tolerate criminal activity that could put lives at risk.”
What is being done about fake car parts?
Amid the British government’s efforts to tackle counterfeiting, the Gloucestershire raid was a perfect example of the work it is doing.
Officials also provided advice to consumers to help avoid being scammed by inferior parties.
Checking for serial numbers, iffy packaging, vague product descriptions, missing safety guidelines, and spelling or grammatical errors on the packaging or instructions are all signs that the parts may be counterfeit and should be reported to the Board of Trade.
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