“Counterfeit brakes are an enormous safety risk”
In a previous issue of our trade magazine we reported that more and more consumers are asking car repairers if they can supply their own parts for the workshop. Obviously we suspect the customer is procuring the parts from the Internet.
The consumer obviously assumes they will save money. This is not always the case as we have heard of horror stories where the supplied parts then don’t fit or are not the name-brands they were supposed to be. We recently had a repairer tell us that his customer arrived with a box full of parts to perform a timing belt repair. He decided not to do the repair because he feared that if the generic parts failed it could cost him $1000’s, especially if they were blamed for possible engine damage later.
Hella Pagid brakes also warns of counterfeit spare parts and introduces copy protected holographic security seals to make their original parts easier to identify.
“Those who buy brakes and other spare parts from unscrupulous online dealers may be putting their safety at great risk,” Hella Australia told us.
In many cases, cheap, low-quality knockoffs are sold instead of the original part. For safety-related parts such as brakes, this can pose a risk of fatal injury in a worst-case scenario.”
“This holographic seal makes it easier to tell an original part from a knockoff,” Hella Pagid Managing Director Lars Brylka emphasized.
“If a garage or end consumer installs a cheap knockoff instead of the
original part, this increases the risk of an accident, as counterfeit friction
materials often have dangerous safety flaws.”
Brylka also notes that, even for experts, it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify counterfeit automotive parts. This is because pirates now copy packaging and trademarks along with the product including the part number. The new holographic seal gives garages, dealers and their customers the assurance of exclusively using original parts from brake provider Hella Pagid.
More info go to www.hella.com.au
