The RAC is warning drivers after “thousands of potentially dangerous fake car parts” have been seized after a raid in South Gloucestershire. The parts, valued at over £100,000 were uncovered after an operation by South Gloucestershire Trading Standards, with over 3,600 fake car parts found in a self-storage unit. The fake parts were found by officers packaged plainly, along with unused counterfeit labels, ready to be shipped.
These included counterfeit spark plugs, oil, fuel, and air filters, windscreen wipers, and sensors. They are designed to resemble the real thing but bypass crucial safety testing, making them more prone to failure and putting lives at “serious risk,” the RAC said. It is warning drivers to “be vigilant when buying car parts, particularly if they sourced from online suppliers or unfamiliar local businesses.”
A recent survey by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) revealed that a sixth of drivers had bought a counterfeit car part in the past year. “Fake parts bypass safety tests and are often made with vastly inferior materials, putting them at serious risk of failure with potentially devastating results,” said IPO’s Deputy Director of Enforcement, Helen Barnham.
These parts are “potentially lethal,” Councillor Sean Rhodes, South Gloucestershire Council’s cabinet member for Trading Standards told BBC News. “Our Trading Standards team, working with national partners and industry experts, has acted decisively to protect motorists and the wider public.”
The most purchased items, an IPO survey found, are those which can pose the highest safety risk, with a quarter of those who bought fakes having bought batteries, 23% buying tyres or wheels, 12% buying brake pads or discs, and 14% buying airbags.
More than two-fifths of those who bought fake car parts thought they were buying something genuine, only finding out via their garage after the part faulted. Nearly a third became aware only after a routine service check.
The RAC offers the following advice to make sure you only buy genuine parts. First, it says to take any failed part on your car to a reputable garage or mechanic. RAC Approved Garages network can help, along with RAC Mobile Mechanics.
Look out for the following warning signs when buying any car part:
- Vague product descriptions
- Poor quality packaging
- Missing safety guidelines
- Incorrect serial numbers
- Misspellings on parts or packaging; instructions that do not include English
If you have concerns about a suspicious vehicle part or trader, report it to Trading Standards consumer help team.
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