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Fake parts fiasco

FCAI fears over reproduction replicas have hit heavy vehicle industry, supplier says

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) recently stepped up their ‘Genuine is Best’ campaign in the hopes of lowering the number of fake replica parts being imported into Australia.

Now, an Australian heavy vehicle parts distributor says the effects of imported counterfeit parts could be exponentially worse in the heavy vehicle sector.

Air Springs Supply says the FCAI warnings about the dangers of non-genuine parts should be taken seriously, especially when it comes to parts which could critically impact a vehicle’s safety.

Air Springs Supply sales manager Russel Chown says the problem highlighted by the FCAI could be much worse when it comes to vehicles such as buses or road trains.

“The safety risks in heavier vehicles are even worse than in cars with non-genuine parts, because the bigger the vehicle the greater the hazards from compromised suspension reliability and stability,” Chown says.

“It doesn’t matter if you are carrying groceries or coal, people, or manufactured products, the risks are not worth taking.”

The FCAI’s ‘Genuine is Best’ initiative highlighted the importance of genuine parts with a ‘real vs fake’ wheels test.

At 50km/h, the replica wheels chipped apart when running into a pothole, while the genuine wheel was undamaged.

The FCAI’s warnings are especially relevant in the bus industry due to the high number of passengers relying on the quality of parts being used.

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