Another counterfeit car parts racket exposed

Thousands of Australian motorists are at risk of serious engine damage and repair bills by an influx of bogus oil filters circulating the country.

A joint investigation between two of the country’s largest automotive retailers, Toyota and Hyundai, has unearthed counterfeit oil filters disguised as genuine OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts.

Stakeholders recently located 500 counterfeit filters from one distributor branded as Toyota, Lexus and Mobis (used for Hyundai and Kia vehicles), and concede there are likely thousands more on the market. Most are said to have been distributed via online shopping and crooked wholesalers selling the filters to independent mechanics.

In many cases, trained technicians have endured trouble in picking apart genuine from fake. However, the difference in laboratory comparisons is unequivocal.

“Bench flow testing of seized counterfeit oil filters packaged for use in popular Toyota, Hyundai and Kia models identified several design and engineering flaws, including a major one that exposes crucial engine parts to damage and failure,” warned industry body, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Overseas testing of the filters exposed a faulty oil bypass valve that would ordinarily bypass oil to the engine if the filter becomes blocked. Without this part functioning, the FCAI says owners are at risk of thousands of dollars of engine damage. Even complete replacement.

Affected manufacturers are desperately trying to reach out to owners to have their vehicles checked. One distributor behind the filters has reportedly agreed in an out of-court settlement to contact consumers and replace the counterfeit items with genuine ones.

The industry has urged owners and mechanics to be vigilant of potential counterfeit parts.

“Counterfeiters are only in this for the quick buck; they can’t hope to replicate the thousands of hours of research, development and engineering that stand behind genuine parts, even with something as small as an oil filter,” said FCAI chief Tony Weber.

“For the sake of a small short term saving, these poor quality copies don’t even operate as a filter and risk many thousands of dollars in repair costs. It is essential that you check that your mechanic and repairer uses genuine replacement parts sourced from the authorised dealer network. It’s as simple as asking the question.”

The latest development in the FCAI's war on counterfeit parts, which has been criticised by the AAAA, follows the seizure of 33,000 fake parts -- collectively worth $1 million in Australia, for which they were destined -- by Chinese police in the southern city of Guangzhou last year.

Among them were filters, cables, seals, airbags, brake master cylinders and brake pads. According to the FCAI, the Chinese police were alerted by a tip-off from Toyota Australia.