Counterfeit spark plugs found online in Australia

By Isaac Bober 2 Min Read

Counterfeit parts are making news again with the discovery of large batches of spark plugs purchased online in Australia were found to be fake.

An automotive industry-led operation has discovered a large batch of spark plugs purchased online and purporting to be genuine equipment were fake. According to a statement from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), “60 per cent of the hundreds of spark plugs purchased in trap buys are verified frauds, passing off low quality materials and inferior construction as genuine parts”.

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According to the FCAI, the counterfeit spark plugs were constructed from low-grade components causing them to overheat quickly with drivers able to tell via a loss of engine performance, particularly under heavy acceleration. If the fake spark plugs continue to overheat, they will melt and cause extreme engine damage.

“The trap purchases were undertaken by a coalition of automotive manufacturers, with the fakes packaged and marked with forged Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Toyota branding,” the FCAI said.

The automotive industry is working with relevant online trading platforms to remove listings and ban sellers of the illegal counterfeits from their sites, according to the FCAI.

The discovery of the fraudulent parts adds spark plugs to the list of fakes encountered by FCAI initiative Genuine is Best. Other dangerous fakes, said the FCAI, include counterfeit oil filters that do not filter oil, wheels that shatter in low speed pothole impacts, brake components containing asbestos and in one case, brake pads made of compressed grass clippings.


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