Folk wisdom "The miser pays twice" known to all. Nevertheless, counterfeit spare parts, as practice shows, are very actively dispersed among buyers. For the simple reason that they are cheaper than the original ones. What is the danger of installing fake suspension parts on a car and how to distinguish them from the original? We were helped to deal with these issues in the Russian representative office of the company CTR.
“If a driver installs a fake, then it is impossible to give any guarantees regarding his life and health. Because a break in such suspension parts as a ball joint or a steering tip on the go is fraught with a complete loss of control, and it is not known how and in which direction the car will be thrown off the road. A human life is really at stake!”, - says Roman Kartuzov, head of the CTR representative office in the CIS.
According to the expert, no one can say how quickly a counterfeit part will fail. Outwardly, it can be very similar to the original, but if it corresponds to it in terms of geometric dimensions, then at the installation stage and during further operation it can behave absolutely unpredictably.
For example, a ball joint pin made in violation of technology will disable the entire lever. In particular, a cheap part machined on a conventional lathe will leave cutter marks that will begin to abrade the lever seat.
Repeatedly there is a detachment of the finger from the ball due to the use of poor-quality welding. CTR uses 3D forging, in which the ball and pin are one piece. And if welding is used, it is robotic, with high-frequency currents, which excludes separation.
In addition, low-grade cheap steels, from which counterfeit goods are usually made, do not in themselves meet the strength characteristics laid down by the specification of the car manufacturer. This can lead to problems on the very first bump: the steering rods break off, the stabilizer struts and levers bend. Another problem is inaccurate measurements or dents in parts that lead to uneven tire wear.
Left is original, right is fake.
According to CTR, the main source of counterfeit products worldwide is China.
More than 90% of fakes come from China.
Most often, counterfeit products can be found in the UAE, as Dubai is the world's largest trading platform.
In Russia, fakes under CTR, according to the Russian representative office of the brand, are sometimes found in cities bordering China. Deeper into the country counterfeit gets in minimal volumes due to active work with customs authorities and organized raids. In addition, most manufacturers, including CTR, publish on their websites lists of official distributors whose quality is guaranteed. In the future, the company plans to add authorized retail outlets to this list.
How to distinguish original CTR products from fake? First of all, you need to pay attention to the packaging: it must be labeled Made in Korea. If the country of origin is any other or not indicated at all, the part is almost certainly fake. CTR has a factory in China, but deliveries from there are made only to the conveyors of domestic car manufacturers.
On one of the six sides of the individual packaging of the part (box), there must be a label with several mandatory lines: branded part number, OEM number (may be absent depending on the country of delivery), barcode, QR code, Made in Korea inscription, description (part name), number of parts in the package.
Fake box on top, original box below.
IN CTR pay special attention to the fact that neither on the sticker nor on the box should there be Korean letters - only English spelling.
The CTR part must be shown on the packaging only as a 3D model, and without any cuts. The design of the image from 2D to 3D was changed by the company in the mid-2000s, and if a 2D image is found on the box, it is most likely that it is a fake. In addition, all boxes are imprinted with the name of Central Corporation, the owner of the CTR trademark.
Each package of original CTR parts has a QR code that replaced holograms. The latter have not been used by the company for about six years. If there is a hologram on the box with other parts, this is a reason for suspicion that a fake or a heavily stale part is hiding inside.
Most Korean brand levers are not packed in cardboard boxes due to the size and weight of such parts - such parts are packed in plastic bags, but the sticker mentioned above should also be on them.
Fake spare parts outwardly often almost completely correspond to the original, but there are still differences. One of the signs of counterfeit is the absence of a dot marked with a special marker on the part, in addition, on fakes there is no laser imprint of the product code on the case (the laser gives a green tint when burned out).
What is the upshot?
Generally speaking, with the current level of technology, trying to identify a fake on your own is almost useless. Even experts sometimes fail to do so. However, you can, of course, avoid purchasing counterfeit products.
Firstly, you need to buy spare parts only from official distributors, whose contacts can always be found on the manufacturer's website. Secondly, if possible, have a standard (original) or simply be familiar with it in order to compare a known quality product purchased from an authorized dealer with what they are trying to sell you.
There are many compliance parameters: a ring on a link, anther on a ball joint, nuts, grease, lathe marks, quality of rolling, threads and bolts. If you have the slightest doubt about the authenticity, you must contact the representative office of the brand, where they will definitely help.
Hello dear car enthusiasts! For any models and brands of cars there are spare parts, and there are spare parts. Why this depth of thought? But just everything.
When it comes to choosing original and non-original spare parts for cars, opponents of non-original spare parts for foreign cars often confuse concepts.
Namely: they interfere with a bunch of counterfeit, pirated products with non-original spare parts, urging motorists to buy only original spare parts, both for foreign cars and for domestic cars.
So let's try by joint efforts to disassemble this "mountain" of spare parts, to understand how non-original spare parts for foreign cars differ from original ones, what are the pros and cons of non-original spare parts. And is it worth buying non-original spare parts for foreign cars.
And again for the skeptics. Do not confuse fake, "handicraft" made in the basement with real non-genuine auto parts made at the factory. This comparison is at least incorrect.
What are non-original spare parts for foreign cars
To enter the "topic", a few words about what an original spare part is. Original spare parts for cars are parts with car brand logos printed on them.
But, it is not a fact that, for example, a timing belt for BMW is made at the company's plant in Bavaria. Modern globalization and standardization of production is built in such a way that the official BMW partner plant in Turkey can be the manufacturer of this timing belt.
In the manufacture of a particular spare part, a subcontractor - a partner of the concern has the right to apply the BMW logo on spare parts. And this is how an original spare part for a popular foreign car is born.
Then who produces non-original spare parts for cars, you ask. In our case, this is the timing belt for BMW. And all the same plant in Turkey produces. And now we will talk about non-original spare parts for foreign cars.
The difference between the original spare part and the non-original one is only in the presence of the brand logo on the original spare part.
When on the resources of auto-internet stores they say that the quality of non-original spare parts is worse, then they are slightly cunning in order to sell original spare parts. After all, the difference in price is quite noticeable. But, in fact, when buying original spare parts for cars, we pay not for quality, but for the brand.
An allied plant that produces parts for an automaker on an assembly line produces the same parts, from the same material and using the same technology, but already under its own brand. And it is precisely this spare part that we call non-original.
Are there any differences, advantages and disadvantages of non-original spare parts? This is a rhetorical question when it comes to non-original factory spare parts for foreign cars. There are no differences in quality, and there cannot be, since the brand - the automaker, carefully controls the production of the allied plant. At stake is the image, and, accordingly, credibility and sales. And this is worth a lot.
There is one important difference - the cost of non-original spare parts is less. Without sacrificing quality. After all, the same allied plant that supplies components to the conveyor, among other things, is also interested in promoting its brand, which means that we are provided with a quality product.
So, we figured out how and why original and non-original spare parts for foreign cars differ. Now the important question is how to choose the right spare parts for the car.
How to choose non-original spare parts and not make a mistake
Not so long ago, we were recommended this option for choosing spare parts - by packaging and labels. For example, on the labels of original Mazda parts, the company logo, part number and Mazda Genuine Parts inscription were applied. On non-original spare parts, this very inscription was absent. This is as an example.
But you and I perfectly understand and know that today money is counterfeited in such a way that it is possible to distinguish a fake only with the help of laboratory tests. What can we say about packaging and labels for car parts. With the use of modern printing methods, they can be made any.
Visually, you will not be able to tell the difference between the spare parts: original, non-original and outright "bullshit", which was made in an underground workshop. Even fakes today are outwardly 100% similar to a quality spare part.
And what, a dead end when choosing a non-original spare part? No. The way out, as always, is simple and lies on the surface. The first thing we need to understand is that if we save today on buying spare parts from dubious sellers in the car market or in the roadside Auto Parts stall, tomorrow we can lose many times more money due to the failure of some auto system.
Therefore, when choosing original and non-original spare parts, we go in a civilized way: we carry out the car in the electronic catalog of spare parts using the identification number of the spare part (part).
We turn only to the official dealer, who gives a real guarantee for a particular spare part. And it confirms its status as a dealer with appropriate certificates.
Most importantly, do not be shy in this case and be sure to ask for certificates of conformity. After all, the technical condition of your car, and sometimes your personal health and life, depends on a low-quality spare part, whether it is original or not.
Original body parts are parts that are produced either by the automaker itself or by partner enterprises on its order. These are spare parts from which cars are assembled on the conveyor, they are delivered through official channels through dealers of the automobile manufacturer to retail outlets. Accordingly, by purchasing such a part, you will receive guaranteed compatibility with your car without fitting, gaps and other unpleasant moments.
In addition to full compatibility, original body parts have other advantages:
A wide range that fully meets the need for the parts necessary for repair and maintenance.
Almost complete elimination of the risk of acquiring a fake or counterfeit (subject to the recommendations below).
Elimination of the probability of error when choosing due to the unique code.
Preservation of the factory warranty on the car.
The main disadvantage, in comparison with a non-original product, is a higher cost, although recently, with fluctuations in the dollar, the difference is not so great.
Buying a non-original or investing in high-quality spare parts - each motorist decides based on his own experience, recommendations from experts and acquaintances, the condition of the car and financial condition. The purchase of original body parts is certainly a good decision in terms of the technical condition of the car, but there are several categories of vehicles when their installation is more than necessary:
Expensive and exclusive cars.
Vehicles recently purchased and under warranty.
Cars of the middle class, designed for long operation without body repair.
A car that you plan to sell at a good price after an accident.
To distinguish original body parts from non-original ones, you need to pay attention to the following:
The presence of the original packaging, on which there must be a sticker with a bar code, the brand of the manufacturer, information about the place of manufacture of the spare part;
the presence on the sticker of a unique code that each original part has and which, in fact, eliminates the possibility of an error when buying;
manufacturer's mark, the name of the brand of the car applied to the part itself. The stamp is usually applied to the painted areas near the mounting holes. On the hoods, the brand is placed on the stiffeners from the inside.
There are other criteria regarding the external features and the quality of the original body parts. If we take, for example, the front fender, then its inner part should not be black, which means that it is covered with transport primer. You will not see it on the original spare part, as it is hidden by a layer of primer and paint.
The difference between the original hood and the non-original one is the presence of factory hermetic seals, which stiffen the part. From the inside, the hood of the automaker, as a rule, is glued to the outer lining with a special sealant that increases the reliability of the product.
When buying original spare parts, it is advisable to give preference to trusted sellers who have proven themselves well and have earned a significant reputation. This category also includes an online store site that cooperates only with well-known suppliers and official dealers of famous brands. Here you can buy original body parts at a reasonable price, order delivery in St. Petersburg or anywhere in Russia, get qualified advice from experienced specialists.
Burnt in milk, you will blow on the water! It is on this principle that confusion occurs when choosing spare parts for cars, when the question concerns the choice: to buy original or non-original spare parts for foreign cars.
Let's get to the definitions
What's the catch? So there is no trick! There is a difference, and it is this very difference between original and non-original spare parts for foreign cars that we will try to find and see together now. Important! The concepts should not be confused: non-original spare parts for foreign cars and fakes.
What are original car parts? Original spare parts (we will also include lubricants and TJ for cars in this definition) are materials produced either by the automobile concern itself or by a third-party enterprise commissioned by this concern, to complete the conveyor and deliveries to the dealer network.
What are non-original spare parts? Non-original spare parts for foreign cars (duplicate) are spare parts produced using the same technology, licensed (although sometimes not). The manufacturer, in addition to delivering to a car company, can also bring its products to the so-called. "aftermarket" - unauthorized shops and services. Moreover, a non-original spare part, as a rule, has two brands: the car factory and the manufacturer.
Most often, non-original are consumable car parts: belts, gaskets, bearings, etc.
That. the difference between original and non-original spare parts for foreign cars is only in price. This is ideal. We should not forget that there is a whole underground industry for the production of car parts under the brands of well-known brands.
Original or duplicate: what to choose?
You need to learn for yourself, if you are interested not only in the price of the product, but also in the safety and service life of the spare part, that the purchase of non-original spare parts for foreign cars should be made only from authorized dealers, or automakers, or spare parts manufacturers.
It is at dealers that you have repeatedly met the same spare part, which has a difference in price. But, you may be alerted by the word "non-original" uttered by the seller. No need to be scared. And you just need to find out with documentary evidence whether the seller is actually an official dealer. In this case, you get a guarantee for the purchased spare part. If not, then the risk of acquiring lies entirely on your shoulders. Rather, on the shoulders of your car.
So that you do not get completely confused when choosing original or non-original spare parts for foreign cars, let's look at two typical examples.
Non-original spare parts for Japanese foreign cars. The Toyota plant installs TOYO shock absorbers, which are original, on their conveyor cars. At the same time, KAYABA shock absorbers, a high-quality non-original spare part for Japanese cars, are very popular in our car market. And not just for Japanese. European cars are very good at these shock absorbers. And their company releases, in no way related to the concern.
Another example is Volkswagen-Audi-Skoda-Seat. Many spare parts for assembly are ordered from third-party, but reliable manufacturers, respectively, they are non-original, while the quality meets the standards of the concern. Moreover, all non-original spare parts undergo technical control, repacking, and only then go to the consumer. A trademark is the face of a company. Market, sir!
Let's talk about fakes. Never trust the seller if he cannot confirm the certification of one or another non-original spare part for a foreign car. In this case, it is better to overpay in the official service, but be sure that the resource and quality of the spare part correspond to the factory parameters. In any case, the choice is yours. Just remember that a non-original spare part for a foreign car is no different in quality from the original one. Provided that it is made officially.
Good luck in choosing non-original spare parts for foreign cars.
