{"id":883980,"date":"2025-03-05T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T17:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/?p=883980"},"modified":"2025-09-05T06:58:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T10:58:19","slug":"phmsa-issues-safety-advisory-on-counterfeit-parts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/help-center\/articles\/phmsa-issues-safety-advisory-on-counterfeit-parts\/","title":{"rendered":"PHMSA Issues Safety Advisory on Counterfeit Parts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"PHMSA Issues Safety Advisory on Counterfeit Parts<\/span><\/h2>\n

Do you work on cars as a professional mechanic, or even just as a hobbyist? If you do, crooks may be trying to swindle you by selling you counterfeit parts, endangering not just your wallet, but your safety. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and its agency the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) have issued a warning to industry and individuals dealing with used cars and car maintenance that there has been a significant increase in counterfeit and substandard parts coming to market. Their safety advisory notice<\/a> outlines the problem, and steps you can take to ensure the parts you\u2019re using are safe and approved.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the Problem with Counterfeits?<\/h3>\n

You can save yourself a lot of money by shopping around for the best deal in parts. But as most people are aware, there\u2019s a vast market for counterfeit goods that can be purchased for a fraction of the price of real ones. Unlike a fake Rolex watch or a Gucci purse, however, counterfeit parts can be a serious safety issue.<\/p>\n

Many of these parts can be purely mechanical. However, many replacement parts can be hazardous materials. These include so-called \u201csafety devices\u201d such as air bag inflators, air bag modules, seatbelt pretensioners, pyromechanical devices used for restraint, and other supplemental restraint system (SRS) components. PHMSA notes that \u201c[t]he suspected replacement safety devices may be produced by companies with limited manufacturing experience and are sometimes sold at prices significantly lower than those of genuine, high-quality replacement devices, which are ordered online and shipped into or through the United States.\u201d Often, of course, we realize that \u201cyou get what you pay for.\u201d But the temptation of buying the lowest priced parts can be great. This is especially true since many of these counterfeiters may pay more attention to copying the packaging and labelling of legitimate suppliers than they do to producing a safe, working device.<\/p>\n

The risk with these counterfeit parts can be substantial. Not only do we face the possibility of malfunction (such as an airbag that fails to work in an accident), but they may contain unapproved explosive devices or lithium batteries that may cause a dangerous reaction during transportation. They may also not be properly packaged or identified, so emergency responders and handlers during transportation will be at risk.<\/p>\n

How Big Is the Problem?<\/h3>\n

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), more than 211,000 counterfeit automotive parts were seized in 2024. This almost doubled the number of parts seized in the previous year. Nearly 500 shipments of counterfeit air bags were seized.<\/p>\n

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that counterfeit air bags \u201cconsistently malfunction\u201d in use. And these malfunctions can be deadly, from simply not working to restrain passengers in an accident to spraying plastic and metal shards throughout the passenger compartment when triggered. According to NHTSA, at least three fatalities have been identified as being due, at least in part, to these counterfeits.<\/p>\n

What Can You Do to Avoid Counterfeit Parts?<\/h3>\n

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself (and the vehicle occupants) from counterfeits. Some recommendations include:<\/p>\n