Buying original parts for the car from a branded workshop can often be very expensive, and more and more people are therefore looking online to find cheaper alternatives.
You can often find original parts for your car at significantly lower prices than what you have to pay at a workshop.
According to Mercedes-Benz, however, there is a high risk that the parts are in fact counterfeits, which risk being directly dangerous to traffic.
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A dangerous trend
The problem that Mercedes sees with the counterfeit original parts is that they are not built to the right standard, which can be dangerous from a road safety point of view.
The image below illustrates, for example, the difference in braking distance between a car equipped with Mercedes’ own brake pads, and one equipped with copies sold as original parts.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
In addition, the counterfeit parts mean a loss of revenue for Mercedes-Benz.
– The counterfeiting industry generates huge margins and a structure like organized crime. It endangers traffic safety, does not take into account the environment, and does not stand for fair wages or job security. There are no quality controls, says Mercedes-Benz board member Renata Jungo Brüngger.
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1.6 million spare parts
The so-called “trademark protectors” often spend several months investigating suspected manufacturers of counterfeit car parts.
According to Mercedes, a total of 740 raids were carried out globally in 2023 against companies suspected of selling counterfeit original parts, which is 20 percent more than in 2022.
During these, 1.6 million spare parts were seized. These include brake and steering components, wheels and body panels.
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Avoid being scammed
All the seized parts have been destroyed, and in some cases it has even been possible to trace them back to the factory where they were manufactured.
According to Mercedes-Benz, there are a number of methods the customer can use to avoid being tricked into buying counterfeit original parts.
The tip is to carefully check what you buy, especially if you shop online. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
It also lists “low prices, uneven product quality and sales via dubious online sellers” as red flags to watch out for.
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