Vehicle owners and drivers across the country should be on high alert for unsafe and potentially deadly counterfeit auto parts as the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) said this week as it launched a new campaign, “Put the Brakes on Fakes.” Presumably auto repair shops know better, but AutoInformed wouldn’t bet on it.

“The rise in counterfeit automotive parts and equipment continue to be an alarming upward trend,” said IPR Center Director Ivan Arvelo. “This campaign, which is not just an initiative or routine consumer safety alert, is a movement to save lives, prevent the use of counterfeit parts, and ensure consumers and auto repair professionals are informed about critical risks associated with counterfeit and substandard auto parts.”

The campaign was launched with the support of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The campaign follows their recent consumer airbag alert urging used car buyers and owners to beware of cheap, substandard replacement airbag inflators that can cause death or serious injury in a crash. (read AutoInformed.com on: NHTSA Issues Consumer Alert on Faulty Replacement Airbags)

CBP has seized more than 211,000 counterfeit automotive parts in fiscal year 2024, almost doubling the number of counterfeit automotive parts seized the previous year. Of those, CBP has seized more than 490 counterfeit airbags — more than 10 times the number of counterfeit airbags seized in fiscal year 2023. HSI also has approximately 40 open investigations into counterfeit automotive parts.

“CBP is working with its government and industry partners to keep hazardous counterfeit airbags out of supply chains and out of your vehicle. Consumers can stay safe by purchasing airbags from reputable retailers and repair shops. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is, with potentially dangerous consequences,” said IPR Center Deputy Director Brandon Lord, who also serves as the executive director of CBP’s Trade Policy and Programs directorate.

CBP officers at U.S. ports of entry looking at imports – particularly those from China – for shipments suspected of containing counterfeit automotive parts. During fiscal year 2023, CBP and HSI seized ~20,000 shipments containing goods that violated Intellectual Property Rights, equating to nearly 23 million counterfeit items. The total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the seized goods would have amounted to over $2.75 billion had they been genuine parts. Out of those shipments, almost 100,000 items were counterfeit automotive goods, with a MSRP of over $10 million.