Counterfeit Parts

Was on a Ford forum where this topic was brought to attention for Motorcraft parts and NGK product. What other cloned vehicle part brands made in China are passed off and sold as genuine manufacture parts that readers here have heard of? So far it looks like e-bay, Amazon and other online only automotive part dealers need to be reevaluated prior to purchasing vs getting parts from a local parts dealer, or from their website.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpDJNDb6b9A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr9J3eQk-kE

 

My wife's car takes iridium plugs that last 120K miles. When I changed them @ 100K miles, the electrodes still looked brand new. Changed them anyway using either Ebay or Amazon sourced parts (don't remember which). The parts shipped from China, but were labled "Made in Japan".

30K miles later, I'm getting random misfires on multiple cylinders. Pulled the plugs and the electrodes were essentially gone. The gap was about 1/8".

Clearly, those tips were not made of iridium. I wouldn't have expected cheap Champion plugs to be that bad in that short a duration.

 

Yep, before I knew about this issue I ordered new plugs for my wife's Rav4 off ebay because they had the best price. I have no idea if they were counterfeit or not but I'm going to yank them out soon just to be safe.

 

I’ve used the Toyota site you linked above with great success.

 

So...can we trust RockAuto.com for the real NGK iridium plugs at $8.50 each or O'Reilly's at $13

 

Have you checked Toyota? I just ordered new plugs for our Rav4 from Toyota of Cool Springs. They were $7.95 each.

 

These videos are misleading. The parts are not counterfeit in the sense that you, me, and Professional Hand Model are running a factory in China making crap parts from play-doh and sticking them in false packages. The parts mentioned, particularly in the Ford video are all licensed Ford products. They just happen to be made in foreign factories and intended for foreign markets. Thanks to the global marketplace were now seeing these parts, that are of lesser quality, available here.

 

The plugs I bought were exactly that: crap parts in false packaging, being passed off as legit. The boxes were cheap, thin cardboard labeled "Made in Japan". The parts were shipped from China. There's no way they were made in Japan, then shipped to China, then shipped to me (with free shipping, mind you). The electrodes were almost gone at 30K miles -- worse than any spark plug I've seen. I can guarantee there was no iridium used in the making of those plugs. Check out the electrode on that second plug!

 

The videos are misleading. Counterfeit is when a guy is in his basement with a color printer and construction paper and is trying to make "counterfeit" hundred dollar bills. The counterfeit has no attributes of the original in materials or quality. Your spark plugs came from a spark plug factory, they had to of. Otherwise they would not have even lasted 3k miles, let alone 30k miles. Were your spark plugs made to the same quality we are accustomed to receiving from NGK here in 'Murica? Certainly not.

My comment was more regarding the coil pack that was reviewed in the video. No way someone reverse engineers that coil pack just to make some money from unsuspecting internet buyers. The "counterfeit" coil pack was made in a factory that received design spec's from Ford. They had to. No way someone reverse engineers the injection molding, fastener locations, and coil internals from scratch. Ford and others are allowing inferior parts to be made overseas intending the inferior parts to be consumed overseas. But, obviously, those inferior parts are migrating here.

I would say this diminishes the entire Ford/MotorCraft nameplate, but Ford may disagree. In their eyes the influx of inferior parts from the internet warehouses may be a good thing as it will push buyers back to the dealerships in order to be assured you are getting genuine Ford/Motorcraft parts.

After all, if you cant trust the service life of Ford/Motorcraft parts from a internet warehouse, how likely are you going to be to trust Napa/Bosch/Denso/Dorman parts from a similar internet distributor?

 

I’ve been seeing a lot of knock-off denso parts in the landcruiser world lately. Mainly coil packs.

 

Toyota of Cool Springs, problem solved!!

 

yep..I got taken on a set of NGK IR for the Nissan. Had to order from dealership and swapped them. Engine was running rough.

 

I can’t help but post this. Whenever I see these knock off threads about China and their bunk parts.

 

Never had a problem with RockAuto parts. Whatever I ordered from them I received exactly what was ordered and all parts in the kits were there.
Like the Asian timing belt kit with included water pump ordered from them.

However, pardon me for saying all online auto parts only dealers. I wasn't thinking and clearly was wrong to say that. Thanks for bringing RockAuto up.
I was never aware of the auto parts counterfeit industry. Now I'm forced to be more conscientious of where I buy auto parts from. Parts aren't cheap.

I was wrong to think the govt was on the ball with this stuff and intervened at US Customs import ck points.
Remember the toothpaste imported from China that would kill ya. Man oh man, we gotta keep an eye on those little guys over there.
But they do have some really hot chicks all over there that are the real deal! Hoping the coronavirus leaves them alone.

 

I'm not trying to be confrontational, but that's exactly what happened with those coil packs and just about every other Chinese knockoff you see for sale on Ebay or Amazon. They either reverse engineered it, or flat out stole the build specs. Hell, it might even have been the same factory that Ford contracts with to build their parts. Last month they made 4 million OEM Ford coil packs and fulfilled their contract. This month their using the same build specs and tooling, but sourcing the cheapest materials possible to manufacture 4 million knock-off Ford coil packs.

Same thing with my spark plugs. True, it's not some guy in his basement turning spark plugs on a lathe, but they're counterfeit just the same -- just on a much bigger scale, and apparently with no legal ramifications.

 

Just buy from reputable places and you shouldn't have to worry.

 

Little cheaper than above.

https://parts.belllexusnorthscottsdale.com/

https://parts.conicellitoyotaofconshohocken.com/v-2003-toyota-tundra--sr5--4-7l-v8-gas

 

Went back and double checked the reviews on my 8 Denso Coil packs purchased from Big Gurrrl. All seems well on a few 20k+ miles updates per reviewers. These coils are OEM made for Toyota, but they tweaked a few things and put Denso on the product. OEM Toy Stealer cost is about $115, online Toy parts are $90, and Denso Big Gurrl cost is about $55.

These coils are holding nicely with about 13k miles on them.