Re: Counterfeit Parts
In my job, I live in the world of counterfeit oversight and surveillance every day for aerospace and aviation products. My employer has the contract to supply all fasteners and hardware to all the US branches of the military and also NATO countries for the next 10 years. As the Director of Quality and Engineering, my technical staff and quality inspectors have to inspect bolts, rivets, washers, fittings, and more, that are used on aircraft, weapon systems, ships, submarines, ground vehicles, and more. Yes, we do find companies trying to pass non-conforming and counterfeit products all the time into the supply chain and it gets reported to the government immediately. However, it can take years for the government to charge and prosecute the bad actors.
If suppliers try to pass counterfeit products in the aerospace and aviation industry, passing counterfeit products in the automotive and consumer products world is easier for them because the industry oversight is lax, or in many cases, it does not exist. There are written laws for US Customs to deter these shipments at the port of entry. However, it is not enforced.
Myself, I will not buy any automotive parts through Amazon. In the past when I did, I received counterfeit NGK spark plugs and O2 sensors. I am even concerned about some of the big chain auto parts stores! I purchased an AC Delco oil filter that the threads looked like they had been filed and it was the same with the other AC Delco oil filters. So went to the local NAPA store and purchased a WIX XP. Purchased a set of NGK high-end plugs through RockAuto which were shipped from a local parts store. Put them on my Chevy 8.1L dually truck and it had a misfire days later. Went to the dealership and paid 3 times the price, put in a set of OEM plugs, and problem solved.
My lesson learned is that for my daily drivers, parts are from the local NAPA store that is run by real car guys and the dealership.
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