Dangerous fake car parts found in Aussie vehicles as cost-cutting fuels risky repairs

Fake car parts are slipping into used vehicles on Australian roads and in many cases, drivers have no idea.

A news.com.au investigation revealed dangerous car parts are being sold to Australians through e-commerce platforms like Temu. Picture: Supplied

A growing number of vehicles on Australian roads are being fitted with counterfeit or poor-quality car parts and some drivers aren’t even aware.

Just a week after news.com.au investigation revealed dangerous car parts are being sold to Australians through online giant Temu, a major used car platform has confirmed its inspection teams have found counterfeit, unbranded and low-quality components are turning up in vehicles.

Carma director of vehicle operations Hugo Acosta said the business has identified counterfeit parts during their rigorous 90-minute inspection processes.

“During this process, we’ve found a few instances of counterfeit, unbranded, or low-quality aftermarket parts fitted in the vehicle prior to arriving,” he said.

Auto products available on Temu.

While not widespread, Acosta confirmed the issue is real and growing.

The most common substituted components include tail lights, engine sensors, and various electronics.

“These parts tend to be more expensive when sourced from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), driving demand for lower-cost alternatives and encouraging increased supply of counterfeits in the market,” he said.

Acosta explained in some cases, fake or unbranded parts is a deliberate cost-cutting measure.

“The allure of lower prices can sometimes overshadow the risks associated with unknown sellers and unverified product quality,” he said.

“Therefore, many sellers may not fully understand the risks or limitations of the components they’ve purchased online. Often, the problems only become obvious when the part fails prematurely or doesn’t function as it should.”

Experts warn that low-quality or fake car parts are dangerous. Picture: Supplied

Some of the parts Carma has uncovered have posed clear safety risks, including faulty tail lights assemblies that failed to meet Australian Design Rules and didn’t even fit the vehicle’s body correctly.

In another case, a vehicle showed irregular engine light behaviour, later linked to a non-genuine engine sensor.

“What’s particularly concerning is that the driver might not be aware of these substitutions, creating a hidden safety hazard for both the consumer and repairer,” Acosta said.

While Carma uses visual inspections some products can be hard to detect by visual inspection alone.

“In the majority of cases, these non-genuine components tend to fail rapidly or exhibit clear signs of malfunction shortly after initial operation,” Acosta said.

“This allows our advanced diagnostic tools and the vehicle’s on-board system alerts to flag these issues for more in-depth investigation and subsequent replacement with verified, high-quality parts during our reconditioning process.”

Acosta warned the issue is likely to worsen as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and drivers turn to the internet to save on repairs.

Social media pages are flooded with Australian drivers questioning and debating the quality of products found online. Picture: Supplied

“As Australians face increasing financial strain, the temptation to save money on car repairs by purchasing cheaper parts online becomes stronger,” he said.

“Increased access to unregulated online marketplaces, such as Temu, AliExpress and Facebook Marketplace, is also a significant driver.”

Social media pages are flooded with car owners questioning and debating the quality of products.

Acosta said while this might seem like it’s “raising awareness” it could actually make matters worse.

“It could backfire by making bargain hunters even more curious about these cheaper options and making non-genuine parts seem like a recommended way to save money,” he said.

Carma believes there needs to be greater oversight for both online platforms and government agencies.

“To address this growing issue, we’d welcome tighter regulation and clearer compliance enforcement for parts sold into the Australian market. Online marketplaces should take greater responsibility for verifying the legitimacy of automotive components and notifying buyers when parts are not ADR-compliant or road-legal,” Acosta said.

Carma said it rejects vehicles where parts pose safety concerns and replaces questionable components with verified parts during its multistage reconditioning process.

But as counterfeiters become more sophisticated and parts become more convincing, even professionals are being challenged.

Originally published as Dangerous fake car parts found in Aussie vehicles as cost-cutting fuels risky repairs