How to spot a fake spare part

With millions of spare parts companies in the market, there are many versions of spare parts, some genuine and others not.

Some parts will appear original, while in reality, they’re secondhand, and unless you’re an expert, you may pay for the wrong one.

That’s why you should be able to tell a genuine auto part from a fake. Again, there’s always a temptation to go for the cheap parts and thus unknowingly compromise on quality.

Continue reading and see what you need to look out for.

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Misspellings in the packaging

If you’ve researched an item properly, you should know its name. Some companies, mostly new entrants in the auto spare parts business, will take advantage of the already established brands and alter the brand name so that it’s not easy to notice the difference. If you don’t watch out, you may buy the wrong spare part. Check if the name on their packaging is for the right parts company.

Awkward phrasing

A genuine auto spare company knows the target consumer. Therefore, they ensure that their packaging and manuals are in the right language. Put, if the parts are destined for the American market, the language used is American. You, therefore, need to check for any discrepancies.

A genuine auto spare parts company manufacturer carefully ensures they use the right language.

“Made in” labels

A genuine spare part will have a label indicating the country where the parts are made.

The place of manufacture is essential because it will tell you the quality of the part. For instance, Japan’s claims differ from those made in China and will also dictate the price.

The asymmetry of spare components

A fake spare part is often made in a hurry, and often, the areas that should be asymmetrical aren’t. You need to take a keen look and match the asymmetry with the part you’re replacing.

The disparity in colors and designs

A brand makes its auto parts in some colors, patterns, and designs. Before you go shopping, you have to find out the original’s color and design. If there’s a disparity, you know it’s wrong.

Date of manufacture

The American format is date/ month/ day/ year. If you’re looking for a part manufactured in America, check out for date stamps on the packaged parts.

Packaging

There’s a way a manufacturer packages their products. If, for instance, the manufacturer packages their products in boxes and you get them in plastic, then it’s likely that they are genuine.

Crazy prices

Price is one central aspect that will tell you how genuine the spare part is. If the price is too low, there’s a reason to believe it’s fake. The price of the auto part should not be very different from the market price.