# Counterfeit Parts

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [April 12, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061 "2023-04-12T14:59:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061/1 "2023-04-12T14:59:15Z")

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$200,000 of counterfeit auto parts were recently confiscated after arriving in Philadelphia from China. Another good reason to be careful with aftermarket parts.

> **[Customs officers in Philadelphia seize nearly $200K worth of counterfeit auto...](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/09/us/cbp-counterfeit-auto-parts-china-trnd/index.html)**
>
> US Customs and Border Protection officers in Philadelphia have seized counterfeit auto parts worth nearly $200,000, the agency said.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061/2 "2023-04-12T15:04:39Z")

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> [@jtsanders](#):
>
> Another good reason to be careful with aftermarket parts.

Counterfeit parts could be aftermarket or OEM. I’ve seen/heard of more OEM counterfeit parts then aftermarket parts.

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**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061/3 "2023-04-12T15:27:02Z")

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> [@jtsanders](#):
>
> Another good reason to be careful with aftermarket parts.

Not just aftermarket. Several years ago there was a rash of counterfeit AC Delco spark plugs. I encountered a few misfires caused by them.

There’s more money to be made on fake OEM parts than aftermarket ones. If you’re going to print counterfeit money, would you make $5 bills or $50 bills?

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061/4 "2023-04-12T19:04:22Z")

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> [@asemaster](#):
>
> If you’re going to print counterfeit money, would you make $5 bills or $50 bills?

There is some logic to the reverse… No one will bother to check a $5 bill so they can easily be passed and unlikely to be detected early while that $50 might garner more attention before going into the till.

Same with fake parts. You won’t get too hardcore if a $5 sparkplug misfires but you would raise a stink if a $100 coil fails instantly.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061/5 "2023-04-13T00:21:50Z")

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> [@asemaster](#):
>
> Several years ago there was a rash of counterfeit AC Delco spark plug

AC Delco was one of the OEM parts I knew about. Toyota is also highly counterfeited.

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/counterfeit-parts/190061/6 "2023-04-13T01:58:08Z")

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Not sure where AC Delco spark plugs come from these days. The division that made them doesn’t exist anymore. They may have been part of the sale to Borg Warner.