By AL SWANSON, UPI Auto Writer
Charging top dollar for fake replacement parts like substandard nuts, bolts, brake pads, tires, belts, filters, bumpers, fenders, sheet metal, lights and hoods to make repairs after a vehicle is involved in a crash is outright fraud.
The latest fake auto parts outrage involves air bags, potential life-savers if you are in a serious collision. The government watchdog National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week estimated “tens of thousands of counterfeit air bags” have been installed in vehicles that have been repaired at some independent shops in the last three years and are currently being driven on U.S. roads.
That’s more than lying or fraud: It’s dangerous, criminal and potentially lethal.
“Air bags save thousands of lives annually. But they can’t save lives if they have not been repaired properly,” said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. “When an auto repairer installs a counterfeit air bag, consumers can be killed in a crash.”
Counterfeit auto parts are no joking matter