Fakes are slowly taking over the market, be it clothes, accessories or expensive tech products. The automotive industry is also not left untouched by duplication. The automotive industry is full of fake accessories and spare parts, and companies have been trying their level best to bring such manufacturers in line. Knowingly or unknowingly, you may get such a part installed in your Hyundai vehicle, but do you understand the gravity of the repercussions? They can be grave and are easily avoidable once you know how to spot the OEM Hyundai parts.
In this article, we will endeavour to reach an understanding of how you can identify the fake parts from the original ones and the importance of doing so.
What exactly are these counterfeit parts?
Hyundai, as we know, is a renowned automobile manufacturer; apart from the vehicles it produces, the company also manufactures their spare parts. Since the same company produces these parts, the quality, therefore, is strictly adhered to. So you get flawless product quality from OEM parts.
Coming to the elephant in the room, the counterfeit ones! These fake parts are rough copies of the original Hyundai parts made with cheap materials and negligible to zero R&D. At first glance, these parts may look original, but the build quality is much flaky as compared to the original parts.
How can such parts be dangerous for you?
The lack of quality and breach of production standards make these products less reliable and more of a tragedy in the making; let’s understand how.
Risk of engine failures
Many engine-related components are naturally bound to wear out as you continuously drive your car. If, in case, you install a faulty and after-market component in the car, this may brew some trouble. With long periods of running your vehicle with the same components, your engine can fail at times.
Electrical hazards
Most of the modern cars are intricately designed with a lot of electrical components added to them. Installing or replacing even a single one of them with a low-quality one instead of Hyundai’s original one can lead to other serious issues with your vehicle.
Seriously compromises the structural integrity
Not only the internal components are a danger to your and your car’s safety, but the body panels too. With sub-standard replacement panels not able to match up to the quality of the original ones, they expose you to more risk. Such car body parts can aggravate the situation in the event of a collision and, at worst, can be fatal.
How do I know if my Hyundai parts are original? Spotting a fake part
A lot of automobile manufacturers have devised numerous ways for consumers to be aware of such duplicate parts and identify their products. Some of the ways in which you can be sure that you are buying a Hyundai original parts are.
Check for the serial number
All the Hyundai genuine parts come with a unique serial number, which the company assigns for each part to be traced back to its origin. This serial number should be the first thing to check on any part you buy from the original equipment manufacturer.
Simply examining this number can give you enough assurance that the spare part you are buying is original or not.
Look for the hologram
Along with the serial number, you can find a shiny hologram from Hyundai pasted on the outer box or the spar part itself. This hologram is another reliever for you if in case you are worried about the product’s authenticity.
The good thing is that even though fake producers might be able to copy Hyundai’s spare parts design, they won’t be able to copy this hologram.
QR code is also a lifesaver
Another way out of the problem of figuring out if the product is original is to see if it has a QR code printed either as a sticker on the spare component or printed on the box.
You can simply use your smartphone and open the QR reader app to scan the unique QR code. IT will redirect you to the manufacturer’s authentication site if the product is actually genuinely from Hyundai.
RFID tags are also a green flag
In recent times, a lot of companies have been exploring the usability of the latest innovation in tracking, and that is RFID technology. Hyundai also doesn’t lag behind in integrating this innovation in giving value to its products and spares.
Almost all of the high-value parts carry these RFID tags, which helps the brand to know if the product was actually manufactured in their facility. If yes, then even the time and date can also be figured out to know if there was an issue with the quality.
Spotting a fake spare part: what to do in that case?
With your own little inspection using the above-mentioned tips, if you are able to spot a fake spare part that you thought was original, in that case, you must immediately inform the company of such dupes in the market.
Big companies like Hyundai have dedicated teams to look into such cases who can assist you. Also, on your part, avoid buying cheap spares whose price might be temptingly low, but the potential problems they may bring can be costlier. So make a wise and informed decision the next time you go spare part shopping.
Concluding Words
We understand that with a lot of pocket-friendly options available in the market, sticking to OEM parts can be perplexing. What’s even more challenging task is to trust which parts are actually original. We hope the above tips to spot original Hyundai spares will be useful for you to find authentic ones.
If you want to buy Hyundai spare parts of all types from a trusted dealer, then Just Hyundai Wreckers is the top spot for you in Australia. They believe in putting customer satisfaction first, so they always offer you quality spares for your Hyundai cars.