Kampala — THE increasing sale of counterfeit car parts is threatening business in original parts. Business Vision has learnt that duplicate spares are on high demand because they are cheaper and many car-owners are unaware of their dangers.

The renown dealers are calling for urgent action before they are pushed out of business.

In a campaign dubbed "No to counterfeits," Toyota Uganda, the authorised distributors of Toyota vehicles and parts, say the sale of fake spare parts is on the increase and have launched a multi-media campaign, warning the buyers against falling for them.

"Fake spares can be cheap but dangerous. Genuine Toyota parts can only be bought from Toyota Uganda," the company says in adverts running in various media. However, this campaign did not go down well with other dealers who say they too sell original parts.

George Kaahwa, the managing director of Eagle Motors, said counterfeits are increasing and posing a threat to the industry, but refuted the assertion that Toyota Uganda was the sole distributor of Toyota parts in the country.

"There are many counterfeits, which we should fight as an industry, but it is wrong for Toyota to claim monopoly over genuine parts," he told Business Vision.

He says, while Toyota has exclusive rights to import Toyota vehicles, the monopoly does not extend to spare parts. Kaahwa says his company has been dealing in genuine Toyota spare parts for the last 20 years.

He said he gets his parts from Toyota and Mitshubishi authorised distributors in Dubai at cheaper prices.

He explains that when companies like Totyota and Mitshubishi design car models, they sub-contract the production of parts like clutch plates, plugs, ignition parts and glasses.

"The parts are considered genuine when they bear the brand from these companies and the manufacturer's brand," he said.

He said such companies include Valeo and Daichi - who produce clutches, Tokico and Kayaba, NGK and Boche who manufacture ignition parts. Naichi manufactures glasses.

However, apart from selling to the car manufacturers, the parts makers also sell parts without the carmaker's brand name, and that is how parts that are not branded with big car manufacturing names come to the market.

Kaahwa said his company sells only parts that have been embossed and branded by the car manufacturing company, because "these have guaranteed quality."

Charles Byakatonda, the after sales manager at Motor Centre East Africa in Kampala Industrial Area, corroborates the same information.

He says the genuine Toyota parts can be got from Toyota agents in Dubai at a price cheaper than local Toyota distributors.

"The only difference is that if you are not an authorised distributor, you cannot offer a manufacturer's warrant," he said. He too confirms that fake products are on the increase.

"There are interchangeable parts such as plugs and oil filters and these are the most duplicated," he said.

Duplicates are attractive because they are very cheap. A genuine oil filter for a Toyota Rav4, for example, would go for sh50, 000, while a duplicate would be sold at sh10,000."

A mini-survey in Katwe, a haven for all types of spare parts revealed that while shock absorbers (a pair) for a Rav4 goes for sh450,000, duplicates are available at sh200,000. Parking lights for the same vehicle would go for sh80,000, but duplicates were available at sh30,000.

Genuine brake pads went for sh120,000, but duplicates sold at sh30,000. The original air cleaner cost sh50,000, with duplicates at sh10,000. Original fuel filter cost sh80,000, with duplicates at sh10,000.

"The danger in using fake parts is that they can cause damage to other car parts. A fake oil filter can burst causing the engine to knock. Fake brake pads can affect the disk and when you are replacing, you will have to buy both items," Byakatonda a mechanic, explains.

Richard Kiyimba, an automobile technician says; "A fake oil filter for example can hinder oil circulation leading to an engine seizure (engine knock due to lack of lubrication). If you use a fake timing belt, it could affect the valves, the piston and the crankshaft spoiling the whole engine."

However, Mohammed Vasee Ahmed the manager at Fontana Auto Parts says there are different grades of car parts, which does not necessarily mean that the inferior ones are fake.

"We have the Replacement Parts, Medium Quality and High Quality depending on the customer's choice and money," he said.

Replacement parts are of low quality but cheaper, the medium quality are of average price while high quality are original and expensive. When we sell you a part branded TOYOTA, you can be sure it will be TOYOTA original, he says.

He gives an example of an oil filter, which comes in three categories. The cheap goes for sh10,000, medium for sh18000 and the original sh30,000.

"We have three categories of customers. Many who know about cars and have the money go for the original but the majority go for the medium. Most of the cheap parts buyers are the resellers from Katwe, Nabugabo and Kisekka markets," he said.

Original parts according to Kaahwa are those that are embossed by the car manufacturer and bear their brand. Duplicates are similar parts but not bearing the manufacturer's branding, while counterfeits are branded parts that were not made by the manufacturer whose name is embossed.

Deus Mubangizi of Uganda National Bureau of Standards says both counterfeits and substandard duplicates are unacceptable in the market.

"We are working on strengthening pre-export verification of conformity, a system of verifying goods being exported from their countries of origin. We want to work with bureaus and private companies to do the verification work and certify these products before we import them," he said. "Here we will also work with the trademark holders to curb the counterfeits."

Mubangizi says this will be possible, especially when Counterfeits Bill, which is before the Parliamentary Council, is made into law.

"If the bill is passed into law, it will have provisions for stronger punishment and will also enable get more funds for the work," Mubangizi said.