Newry road users at risk from ‘cheap’ car parts, report says | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Newry road users at risk from ‘cheap’ car parts, report says

One of Northern Ireland’s largest car industry bodies has revealed that lives are being put at risk all across Northern Ireland because of the widespread use of cheap, replica car parts.

car partsThe Northern Ireland Bodyshop Alliance (NIBA), which represents more than 50 independent car repair garages and more than 200 professional mechanics, said it was now deeply concerned about driver and passenger safety after analysing the results of the region’s first major independent study into the issue.

The comprehensive report and analysis was undertaken by consultant engineer Alan Deering and commissioned by NIBA. It concluded that the ‘Non-Original Equipment Manufacturer’ or ‘Non-OEM’ car parts may not perform as well as manufacturer-approved parts if the vehicle is involved in an accident.

NIBA also said it had become common practice in recent years for insurance firms to order garages to replace damaged vehicle body parts with replica parts as a way to cut costs and that many consumers were wrongly assuming that the parts fitted in the aftermath of a collision were genuine.

It is now campaigning to make consumers aware of the practice and bring it to an end.

Local NIBA member, Chris McGovern, owner of Chris McGovern Body Repairs, said, “It is always our number one priority to ensure any vehicles that come to us following an accident are returned to their respective owners without any doubt that the owners, drivers or passengers are safe to the best of our abilities.

“The findings of this report are very worrying to us as an independent garage. That parts of a lesser quality are being used, jeopardising the integrity of a vehicle’s safety record, across Northern Ireland, and that this is being actively encouraged by insurance firms, is something that both the industry and the general public really need to know about.”

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May June 2016The independent research compared, tested and analysed genuine, or manufacturer-approved, parts and the non-genuine replica parts which are commonly installed in vehicles in Northern Ireland without the owner’s knowledge or consent.

It concluded that real differences existed between the genuine and non-genuine panels tested which could affect how well they fit and which could reduce their performance in an ‘impact’ situation.

NIBA Chair, Richard Hastings, said, “The study highlights the real dangers involved for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists in Northern Ireland, where many car owners will no doubt be shocked to learn that insurance companies are trying to cut costs by having non-genuine parts fitted rather than the manufacturer’s parts after they have been involved in a collision.

“This report underlines our assertion that the practice, which can compromise the cars safety integrity, is completely flawed. Drivers who have been unfortunate to have been involved in a collision – no matter who is at fault – should also be concerned that the practice can often affect the vehicle resale value and limit or invalidate the car’s warranty.”

“When it’s a choice between lives and profit – there really is no contest,” Richard added.

Leading independent engineer and consultant Alan Deering, and author of the report, said, “If it were my own car, I would request OEM parts. I would certainly feel more comfortable with these than if non-genuine parts were fitted as the best quality can only be assured in this instance.”

Engineers who undertook the study were wary about the use of several installed non-genuine panels at one time which they said created a heighted chance that the vehicle may underperform, corrode more quickly or be more vulnerable overall.

The parts used – in this instance, body panels – were subjected to rigorous mechanical, chemical and microscopic testing to determine the findings. In each of the various parts tested, which were installed in a Ford Focus, a Volkswagen Golf and a Peugeot 206, the differences between the performance of genuine and non-genuine parts were stark.

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Posted by on May 18 2016. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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