Warning on Counterfeit Wheels Imported from China.

[csv8]

''SAFETY experts are concerned there are “tens of thousands” of counterfeit car wheels on Australian roads that can buckle or break if they hit a small pothole at suburban speeds.

But there is no way of tracking them down because most were imported from China by independent distributors, some of whom pose as private sellers on online auction websites.

More than 500,000 wheels are imported from China each year, but none are tested to see if they meet Australian Design Rules, and the regulations are not enforced.

A test of just some of the suspect wheels — conducted inside Holden’s top secret proving ground last month — found a range of alloy wheels on a variety of popular cars cracked after hitting a pothole at just 50kmh.
Not-so-perfect circle ... Genuine VW Golf R wheel costs $1900 to replace.

Not all counterfeit wheels buckle or have a chunk taken out of them.

Some develop subtle cracks near the centre of the wheel that initially can’t be seen by the naked eye.

An investigation by News Corp Australia found a counterfeit wheel made for the Holden Commodore had a long hairline fracture near the hub.

While the face of the counterfeit wheel looked identical to the original, the crack was caused because the underside of the hub lacked the proper support.

Experts say most cheap or counterfeit wheels from China are made from a blend of scrap alloy and raw material — but alloy wheels should be made solely from raw material to guarantee their strength.

The black market in counterfeit wheels has spiked in recent years because genuine parts are so expensive and most of the fakes can be bought for just $250 each, or $1000 for a set of four.

A genuine replacement alloy wheel on a new Mercedes can cost up to $2500 each — or $10,000 for four.

The wheels on certain VW Golf models can cost up to $1900 each — or $7600 for four.

Budget-priced cars are also vulnerable to having their genuine wheels replaced with fakes.
The alloy wheel on a top-of-the-range Toyota Yaris hatchback is $1000 each — or $4000 for four — but look-a-likes cost just $1000 for a set.

The Toyota Yaris alloy wheel is so expensive because it is imported from Japan.

A genuine replacement alloy wheel on the locally-made Toyota Camry costs about $300 because it is made at ROH Wheels in Adelaide, Australia’s oldest and only surviving wheel manufacturer.

Not all Chinese-made wheels are of substandard quality. Holden and Ford now fit Chinese-made wheels to cars on their Australian production lines, but the wheels are tested to strict internal standards that exceed government requirements.
Locally-made ... ROH Wheels boss Bill Davidson. The Adelaide company is Australia’s oldest

However, the majority of Chinese wheel manufacturers supplying the spare parts market have no quality control standards and the Australian government does not test them.

“Some of the Chinese wheel suppliers might put a ‘QC’ (quality control) sticker on it, but that doesn’t mean it’s been tested. It just means they’ve put a sticker on it,” says Ian Raymond, an expert wheel repairer.

“We’ve seen an increase in the number of damaged wheels coming to us for repair,” says Mr Raymond. “The number of counterfeit wheels on Australian roads would definitely be in the tens of thousands.”
BMW M3 ... The original replacement wheels cost more than $1500 each, but fakes can be bo

Tracking down counterfeit and unsafe wheels is next to impossible because no detailed records are kept for where they are sold.

“The problem is you can buy a certain type of wheel once, and then you’ll never be able to buy it again,” says Mr Raymond.

“These guys bring them in containers, sell them, and then get another batch. I always tell people if they are going to buy cheap wheels, buy five in case you need a replacement.”

Experts say it is almost impossible for motorists to spot the difference between a genuine wheel and a counterfeit.
The branding on certain counterfeit wheels for Mercedes’ performance brand AMG models may be changed to “AMB”, “AMC” or “AME” so the embossed logo on the rim looks similar.

Some counterfeiters simply copy the Mercedes “AMG” logo or the “M” badge for high-performance BMWs.

On a counterfeit handbag, the strap might break or the zip might not work.

But a counterfeit wheel is “a major safety concern” says Tim Moggridge, a car safety expert with the National Roads and Motorists’ Association.

“Over the years we have noted that cheaper wheels don’t always stand up to Australian conditions,” says Moggridge.

“You get what you pay for, and wheels that do not meet Australian Design Rules are as much a safety concern as substandard tyres.”

Moggridge says young drivers are at most risk of buying counterfeit or unsafe wheels because they want to enhance the appearance of their cars but don’t necessarily have the funds to buy the genuine article.

“Especially vulnerable are those who replace original wheels with larger rims inside very low profile tyres for aesthetic reasons,” says Mr Moggridge.

“With almost no cushioning, the wheel has a far greater likelihood of bending or even breaking. Wheels that don’t meet Australian standards should not be available for sale.”

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Mercedes-Benz declined to comment on counterfeit wheels until their joint announcement in Melbourne at midday on Monday.'

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling
Originally published as Warning on counterfeit car wheels
http://www.couriermail.com.au/busine...-1227581537215

[Express]

Good post

It doesn’t hurt to keep stressing that buying cheap isn’t necessarily smart when the safety of your family or anyone for that matter is at risk.

[Trump]

Wait, how is this news only now??? It was common knowledge that most of the Chinese wheels were and are utter terd.

[Express]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Wait, how is this news only now??? It was common knowledge that most of the Chinese wheels were and are utter terd.

Yeah it’s reasonably common knowledge among enthusiasts but this article is also aimed at those who may not know.

Someone must be buying them otherwise more than 500,000 or so wouldn’t be import each year.

Plus how many enthusiasts still buy cheap rims?

Many I'd say when you see some of the photos of vehicles posted on Aussie car forums.

[Bearr]

Originally Posted by csv8

''SAFETY experts are concerned there are “tens of thousands” of counterfeit car wheels on Australian roads that can buckle or break if they hit a small pothole at suburban speeds.

But there is no way of tracking them down because most were imported from China by independent distributors, some of whom pose as private sellers on online auction websites.

More than 500,000 wheels are imported from China each year, but none are tested to see if they meet Australian Design Rules, and the regulations are not enforced.

A test of just some of the suspect wheels — conducted inside Holden’s top secret proving ground last month — found a range of alloy wheels on a variety of popular cars cracked after hitting a pothole at just 50kmh.
Not-so-perfect circle ... Genuine VW Golf R wheel costs $1900 to replace.

Not all counterfeit wheels buckle or have a chunk taken out of them.

Some develop subtle cracks near the centre of the wheel that initially can’t be seen by the naked eye.

An investigation by News Corp Australia found a counterfeit wheel made for the Holden Commodore had a long hairline fracture near the hub.

While the face of the counterfeit wheel looked identical to the original, the crack was caused because the underside of the hub lacked the proper support.

Experts say most cheap or counterfeit wheels from China are made from a blend of scrap alloy and raw material — but alloy wheels should be made solely from raw material to guarantee their strength.

The black market in counterfeit wheels has spiked in recent years because genuine parts are so expensive and most of the fakes can be bought for just $250 each, or $1000 for a set of four.

A genuine replacement alloy wheel on a new Mercedes can cost up to $2500 each — or $10,000 for four.

The wheels on certain VW Golf models can cost up to $1900 each — or $7600 for four.

Budget-priced cars are also vulnerable to having their genuine wheels replaced with fakes.
The alloy wheel on a top-of-the-range Toyota Yaris hatchback is $1000 each — or $4000 for four — but look-a-likes cost just $1000 for a set.

The Toyota Yaris alloy wheel is so expensive because it is imported from Japan.

A genuine replacement alloy wheel on the locally-made Toyota Camry costs about $300 because it is made at ROH Wheels in Adelaide, Australia’s oldest and only surviving wheel manufacturer.

Not all Chinese-made wheels are of substandard quality. Holden and Ford now fit Chinese-made wheels to cars on their Australian production lines, but the wheels are tested to strict internal standards that exceed government requirements.
Locally-made ... ROH Wheels boss Bill Davidson. The Adelaide company is Australia’s oldest

However, the majority of Chinese wheel manufacturers supplying the spare parts market have no quality control standards and the Australian government does not test them.

“Some of the Chinese wheel suppliers might put a ‘QC’ (quality control) sticker on it, but that doesn’t mean it’s been tested. It just means they’ve put a sticker on it,” says Ian Raymond, an expert wheel repairer.

“We’ve seen an increase in the number of damaged wheels coming to us for repair,” says Mr Raymond. “The number of counterfeit wheels on Australian roads would definitely be in the tens of thousands.”
BMW M3 ... The original replacement wheels cost more than $1500 each, but fakes can be bo

Tracking down counterfeit and unsafe wheels is next to impossible because no detailed records are kept for where they are sold.

“The problem is you can buy a certain type of wheel once, and then you’ll never be able to buy it again,” says Mr Raymond.

“These guys bring them in containers, sell them, and then get another batch. I always tell people if they are going to buy cheap wheels, buy five in case you need a replacement.”

Experts say it is almost impossible for motorists to spot the difference between a genuine wheel and a counterfeit.
The branding on certain counterfeit wheels for Mercedes’ performance brand AMG models may be changed to “AMB”, “AMC” or “AME” so the embossed logo on the rim looks similar.

Some counterfeiters simply copy the Mercedes “AMG” logo or the “M” badge for high-performance BMWs.

On a counterfeit handbag, the strap might break or the zip might not work.

But a counterfeit wheel is “a major safety concern” says Tim Moggridge, a car safety expert with the National Roads and Motorists’ Association.

“Over the years we have noted that cheaper wheels don’t always stand up to Australian conditions,” says Moggridge.

“You get what you pay for, and wheels that do not meet Australian Design Rules are as much a safety concern as substandard tyres.”

Moggridge says young drivers are at most risk of buying counterfeit or unsafe wheels because they want to enhance the appearance of their cars but don’t necessarily have the funds to buy the genuine article.

“Especially vulnerable are those who replace original wheels with larger rims inside very low profile tyres for aesthetic reasons,” says Mr Moggridge.

“With almost no cushioning, the wheel has a far greater likelihood of bending or even breaking. Wheels that don’t meet Australian standards should not be available for sale.”

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Mercedes-Benz declined to comment on counterfeit wheels until their joint announcement in Melbourne at midday on Monday.'

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling
Originally published as Warning on counterfeit car wheels
http://www.couriermail.com.au/busine...-1227581537215

Since when did they change the rules? Back in the day, I used to work for the "Aussie wheel company" we had bought the genuine ford 12 slotter press,imported Mexican 15in rims with 14 inch centres and weld them up with varying widths & off sets, BUT EVEN THEN they had to meet certain specs and the welds were regularly crack checked! THEY (alloy imports) regardless of where they are from, should meet strict guidelines, HOW ARE THEY ALLOWED TO BE IMPORTED IN THE FIRST PLACE? without certification? it's all that keeps you up off the ground for Christs sake

[Franco Cozzo]

Don't worry even the OEM Ford ones are pox on some of their cars, the WS Fiesta is good for the factory alloy wheels bending when you even think about hitting a pothole.

[PepeLePew]

Interesting a reasonably recent thread about dodgy sellers of said style wheels on this forum....wonder if it seeded a thought somewhere. Obvious side note here which Mr Dowling doesn't seem to spend much time on...if manufacturers didn't rip us another one for OEM wheels perhaps less people would indulge in said copies. When quality wheels can be made here for $300, why does a wheel coming from Japan suddenly cost WHAT?

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Wait, how is this news only now??? It was common knowledge that most of the Chinese wheels were and are utter terd.

Unless its from a reputable company I wouldn't touch aftermarket rims. I remember seeing a commo ute destroyed on the side of the eastern cause 3 of the 4 rims gave away.

[theBlake]

Originally Posted by PepeLePew

When quality wheels can be made here for $300, why does a wheel coming from Japan suddenly cost WHAT?

$1000 for one Toyota Yaris allow wheel.

I don't get why the journalist when making that statement does not see what everyone else is thinking. Or this is just a puff piece marketing crap for the car dealers industry.

[whitelion65]

If you want to get an indication of the quality, have a look at the amount of lead required to ballancee some of these pieces of ...

[XG_Falcon]

I have to agree with all the sentiments expressed here.

I have zero faith in cheaply manufactured components when it comes to vehicle safety but at the same time some of the prices asked for mass-manufactured aftermarket wheels equate to daylight robbery.

Speaking as a consumer: I am more than happy to pay for quality, I'll even go without an extra feature just because a competing product's quality is slightly better but I don't like feeling ripped off.

[PepeLePew]

Originally Posted by whitelion65

If you want to get an indication of the quality, have a look at the amount of lead required to ballancee some of these pieces of ...

Interesting aside....i recently had cause to take in for balancing a set of the Ford FG GT/FGX wheels (later Ford version). The shop actually remarked on how LITTLE it took to balance them.

[mik]

No wonder the country is knackered, we let this rubbish in to our ports time and time again and watch our own manufacturing that has to comply with standards go broke never to be seen again.

One has to ask the relevant question, as this is not only a matter of protecting our industry, it is also a matter of safety, so where are the checks and balances that make sure we are not bringing in sub standard product/crap ?

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by mik

No wonder the country is knackered, we let this rubbish in to our ports time and time again and watch our own manufacturing that has to comply with standards go broke never to be seen again.

One has to ask the relevant question, as this is not only a matter of protecting our industry, it is also a matter of safety, so where are the checks and balances that make sure we are not bringing in sub standard product/crap ?

This is not quite correct.

I agree with your sentiment about protecting the local industry, but the problem is much deeper than that.

As was mentioned in the article, Ford & Holden etc. also have wheels made in China, but to much higher standards. Any part of a new car has to built to ADR regulations, as well as all of the various warranties, that go with them.

The big problem that has existed for decades is that parts sold into the aftermarket as accessories or spare parts are not "policed" in the same way. The rules for car manufacturers are vastly different to aftermarket part manufacturers, regardless of whether they are Australian made or imported.

Have you noticed how say Ford or Holden have to fit disc brake pads that need perform well, last an excepted service life, while not being too noisy or dusty. But you have to pay for that, you only get what you pay for.

On the other hand, some small importer can bring Chinese no-name pads (probably made from cardboard) & he is freely allowed to sell them to anybody stupid enough to buy them. What is safe or ADR compliant about that scenario.

There are many other car parts that this applies to, but disc pads & road wheels are 2 fine examples.

The figure that staggers me is that over 500,000 of these crappy wheels are sold each year !!

Dr Terry

[Trump]

Dr Terry raises an important point, however many take issue with the costs associated with buying OEM consumables and parts; the $1000 Yaris wheel as mentioned above is but one of countless examples. Yes most understand that there are costs involved in getting such a compliant product to the marketplace, but the costs to the end user very often leave a sour taste in many a mouth.

In a nutshell, people won't go for the cheap and nasty yum-cha option if they had direct access to genuine Ford/Holden/whoever accessories, spare parts and consumables and all at much more reasonable prices. As it stands, dealers hold a monopoly which is definitely not in the best interests of the motoring public.

[theBlake]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

The figure that staggers me is that over 500,000 of these crappy wheels are sold each year !!

125,000 cars !

And more to the point who is selling them?

I imagine that some big name retailers of wheels must be getting in on the action too for it to be that many.

[thefargo]

this is my favourite quote from the article:

“Some of the Chinese wheel suppliers might put a ‘QC’ (quality control) sticker on it, but that doesn’t mean it’s been tested. It just means they’ve put a sticker on it,” says Ian Raymond, an expert wheel repairer.

if that is even the least bit true, it is a major worry.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by thefargo

this is my favourite quote from the article:

“Some of the Chinese wheel suppliers might put a ‘QC’ (quality control) sticker on it, but that doesn’t mean it’s been tested. It just means they’ve put a sticker on it,” says Ian Raymond, an expert wheel repairer.

if that is even the least bit true, it is a major worry.

Change least bit true to standard operating procedure and you'll be getting an idea of how widespread "sticker testing" is.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by mik

No wonder the country is knackered, we let this rubbish in to our ports time and time again and watch our own manufacturing that has to comply with standards go broke never to be seen again.

One has to ask the relevant question, as this is not only a matter of protecting our industry, it is also a matter of safety, so where are the checks and balances that make sure we are not bringing in sub standard product/crap ?

The funny thing is in a lot of cases, the authorities just expect the Chinese producer to say that they comply with standards.

The truth is they don't in instances, and that is discovered once the product is "out there".

Great idea to move to free trade with China

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

In a nutshell, people won't go for the cheap and nasty yum-cha option if they had direct access to genuine Ford/Holden/whoever accessories, spare parts and consumables and all at much more reasonable prices. As it stands, dealers hold a monopoly which is definitely not in the best interests of the motoring public.

Great in theory, but what's "reasonable"? There's no way that genuine parts will ever compete with counterfeits on price, and because people are tight-*****, they'll go for the cheaper option. Sad as it may be, the reason counterfeits exist is because there's a market for them.

I will always pay for genuine rather than any fake cheap stuff coming from China, regardless of the mark-up they want to put on it. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the same.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by NX74205

Great in theory, but what's "reasonable"? There's no way that genuine parts will ever compete with counterfeits on price, and because people are tight-*****, they'll go for the cheaper option. Sad as it may be, the reason counterfeits exist is because there's a market for them.

I will always pay for genuine rather than any fake cheap stuff coming from China, regardless of the mark-up they want to put on it. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the same.

Reasonable, ticking the matching alloy spare box: $250.

Unreasonable... being charged $1100 for the same wheel from the dealer spare parts department.

[Yellow_Festiva]

They see safety as paramount? Rubbish! We have never been more tracked and electronically monitored yet they say tracing the wheels once they hit our shores is nigh on impossible.

But there is no way of tracking them down because most were imported from China by independent distributors, some of whom pose as private sellers on online auction websites.

'No way???' What rubbish....

[Eaturbo]

Problem is that this gives all the Chinese wheels a bad name. I brought replica AMG wheels and they were really good. Hard part is telling what is good and what is bad.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Reasonable, ticking the matching alloy spare box: $250.

Unreasonable... being charged $1100 for the same wheel from the dealer spare parts department.

That depends on how much the wheel actually costs. If you're already buying a car, they may be able to discount the alloy spare because there's more than enough margin on the car to pay for it.

For all you know, the cost price of the wheel may have been $1000.

[Mowdit]

Hang on...

The article states that ROH in Adelaide are Australia's oldest and only manufacturer of wheels in Aus....

But isn't there a company in Geelong manufacturing wheels for the new Mustang ???? (ok, they may be Carbon Fibre, but .......)

Article creditability

Not saying that imported "cheap" & dodgy alloys aren't out there.........

[Trump]

Originally Posted by NX74205

That depends on how much the wheel actually costs. If you're already buying a car, they may be able to discount the alloy spare because there's more than enough margin on the car to pay for it.

For all you know, the cost price of the wheel may have been $1000.

If a Ford dealer spares department isn't setting a sell price on pretty much anything they sell by multiplying their cost price by four, I'll eat a turdburger

[Xauterus]

Where are thousands of broken wheels if 500,000 badly made wheels are driving around?

[theBlake]

Originally Posted by Xauterus

Where are thousands of broken wheels if 500,000 badly made wheels are driving around?

its 500k wheels sold per annum, so at least a few million wheels on the road today for about 13million cars.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Xauterus

Where are thousands of broken wheels if 500,000 badly made wheels are driving around?

im one person and i have two of them.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Don't worry even the OEM Ford ones are pox on some of their cars, the WS Fiesta is good for the factory alloy wheels bending when you even think about hitting a pothole.

I'd suspect that the bending is intentional in OEM wheels .. Unlike the cracking and shattering of these unregulated wheels made from whatever materials they had lying about using whatever processes they could think up to save $$$.

Every time I see stories like this I think devious not innovative. It's easy to do something in an inferior manner cheaper, but much harder to do it better and cheaper .. Most opt for the easy path.