Ford Blames at Least $1 Billion Lost Each Year To Counterfeit Parts

Counterfeit auto parts cost Ford Motor Co. a staggering $1 billion annually, which has spurred the Dearborn automaker to mount an aggressive campaign worldwide to attack the problem.

The auto parts industry estimates counterfeit parts have become a $12 billion problem worldwide, with $3 billion in phony auto parts sold in the United States alone.

Ford's disclosure of the extent of its counterfeiting problems -- part of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce study that will be released Wednesday -- is the first by an automaker to give a specific figure on losses due to counterfeit and pirated parts.

"That figure is probably light," Joe Wiegand, Ford's global brand protection manager, said in an interview Friday.

Read Article

Cynical - 1/22/2007 2:51:23 PM

0 Boost

Are you kidding me? Because the parts are made in China, I'd expect to see a bit of bias based purely upon your screen name. As someone previously involved in the auto parts industry, I can tell you that many of the parts are made with inferior grades of steel, and suffer from design pirating. It's a ridiculous statement to make, and you should understand that counterfeiteers profit from ripping off the R&D employed by legitimate auto suppliers, while making inferior product that ultimately hurts the consumer. Example: trailer hitches - they were being made in the US profitably, and thus now suffer from overseas ripoffs that offer the same design cues, but inferior product quality, and ultimately fail large-stress comparisons, but Wal-Mart and other carriers don't care in the name of profits. Disgusting, in my view.

thole - 1/22/2007 4:20:28 PM

0 Boost

if it dosent break , we wont need parts very soon anyway.

they used to blame Firestone for Explorer flips over and call it 'defective'.
while telling u not using Factory spec tires will costs wears and tears to the engine also.

Blame Blame Blame , theres counterfiet for anything, not like they didnt know when it was costing them $5 back at model T

Lexus - 1/22/2007 10:45:30 PM

+2 Boost

They all always bitching and complaining about how they never make or profit enough $$$. When was the last you heard saying they will do something to improve their vechicle and actually does it? Bitching this and that won't help.

ElSparquito - 1/23/2007 12:38:00 PM

+1 Boost

Does Ford not have a QA department?

2JZSoarer - 1/23/2007 10:12:26 PM

+1 Boost

Ford should stop crying and pointing the finger at everyone,and should start building higher quality cars,even if it cost them more,maybe just maybe they'll regain some of the American's respect!!!