Several vehicle owners in the country are sharing their frustration about counterfeit vehicle parts on the market being passed on as originals.

According to experts, dubious traders are selling the counterfeit spare parts, which are exact replicas of original products, reported The Peninsula.

Qatar has recently seen a huge boom in its population and that has led to an increase of vehicles on the roads. And just like that, spare parts business has become more lucrative.

Spare parts are available in different standards in local markets. While some of them are original and genuine, made by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), others, the ‘Tejari’ – are non-original products similar to that of OEM but under different brand names.

Spare parts of varying standards are also being imported in bulk from neighbouring countries.

“Buying products from authorised dealers is the only way to ensure genuineness. It is difficult for a consumer to distinguish between original and fake products. Even authorised dealers often find it hard to do so because counterfeiters have become smarter these days,” an official told The Peninsula.

There is a 10 to 15 percent difference in the cost of spare parts imported from neighbouring countries and those sold at the authorised suppliers.

One of the reasons for the influx of counterfeit parts may be because it is more expensive here than anywhere else. A 2015 report in the Business in Qatar and Beyond magazine showed that prices in the GCC were at least 10 to 30% higher than in the rest of the world.

With counterfeit products appearing more like OEM products, the only way to identify real products is the logo of the local dealer.

The sale of fake spare parts has not only hit the business of authorised dealers, but it also puts the lives of drivers and other road users at huge risk. It also impacts the vehicle's performance and safety.

Have you resorted to using Tejari parts due to high cost of genuine vehicle spare parts in the country?