Nissan strengthens collaboration with relevant authorities to combat counterfeit products in the region
Prioritizing the safety of its customers in the Middle East, Nissan has shared five tips to easily identify counterfeit spare parts that persistently plague the automotive market. This initiative is in line with Nissan’s ongoing efforts and close collaboration with relevant authorities across the region to combat the increasing issue of counterfeit automotive products through regular market sweeps, raids of unauthorized sellers, and informative training sessions.
For reasons relating to accessibility, counterfeit spare parts continue to endanger the lives of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. In addition to adversely affecting the lifetime and reliability of a vehicle, counterfeit spare parts cause greater damage in the long run, resulting in expensive vehicle repairs.
Thierry Sabbagh, President, Nissan Saudi Arabia, INFINITI Middle East and Managing Director, Nissan Middle East, said: “The safety of our customers is a top priority at Nissan, and we work closely with our partner network across the region to offer customers convenience, trust, and peace of mind. Designed and built to guarantee reliability and longevity, Nissan Genuine parts undergo thousands of hours of rigorous testing to meet the highest standards of quality and performance. We remain committed to providing customers a seamless ownership experience, benefiting from aftersales products such as the world-class Nissan Service and from a wide range of genuine parts for their Nissan vehicles.”
Mr. Nassim Mourani, General Manager – Automotive Group, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co., Qatar: “Our customers’ safety and peace of mind is of utmost importance to our dealership. We aim to enable customers to be able to identify and avoid counterfeit components which have not been manufactured to industry standards and differ quite dramatically in quality, which can lead to serious accidents. Via knowledge sharing and collaboration with Qatar’s authorities, we strive to ensure customers enjoy a safe driving experience.”
When purchasing automotive spare parts, and to avoid being sold a counterfeit product, customers are urged to pay close attention to:
- Packaging
The first telltale sign, and one to be wary of, is the packaging of the product. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts are sold in high quality boxes or packets. On the other hand, counterfeit parts are usually sold in lower quality packaging and are likely to include spelling or grammatical errors on the outer packaging and/or in the user manual.
- Look and Feel
A physical examination of the new spare part and a quick comparison with the old part that requires replacement is very important. This is because genuine parts should match almost exactly, if not perfectly, and a simple difference in color, weight, material, or dimension would be an alarming sign.
- Price
The saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is”, is applicable in numerous scenarios and when referring to counterfeit spare parts as well. While it’s tempting to get swayed by a great deal, if the price of a particular part is substantially lower than what is being offered by an authorized distributor, it is fair to assume that it is a counterfeit product.
- Authorized Retailers
The best way to avoid being sold a counterfeit product is to purchase all spare parts from certified distributors. In addition to carrying genuine products, certified distributors have access to the latest catalogues and guidelines, as well as highly skilled technicians who undergo intensive training to ensure vehicles receive the right attention and care. It is important to stay away from retailers that stock genuine and counterfeit parts, to eliminate the risk of being sold a knockoff while paying full price and compromising quality and safety.
- Serial Numbers
Most genuine parts, including Nissan Genuine Oil and Nissan Genuine Batteries, are accompanied by a unique serial number printed on the outer packaging that can be matched to the part itself. This can be used to trace back the part and check whether the spare part is genuine or not.
A broad product portfolio comprising of over three million Nissan spare parts are available in the Middle East, including Nissan Genuine Oil, Nissan Genuine Batteries, and Nissan Genuine Accessories. Nissan’s aftersales network also includes eight certified distributors with a total of 101 branches across the region. When servicing vehicles at certified Nissan aftersales centers, customers benefit from a host of advantages, including repair warranty, technical expertise, and on-time service, amongst others.
Genuine Nissan spare parts and accessories can be purchased at Nissan’s partner network in the region including, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. in Qatar at its showrooms in Salwa Road, Al Sadd, Bin Omran, and Al Khor.
Customers who encounter counterfeit spare parts or would like to confirm the authenticity of a product are urged to reach out to Nissan’s regional call center at +971 600 54 6655 or via email at customercare@nissan-me.ae.
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