We need genuine action

TS,Saturday 1 January 2011 

I refer to the report “Fake parts main cause of crashes” (The Star, Dec 29). 

The allegations made by the secretary-general of the Transport Workers Union appear to be off the mark and simplistic. 

Many popular car models use a combination of disc brakes for the front wheels and drum brakes at the rear. 

The more luxurious and powerful cars are fitted with disc brakes all round. 

The components that wear off are the brake pads and they need to be replaced at regular intervals. The frequency depends on the quality of the pads, road condition and driving habits. In rare cases, skimming is done on scourged discs. 

Almost all buses and lorries are installed with drum brakes all round and the brake shoes with linings need to be replaced when worn. 

For many models, the shoes can be reused and only the linings need to be changed. Also in both cases, the drums are rarely skimmed. 

Brake discs or drums are very seldom replaced. As such, putting the blame on imitation brake discs is clearly not based on evidence but more of hearsay. 

When it comes to the various components of a motor vehicle, it is best to divide them as either made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or not. 

These OEMs are owned by the automobile manufacturers or contract manufacturers and supply the components needed to assemble a motor vehicle. 

The OEM parts are sold under the famous automobile brands as genuine parts. Although their prices carry a premium, it is safer bet for the public to buy them for replacement. 

As for non-OEM parts, they differ greatly in quality. In some cases, these parts can be of higher quality than OEM parts. 

There are reputable experts who use non-OEM parts to improve the performance and safety of a standard factory vehicle. 

Similarly, high quality non-OEM parts with lower prices can be safely used but vehicle owners would not be able to ascertain their quality and rely mainly on the mechanic’s recommendation. 

The obvious culprits are of course low quality parts that are made, packed and sold as genuine. These imitation parts should be avoided altogether, as all parties involved in the supply chain are out to cheat. 

As such, the authorities and industry leaders should initiate shrewd strategies to stem out the menace other than issuing knee-jerk statements. 

Concerns expressed on road safety may be genuine or fake. Talk is cheap. 

Yes, we can certainly do with more genuine people and parts. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur