Key facts
CBP seized more than 211,000 counterfeit auto parts in fiscal 2024 and fake airbags rose tenfold as federal agencies launched the Put the Brakes on Fakes campaign.
US Customs and Border Protection seized more than 211,000 counterfeit automotive parts in fiscal year 2024, almost double the previous year, according to figures released with a new federal campaign reported by aftermarketmatters.com [1]. The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center launched "Put the Brakes on Fakes" this week, backed by Homeland Security Investigations, CBP, the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council and NHTSA, to warn consumers about counterfeit airbags and the potentially deadly consequences of fake auto parts.
"The rise in counterfeit automotive parts and equipment continue to be an alarming upward trend," IPR Center Director Ivan Arvelo said in the announcement. "This campaign, which is not just an initiative or routine consumer safety alert, is a movement to save lives."
Counterfeit airbags grew fastest: CBP seized more than 490 of them in fiscal year 2024, a count more than ten times fiscal 2023's. HSI has approximately 40 open investigations into counterfeit automotive parts. The reach runs past the US border. The Standard reported this week that a Department of Homeland Security tip led to the arrest of three men in London after a raid for counterfeit airbags believed imported from China to the UK. In the US, a Memphis man recently pled guilty to trafficking counterfeit airbags from China and selling them to repair shops.
What it means at the parts counter
The campaign's own advice is a price check with teeth. "Consumers can stay safe by purchasing airbags from reputable retailers and repair shops. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is, with potentially dangerous consequences," said IPR Center Deputy Director Brandon Lord, who also serves as executive director of CBP's Trade Policy and Programs directorate.
A buyer who suspects a counterfeit part can consult the original equipment manufacturer for help identifying and replacing it, the campaign advises, and report it through IPRCenter.gov or CBP's online e-Allegations portal. An Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council study, The Online Sale of Counterfeit Automotive Parts, documented what turns up inside a fake airbag: instead of the mechanisms that allow proper deployment, a rag covered with silicone putty.
"Dangerous, substandard aftermarket airbags can, and have, injured and killed people in otherwise survivable crashes," NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said, urging owners unfamiliar with a vehicle's crash history to arrange an airbag inspection by a reputable mechanic.
The number
211,000. That is the count of counterfeit automotive parts CBP seized in fiscal year 2024, nearly double fiscal 2023, at US ports of entry. For scale: in fiscal year 2023, CBP and HSI seized about 20,000 shipments violating intellectual property rights, nearly 23 million counterfeit items in all, with an estimated MSRP over $2.75 billion had they been genuine. Almost 100,000 of those items were counterfeit automotive goods, with an MSRP over $10 million.
FAQ
How many counterfeit auto parts were seized in 2024? CBP seized more than 211,000 counterfeit automotive parts in fiscal year 2024, almost double the previous year, including more than 490 counterfeit airbags, over ten times the fiscal 2023 count.
What is the Put the Brakes on Fakes campaign? A National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center campaign launched with Homeland Security Investigations, CBP, the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council and NHTSA to warn consumers about counterfeit airbags and substandard auto parts.
What should a used-car owner do about airbag risk? NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman says owners unfamiliar with a vehicle's crash history should learn that history and arrange an airbag inspection by a reputable mechanic.
CBP officers at ports of entry are watching imports, particularly those from China, for shipments suspected of containing counterfeit automotive parts. How many of the roughly 40 open HSI investigations end in charges has not been announced.
Reported with AI assistance from public sources; reviewed before publication.
Sources
1. aftermarketmatters.com — "New campaign puts the 'Brakes on Fakes' for counterfeit auto parts - Aftermarket Matters". https://www.aftermarketmatters.com/national-news/new-campaign-puts-the-brakes-on-fakes-for-counterfeit-auto-parts/ (captured by the desk 2026-09-26; read in full)
Also published at Expedia Parts →
Reported with AI assistance from public sources; reviewed before publication. — Powered by Creytix.