Toyota Ghana battles counterfeit spare parts

Toyota Ghana Company Limited, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, has pledged to fight the counterfeiting of spare parts, which is a major problem in the automobile industry of the country.

To this end, the automobile company has drawn a comprehensive programme dubbed '2012 Anti-Counterfeit Educational Campaign' to create awareness about the dangers of using counterfeit/fake spare parts.

The campaign themed 'One Little Mistake, Big Trouble' was launched in Accra over the weekend.

Speaking to journalists at the launch, the Managing Director of Toyota Ghana Company Limited, Mr. Takahiko Takabayashi, added the company was bent on fighting counterfeit spare parts which are dangerous to all road users.

In this regard, he mentioned that the company had organised workshops, mounted billboards, played radio jingles, and distributed flyers to educate customers on safety measures to avoid accidents.

The National Parts Manager for Toyota Ghana Limited, Wilfred Atoubi, condemned the use of counterfeit spare parts that endanger the safety of drivers and passengers in the country.

He mentioned that oil filters, air filters, brake pads, spark plugs, bulbs, clutches, shock absorbers, wiper blades, fuel filters, among others are key products which are being imitated.

He disclosed that a national survey conducted by Toyota and its parent company showed that 80 per cent of spare parts bought in the country were fake.

According to him, the annual event is necessitated by the increasing influx of counterfeit products such the clutches, bulbs and wiper blades of vehicles on the Ghanaian market.

The low-quality or counterfeit clutches can lead to poor performance and the risk of unforeseen accidents, Mr. Atoubi explained.

He indicated that fake bulbs resulted in blurred vision and caused accidents, and easily allowed for oxygen which causes the filament to burn.

Mr. Atoubi advised vehicle owners to use genuine bulbs because it has excellent atmospheric seals, prevents oxygen from entering them, has excellent insulation from thermal shock, and could withstand vibrations and provide best lighting at night and prevent accidents.

He said most drivers underestimated the function of the wiper blades, and it causes accidents leading to deaths.

The quality driving decisions are based on a clear unobstructed view of the road, as good visibility is essential during rainy weather when vision may be obscured by water.