ELYRIA, Ohio –Bendix is reiterating the importance of using only genuine parts, after a US-based fleet experienced $10,000 in damages from using an air dryer containing a counterfeit cartridge.

The company says the fleet owner believed he was purchasing a genuine remanufactured Bendix air dryer last March.

However, the Bendix AD-9 air dryer contained a counterfeit dryer cartridge that wasn’t up to standards.

Within three months, the cartridge failed, the desiccant inside turned to powder causing it to leak from the cartridge, clogging and contaminating brake system components and automatic transmission valves, according to Bendix.

The truck’s owner had to replace a variety of components to get the truck back on the road. When the owner submitted a warranty claim with Bendix, the company’s engineers discovered the cartridge was counterfeit.

“Counterfeit, knock-off, and poorly rebuilt parts threaten the safety of everyone on the highway since these products are not held to the same stringent standards as genuine Bendix new and remanufactured parts,” said Andy Cifranic, Bendix brand manager.

“It’s unfortunate that the customer received a counterfeit cartridge -a component that couldn’t be seen without taking apart the air dryer.

“While the customer initially saved about $30 by purchasing a non-genuine Bendix product, he ended up spending almost $10,000 in repairs to just one truck. The cartridge clearly wasn’t made to Bendix spec’s, compromising the safety of the driver and others on the road.”

Bendix has led the charge to crack down on the rampant distribution of counterfeit and knockoff components.

The company warns that many knock-offs look identical to genuine Bendix parts, to the untrained eye.

Often, counterfeits are reverse-engineered to look like Bendix parts, but are not subjected to the testing standards faced by genuine parts.

“When you purchase remanufactured products, you don’t always know what you are getting,” Cifranic said.

“This customer wanted a Bendix product…but what he received was not what he asked for. This led to issues with the reliability and durability of the component. When purchasing remanufactured product, who remanufactures the product is just as important as who originally produced it.” •