ELYRIA, Ohio — Bendix has been one of the industry leaders in an effort to step up enforcement and awareness of counterfeit parts, and one customer recently proved their case.

According to the company, a fleet owner in the U.S. Midwest believed he was purchasing genuine remanufactured Bendix air dryers, but the dryer contained a counterfeit cartridge, resulting in a truck down and nearly $10,000 in damages to his fleet’s bottom line.

The fleet owner, who hauls agricultural products, purchased the competitively remanufactured Bendix AD-9 air dryer in March 2008. The cartridge in the air dryer was designed and built to deceive any purchaser by replicating the exact appearance and brand identification of a genuine Bendix cartridge, but without the stringent product standards of the genuine Bendix product.

Within three months of purchase, the cartridge failed. Design faults within the counterfeit cartridge turned the desiccant inside to powder, causing it to leak from the cartridge, clogging and contaminating numerous brake systems and automatic transmission valves.

Due to the damage from the powdery mess, the fleet owner was forced to replace a broad range of components within both the brake and transmission systems to get the truck back on the road. It wasn’t until the fleet owner attempted to make a warranty claim with Bendix, enabling Bendix engineers to examine the dryer cartridge, that it was discovered the cartridge was counterfeit.

“Counterfeit, knockoff, 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.”

Bendix developed its “Genuine Bendix” program to address the impact of counterfeit and knockoff parts within the commercial vehicle industry. The program’s three-pronged approach includes extensive education and outreach, intellectual property protection, and enforcement of patents and trademarks.

The manufacturer notes that to the untrained eye, knockoff and counterfeit parts seem similar to a genuine Bendix product because they are manufactured to appear the same. Often, counterfeits contain a “design-around,” which attempts to recreate a patented design without directly violating the patents. As a result, the component design does not function properly. Counterfeiting results in inferior products, which ultimately compromises public safety.

“When purchasing remanufactured product, who remanufactures the product is just as important as who originally produced it,” said Cifranic. “Even though a remanufactured product may start its life out as a genuine Bendix part, unless it is remanufactured by Bendix, it is no longer genuine and you can no longer count on it to meet our quality levels and our strict performance standards.”

Whether you’re dealing with Bendix, or another manufacturer, to ensure the best quality every time, find an authorized outlet and always check the packaging for the appropriate logo to ensure it’s the real thing.