Counterfeit spare parts create a serious safety risk in service and warranty processes.
Industry overview
Counterfeit automotive spare parts are a direct road-safety matter. Brake pads, filters, bearings, tyres and batteries may look like the original from the outside, yet differences in material and manufacturing quality can lead to failure — even an accident — within a short time. The mechanic fitting the part, or the vehicle owner, usually has to rely on how the box and the label look; this makes packaging imitation attractive to counterfeiters and clears the way for a fake part to be fitted to a vehicle unnoticed.
The spare-parts market is a multi-layered structure spread across vehicle manufacturers, parts manufacturers, distributors, authorised and independent workshops, insurers and online sales channels. In a structure where the same part can reach a workshop through different channels, being able to verify which manufacturer a part came from and which points it passed through becomes decisive for service quality as well as for warranty and insurance processes. For safety-critical parts, that verification is also part of the workshop's responsibility towards the vehicle owner.
Figures
Annual sales lost by the legitimate tyre sector in the EU to counterfeits (7.5% of sales)
Source: EUIPO, The Economic Cost of IPR Infringement in the Tyres and Batteries Sectors, 2018Annual sales lost by the legitimate battery sector in the EU to counterfeits (1.8% of sales)
Source: EUIPO, The Economic Cost of IPR Infringement in the Tyres and Batteries Sectors, 2018Risks
Every industry has its own risk profile; solutions are configured around those risks.
In braking, steering and suspension parts, a counterfeit directly affects whether the vehicle can be used safely. When a failure occurs and the part's origin cannot be established, determining liability and collecting other parts from the same batch becomes difficult.
Counterfeiters can copy the boxes and labels of known brands one to one, or collect original packaging and reuse it. When a mechanic cannot verify a part from its box, a counterfeit can be fitted to a vehicle unnoticed.
Parts change hands many times between distributors, sub-dealers and workshops. A counterfeit can enter the chain at a link where no records are kept, and finding out later where it entered becomes difficult.
On marketplaces and social media, branded parts can be offered noticeably below market price. Because these listings use the brand's catalogue images and part numbers, they can mislead buyers.
Our approach
Grafex, Tagvex and Authex can be used together or separately in any industry.
Smart packaging
An invisible signature is worked into the packaging; a copy cannot pass verification.
Grafex sitesi
Grafex places an invisible signature into the existing design of part boxes and labels — one whose copy cannot pass verification. Printing happens on the existing line; the look of the packaging and the layout of the line do not change. A mechanic, dealer or vehicle owner can verify authenticity by scanning the box with the mobile app. Against the collection and reuse of original boxes, Grafex is used together with Tagvex records.
Secure labels
A unique number for every product; every step from production to customer is recorded.
Tagvex sitesi
Tagvex assigns parts a unique number at unit or batch level and records every change of hands from the end of the line to the warehouse, the distributor, the dealer and the workshop. Before fitting a part, the workshop scans it and checks its record. A copied code shows up through reads in an unexpected region or through repeated reads.
Digital monitoring
Brand risks in digital channels are detected, prioritised and turned into action with evidence.
Authex sitesi
Authex monitors marketplaces, social media, digital advertising, domain names and app stores for listings using the brand name, logo, catalogue images and part numbers without permission. Findings are documented with date and content, takedown requests are filed and followed until they are resolved; whether removed content reappears is also monitored.
Example scenario
A brake pad is numbered with Tagvex as it leaves the production line; its box is printed with a Grafex signature on the existing print line.
As the batch is delivered to the distributor and then to the regional spare-parts dealer, it is scanned with the mobile app at each point and the handover is recorded.
Before fitting the pad to the vehicle, the service technician scans the box and label with the mobile app and checks its authenticity and record.
The vehicle owner can scan the box handed over at delivery with their own phone and confirm that the fitted part is original.
Regulation
The main rules that apply in your industry, or will soon take effect.
The European Commission has extended the block exemption applying to vertical agreements in the automotive sector until 31 May 2028; the updated guidelines stress that authorised and independent repairers must be able to access vehicle data on equal terms. The presence of so many actors in the repair market makes being able to verify a part's origin even more important.
The communiqué defines an original spare part as one of the same quality as those used in vehicle assembly and manufactured to the vehicle manufacturer's technical specifications and production standards. Where the parts manufacturer certifies this quality, the part is presumed to be an original spare part until the contrary is proven; this makes a verifiable link between the part and its certification important.
From 18 February 2027, every electric vehicle battery placed on the market will have an electronic record — a battery passport — holding information specific to the battery model and to the individual battery, accessible via a QR code. Unique product identity and chain-of-custody records can support this preparation.
The law, in force since 12 March 2021, requires actors in the supply chain to keep records of whom they bought a product from and whom they sold it to, and makes the recall of unsafe products mandatory. Batch-level distribution records make it easier to find where affected parts are when a recall is needed.
This section is for information only; rely on official sources for current obligations.
FAQ
Yes. Verification is done with the mobile app on a smartphone; authorised and independent workshops, dealers and vehicle owners can all use the same method. No separate reader device or special authorisation is needed.
The Grafex signature shows that the box itself is genuine, while Tagvex records where and how many times the number belonging to that box has been scanned before. When a box from an already-sold part is scanned again, the repeated read appears in the records and the part can be set aside for further examination.
Batch-level numbering may be preferred for high-volume consumable parts, and unit-level numbering for safety-critical or high-value parts. A batch number makes it easier to see which dealers and workshops parts from the same batch reached if a problem arises.
Tagvex records show which batch was delivered to which distributor, dealer and workshop. This information helps quickly determine where the affected parts are; the recall process itself is run according to the company's own procedures.
Authex monitors listings using the brand name, logo, catalogue images and part numbers across marketplaces, social media, advertising, domain names and app stores. Each finding is documented with date and content, a takedown request is filed and followed until it is resolved; whether removed content reappears is also monitored.
Blog
How the grey market and channel diversion arise, why they harm brands, and how traceability data makes those movements visible.
8 min read
Collecting evidence, filing notices and following removals against counterfeit listings on marketplaces and social media, and dealing with repeat sellers.
7 min read
What batch numbers, unique serial numbers, GTIN, SSCC, GS1 DataMatrix and GS1 Digital Link each cover, and when each one is enough.
8 min readRequest a meeting
In the first meeting we review your product, sales channels and the risks you face, then recommend a verification method that fits.
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