Ford Smashes Aftermarket Copy Parts

Perhaps unhappy with the way in which third party manufacturers were creating spare parts for its vehicles, American manufacturer Ford decided to answer a simple question once and for all: can an aftermarket copy part perform just as good as an original one?

For that task, the carmaker decided to conduct a series of low-speed crash tests to point out the defects in several parts, mostly a bumper beam. The crash tests, as Ford says, showed that the copy bumper beam absorbs less energy than an OEM one.

As if that's not enough, when using such a bumper beam, the frequency of airbag deployment during an 8 mph crash increases compared to an original one. In fact, the aftermarket copy beam crushed nearly flat on each end, while the original one suffered little deformation.

"The copy bumper beam had an aftermarket absorber made of polystyrene and an aftermarket isolator,” said Roger Chen, Ford crash development engineer.

“The stacking up of these parts changed the crash characteristics of the entire bumper assembly, which is why Ford conducts both component-level crash testing and system-level testing on all of its vehicles.”

Going for a cheaper solution when replacing the bumper beam might be just a momentary solution. If a crash occurs with the copy beam fitted, repair costs can reach as much as $5,394 (including replacing the deployed front airbags), while an original Ford part can reduce the cost to $3,441.

“Less-expensive copy parts could lead to much higher repair costs down the road. All drivers should be aware that copy parts can compromise both the safety performance and the long-term repair costs of your vehicle,” added Paul Massie, Ford powertrain and collision product marketing manager.