LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — They may look like the real deal, but knockoff car parts are landing in U.S. vehicles by the truckload—and in Michigan, officials say some could be deadly.

From counterfeit spark plugs to fake air bags packed with unapproved explosives, federal authorities are warning that bogus components now pose a safety threat on American roads.

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“Counterfeit parts are more than just a failure in quality: They are a direct risk to safety, where shortcuts in integrity can threaten lives,” Bob Stewart, president of the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council and a brand protection manager at General Motors, told the Detroit Free Press.

In fiscal year 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized over 211,000 counterfeit auto parts—double the number from the year before. That included nearly 500 fake air bags, a tenfold increase from 2023.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has tied substandard replacement inflators to at least three deaths and two disfiguring injuries over the past year. All involved vehicles where air bags had previously been replaced with defective parts, often of foreign origin.

Michigan’s Auto Fraud Task Force brought its first major case in April, charging a New Baltimore man with selling fake restraint systems and air bags online. Prosecutors seized more than $600,000 linked to the operation. He faces nine felony counts.

According to Stewart, counterfeiters are “opportunistic” and target anything with demand—from fuel injectors and tire sensors to air bags and bumpers. “They’ll counterfeit anything,” he said.

Stewart said most sales happen online, often through platforms like eBay or Temu, with products shipped in small parcels to evade detection. Some parts are even priced comparably to authentic versions to avoid raising suspicion.

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While the council is working with online marketplaces to tighten enforcement, Stewart maintains that the black market is difficult to track.

“We truly believe that the numbers are greater than what they report because they only know what they see,” Stewart said.