Counterfeit TPMS Sensors!

Direct TPMS market leader Schrader International, has warned of the presence of unauthorised and even counterfeit sensors in the European market. Problems include non-standard packaging, non-standard screws, non-standard valves and re-marked and re-branded items.

Writing in an open letter on the subject, Schrader International, Alfonso Di Pasquale explained: “It has come to our attention that there are certain non-authentic Schrader branded TPMS Sensor products which are being made available in the aftermarket and which we are concerned may be defective and/or cause a risk to consumers or users.

The letter continued: “While these parts may appear from first look to be genuine production approved Schrader parts, we can assure you they are not and they have not been processed or tested to our exacting OEM requirements. In some cases, they also have been tampered with and contain foreign/non-Schrader materials, such as valve stems and valve screws.

The major concern seems to be on the grounds of safety: “We have obtained and examined some of these parts and we are concerned that there may be safety implications in their use…We can also run part number checks for anyone concerned about this issue via our support hotline.”

At the same time the company re-iterated that because of the dubious origin of these parts Schrader can “accept no risk or responsibility with regards to any warranty or liability obligations for any non-authentic Schrader branded parts, including but not limited to product liability and consequential loss.”