Police are warning hundreds of UK motorists to visit their local dealership for safety checks on their cars following an investigation into counterfeit airbags.
680 buyers have been warned in total, with 148 of those believed to have purchased suspected counterfeit Honda CRV and Accord airbags.
The police are still continuing investigations into the remaining 532 purchases.
The investigations began last month after Honda and the Intellectual Property Office found the fake airbags being sold on eBay.
On sale from September 2013, the suspected counterfeit airbags were on sale for around £170 – half the price of the genuine product.
The City of London force has advised that the potentially counterfeit airbags would not deploy as genuine ones would in the event of an accident, posing a real danger to drivers and passengers, with reports of Honda’s Swindon factory having conducted tests to confirm this.
A police search of two homes in Poole, Dorset, resulted in the seizure of around 100 suspected counterfeit airbags, alongside other related components.
The aforementioned buyers have been advised to make contact with their local dealership immediately for necessary checks to ensure their car is, in fact, safe to drive.
Managing director of Honda Motor UK, Philip Crossman, said: “The safety of customers is of paramount importance, and we aim to eliminate counterfeiting.
“We strongly recommend any modification to the airbag systems of our cars be undertaken by a trained technician in an official dealership. If customers are concerned, they should visit their local dealership.”
Police are liaising with eBay to remove any existing listings.
Danni Bagnall
