Yes, the aftermarket wheel market is flooded with counterfeit AMG wheels. It is important to understand the differences between factory forged authentic AMG (OEM) wheels and dangerous cast replica ("knock-off") wheels.
Counterfeit wheels carry the brand-name of the original manufacturer without the consent of the trademark holder. Some wheels my look confusingly similar to an authentic (OEM) wheel, but without the trademark, they are knock-offs, not counterfeit. A counterfeiters goal is to deceive you into believing you are buying an authentic product.
Failure to understand the differences may put your life at risk, as well as the lives of others around you. The quality and safety of replica wheels is substandard, leading to bending, cracking, or catastrophic failure. There is no substitute for an authentic, quality factory wheel. What is your life worth?
Even close inspection may not revel a dangerous replica wheel. When in doubt, seek the advice of an expert or authorized Mercedes mechanic. How can you identify a counterfeit AMG wheel on a used vehicle for sale, or the counterfeits commonly listed as new or authentic on eBay and Amazon?
Can you spot a counterfeit AMG wheel? Probably not, yet your life defends on it. Counterfeit AMG wheels may have sub surface manufacturing defects that may cause the wheel to unexpectedly fail.
Which of the wheels shown is a counterfeit?
This counterfeit AMG wheel failed a simple pothole test. A portion of the rim shattered causing wheel failure.
An authentic AMG wheel subjected tho the same test survived undamaged.
If you can't spot a fake AMG wheel, you shouldn't be buying from online vendors like this counterfeit listed on eBay.
Counterfeiters and fraudulent sellers only want your money -- they do not care about your safety.
Some wheels may be identified as replica (counterfeit) wheels, but any use of the Mercedes® or AMG® trademark without express consent of the trademark holder is a trademark infringement and illegal.
Anytime you see a brand-name obscured on any product run, don't walk away. China manufactures about 90% of counterfeits entering the USA and does so with little consequence.
This is a replica wheel failure you do not want to experience.
Always buy from authorized retailers and avoid online venues including eBay, Amazon, and Alibaba.
Any defacing of the brand, country of origin, logo, or part number is a strong indicator the wheel is counterfeit. "Made in Germany" was defaced on this counterfeit AMG wheel.
Poor manufacturing conditions lead to metallurgical defects in the wheel that may lead to catastrophic (and lethal) failure. An authentic and replica wheel may look virtually identical, but be vastly different in quality.
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