BorgWarner Genuine Products vs. Counterfeit

The industry relies on original turbocharging systems from BorgWarner. Our turbochargers are developed and tested to the strictest, globally-recognized quality standards. This is true for both our OEM products as well as our original replacement parts and remanufactured turbochargers.

This is not true of non-original BorgWarner turbochargers that have been appearing in the spare parts market.

These fakes are masquerading as BorgWarner products—with our trademark, part and serial numbers and even BorgWarner-looking packaging. However, make no mistake—they are counterfeit. And these copies are not only lesser quality, they are hazardous to the health of your vehicle and may potentially cause engine damage

or failure.

Three Drawbacks to Counterfeit Turbos

The counterfeit turbochargers may seem attractive because of their lower price, but they end up costing you much more in the end. There are three key drawbacks:

1. Imbalance: The sub-par materials used in counterfeits often result in incorrect or insufficient balancing of high-speed rotating components, such as the turbine wheel. Balancing is critically important in a rotating assembly, especially for durability and reliability.
2. Insufficient temperature capability: BorgWarner turbo components are designed to endure high exhaust gas temperatures (typically 1050°C in modern gasoline engines), and the materials used in the counterfeit turbochargers typically do not meet these same requirements. Ultimately, this compromises durability and performance.
3. Improper adjustment: The fake turbos have been found to have improper adjustment of actuators for VTG or wastegates. This impacts engine performance and emissions.

Bottom line: The lower price of the counterfeits is costly: design flaws, poor performance, excessive emissions, component failure, and potential engine damage or failure.

We examined two different units in our research laboratory—a BorgWarner original and a counterfeit one—and tested them to our strict standards. The results have serious implications: turbine housings, compressor wheels and other critical components showed serious defects in material quality, finishing and design.