Aston Martin blames recall on Chinese counterfeit plastic

As Aston Martin’s recall expands to include 17,590 cars sold across the globe, the company has blamed the defect on counterfeit plastic from a Chinese subcontractor tasked with molding the accelerator-pedal arms.

The parts were intended to be constructed from a DuPont-sourced nylon resin, however tests of failed pedal arms reportedly revealed a different type of plastic. The pedal manufacturer is believed to have unknowingly received the counterfeit resin from a tier-three supplier, also located in China, which shipped the material with DuPont labels.

“Aston Martin and DuPont representatives will be physically present in China to directly supervise the production of all pedal arms,” the company notes in its recall documents. “Aston Martin is also planning to resource the manufacture of pedal arms from China to the United Kingdom as soon as possible in 2014.”

The recall highlights ongoing problems with counterfeit parts and materials that find their way into the supply chain. The issue has reached far beyond fake designer handbags, even forcing the US government to acknowledge a flood of counterfeit parts, almost always traced back to China, that have made their way into military aircraft and other tightly-regulated equipment.

Approximately 75 percent of Aston Martin’s vehicles built between November 2007 and May 2012 have been labeled in the recall.