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Black Rhino importer says SUV wheels in Surigao City accident are fake

Issues public warning in the name of road safety

Accidents can happen to anyone. Drive safe. PHOTO FROM GERENCE CARALUS

The badly damaged Isuzu Mu-X you see above was the casualty of an accident in Surigao City the other day. Now, we don’t know the details of said incident, but we’re publishing this because photos of the scene have since gone viral, and the images call viewers’ attention to the mangled and cracked alloy wheels—which, at first glance, appear to be Black Rhino rims.

Black Rhino is a popular brand of wheels designed for sport-utility vehicles and even pickup trucks. And because they are meant for use by these light commercial vehicles, it is naturally expected that they are durable enough to withstand most impacts. This has now prompted the distributor of the wheel brand—the same company that sells Concept One wheels—to issue a statement.

The wheels are seriously damaged. But are they original? The brand seller says no. PHOTOS FROM GERENCE CARALUS

Apparently, the wheels on the Mu-X are fake, at least according to the country’s authorized Black Rhino importer and seller. Here is the firm’s official statement, which explains how it was able to determine the counterfeit nature of the rims in question:

There’s a post circulating on social media about a vehicular accident in Surigao. According to Sam Liuson of Black Rhino Wheels Philippines, the wheels on the vehicle are counterfeit wheels, even if they have the Black Rhino logo.

The best indication is that this particular model (Diamante) does not come in the yellowish-gold finish on the spokes as seen in the viral photos. It should be matte-black and machined face with dark tint, which is not easily achieved by repainting and can only be done in a factory for mass production. Original Black Rhino wheels come with stringent quality control testing and certification, and they pass US and Japan standards. Counterfeit wheels may show these identifications, but they did not undergo actual testing.

Black Rhino Wheels Philippines would like to encourage the public to only buy original wheels from authorized dealers.

The Black Rhino distributor says that the above colorway does not even exist. PHOTOS FROM GERENCE CARALUS

It’s not clear whether the wheels were a contributory factor in the accident, or they were simply destroyed as a result of the incident. Whatever the case may have been, we support the call to avoid using fake car parts for safety’s sake.



Vernon B. Sarne

Vernon is the founder and editor-in-chief of VISOR. He has been an automotive journalist since July 1995. He became one by serendipity, walking into the office of a small publishing company and applying for a position he had no idea was for a local car magazine. God has watched over him throughout his humble journey. He writes the ‘Spoiler’ column.



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