Unipart responds to TMD reaction over comparative brake tests

by Will Rimell

unipart stop secret full

Unipart Automotive’s brake comparison tests have kicked a hornet’s nest of feeling in the aftermarket and prompted a stern response from TMD.

A point-by-point reply to TMD’s actions is forthcoming, says Unipart Marketing Director Andrew Jeffrey, but here he makes an initial statement on the reaction to the tests.

“Unipart Automotive's braking products have always been an important part of our offer to our customers.  With our OE heritage, we understand as well as anyone what it takes to make a great brake pad, and the ways in which they have to perform.  Recently, in a multi-brand test run by an independent testing house, testing brake pad performance across a whole range of situations, the Unipart product performed best. We are proud of that.

“We certainly are not misleading anyone.  Not only were the tests independently devised and performed, using industry evaluation methods, but they were witnessed and verified by the VCA, the government agency responsible for type approval in the UK.  We believe that the debate on quality on the aftermarket needs facts so that garages and technicians can make informed decisions.”

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  1. Interesting feature backed by what appears to be an independent test - according to Unipart. The only benefactor to the legal posturing is surely going to be the lawyers. Our industry is full of suppliers offering affordable quality, including Juratek. Juratek is proud of our quality control and daily test batching of our product quality.. Let us not forget that competition, on this basis, is good for the consumer who are budgeting for stagnant income but a continued rising cost of living.
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  3. If Mr Jeffrey is so keen on the facts. Will he state which factory in China they buy pads from rather than trying to give the impression that with their OE heritage, they make them.
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  4. If you had a supply of superior brake pads to your competitors, would you tell them where you got them from?
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  5. Quote "Not only were the tests independently...... they were witnessed and verified by the VCA, the government agency responsible for type approval in the UK." Oh dear, doesn't speak highly of the VCA's capability then! Since when were stopping distances measured using 70% of the stop?
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  6. TMD Friction are very funny. If AND Friction feel the test is flawed inaccurate. Then why are they bringing lawyers in as an attempt to force Unipart to retract the statement they made? If TMD believe in such flaws, they should have went a terested all of them themselves whilst testing a Unipart themselves too. You don't hear Thenbifb
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  7. You don't hear Ferrari crying and moaning wyenbMercedes have a faster car or than them and if they do, they just revised the car to make it more competitive. Sadly TMD Friction would rather whinge and litigate with legal implications. Actions speak louder than words
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