Experts at Witter Tow Bars have warned they have seen a massive rise in people purchasing used tow bars this year. However, some of these parts may have been involved in crashes and may not be safe to use on longer journeys.
Specialists have warned some drivers were being sold “original equipment” tow bars which are designed to be fitted when a vehicle is being built.
He said installing these on cars later down the line just “doesn’t work” as they urged road users to take precautions.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Witter spokesperson Adrian Parry-Jones said salvage yards were regularly to blame for the sale of damaged equipment.
He said: “People can advertise on social media sites, ebay, stuff like that.
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“Then Joe Bloggs will come to us and say I need a neck for this tow bar.
“Well, they have actually bought an original equipment tow bar which was designed to be fitted in a factory on a production line.
“They are trying to fit it aftermarket and they are trying to get spares for it aftermarket which just doesn’t work.”
Witter has previously warned the cheapest tow bars are not necessarily the best for regular road users.
Drivers could also be issued penalties for not complying with tow bar legislation.
The law says tow bars must be type approved for your vehicle to ensure they meet EU regulations.
Type approved tow bars have a label with an approval number and details of the vehicle’s it is approved for.
However, vehicles used before 1 August 1998 do not need to be fitted with a type-approved bar.
