I don't like to be skeptical, but I suspect most do know what they are selling. They're buying from unauthorized sellers and the price they're paying has to be a clue too.
Denso Spark Plug Quality
- Thread starter italian68
- Start date
“#1 seller” and “authentic“ are most certainly NOT the same thing. I would toss them in the trash, and get a new set. Honestly.
These are the plugs I received in comparison with the picture of the plug on the Denso website. I am working with the seller to get my money back now.
@italian68 - I'm curious... How much did you pay for the plugs?
I bought a set of 8 coils for my old Tundra, the price was good. I asked the vendor if they were genuine Toyletta; he said yes.
Well, 1 month later 2 had failed and threw error codes. I put the original, 200K coils back on and all is good.
The vendor is no longer on Ebay.
If it seems too good to be true.... Sheesh!
I bought a set of 8 coils for my old Tundra, the price was good. I asked the vendor if they were genuine Toyletta; he said yes.
Well, 1 month later 2 had failed and threw error codes. I put the original, 200K coils back on and all is good.
The vendor is no longer on Ebay.
If it seems too good to be true.... Sheesh!
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I bought a set of four a few weeks ago. Made in Indonesia, not Japan. I bought from a Toyota dealer parts dept., online price. Denso in original Toyota box, cheaper than anywhere else I could find. I went there to pick them and other parts up, this is where I saw a completely vacant new car showroom. No more ebay sellers for me in these things unless they are a new car dealer store front like Connicelli Toyota. I will only get from a retail new car dealer with a parts dept.
Honestly, did you really think he would tell you that they're fake/counterfeit ? He could play dumb but depending on where he got them, he can't always say for sure.
I have bought lots of auto parts, appliance parts from eBay....but only a eBay seller who is also a brick-motor retailer with a public storefront.
At the time, my question was more if they were aftermarket vs Toyota.
In retrospect, do I feel pretty dumb? Guilty as charged.
And out like $240, as I recall. Hopefully I learned my lesson.
Don't get me wrong, I'll try and save money any time I can too ! I've gotten to the point where I have to accept it might not be worth the risk, so I pay more (but feel better in the end).
Agreed. Once bitten twice shy.
On one hand I try and tell myself it is a lesson well learned and on the other hand I feel like such a dumb ....
So are coils. Don't ask me how I know.
That’s red flag #1. Even Amazon’s a crapshoot - unless it’s sold and shipped by Amazon. I have almost 70K on a Amazon-purchased set of Denso SK20R-11 plugs, but next time I do plugs I’m going to my local parts house or even the dealer.
eBay? Almost certainly fake.
Likely dropped or mishandled in shipping. Did you receive them with cardboard tubes over the threads & tips?
I bought OEM spec iridium Denso plugs off "The Rock" for my 6 liter Chevy on clearance 4 years ago. All were straight and gapped as requested. No issues thus far. ($7/piece including shipping)
I've had no end of yo-yoing returns of FleaBay and Kramazon over the years for counterfeits and fake knock-offs. Once you get your return sorted, try a known good online retailer or shop you local store.
I bought OEM spec iridium Denso plugs off "The Rock" for my 6 liter Chevy on clearance 4 years ago. All were straight and gapped as requested. No issues thus far. ($7/piece including shipping)
I've had no end of yo-yoing returns of FleaBay and Kramazon over the years for counterfeits and fake knock-offs. Once you get your return sorted, try a known good online retailer or shop you local store.
For the Chinese, counterfeiting Japanese parts/products is a win-win-win and they do it in every industry. It makes them money, takes money from legitimate quality Japanese businesses they compete against in many global industries, and since the average joe will typically have no idea he bought fakes, tarnishes Japanese companies reputation instead of chinese when they break. Business ethics is not a thing in China, and you can bet that the CCP does not give one crap about it at least and at worst encourages it. Societies built on that always fail eventually though since fraud fundamentally does not pay in the long term, how and when that will happen however is anyones guess.
The problem with Amazon is they mix the inventory together between different vendor, so you can end up getting inventory from a fake when you buy from a real dealer or the other way around.
