Do all foreign car makers mark up parts prices so much more in the U.S.?

[atikovi]

Looking online for transmission parts for my Civic R because the 2nd gear synchro set isn't available from Honda here. Found it from Japanese parts sellers and also noticed parts that ARE available here are so much more here than over there. Three examples:

Transmission fluid filter strainer.

U.S. retail $53:

21180-PR8-016 - Honda Parts Now

www.hondapartsnow.com

Japan price $8:

OEM HONDA 21180PR8016 STRAINER COMP., OIL PUMP 21180-PR8-016

Brand HONDA Product Name STRAINER COMP., OIL PUMP Product Number 21180-PR8-016 Product Description Fits: Honda Accord Honda Accord Inspire Honda Accord Tourer Honda Ascot Honda CR-V Honda Civic Honda FR-V Honda Legend Honda NSX Honda Rafaga Honda S2000 Honda Vigor Chassis: Engines: Notes Images...

www.blackhawkjapan.com

Bearing.

U.S. retail $105:

91103-PYZ-003 - Honda Parts Now

www.hondapartsnow.com

Japan price $22:

OEM HONDA 91103PYZ003 BEARING 91103-PYZ-003

Brand HONDA Product Name BEARING Product Number 91103-PYZ-003 Product Description Fits: Chassis: Engines: Notes Images are for illustration purpose only. Actual product may vary.

www.blackhawkjapan.com

Seal.

U.S. retail $18:

91205-RT4-003 - Honda Parts Now

www.hondapartsnow.com

Japan price $5:

OEM HONDA 91205RT4003 SEAL 91205-RT4-003

Brand HONDA Product Name SEAL Product Number 91205-RT4-003 Product Description Fits: Chassis: Engines: Notes Images are for illustration purpose only. Actual product may vary.

www.blackhawkjapan.com

And yes, there is shipping costs from Japan, but that's less than the savings on just one bearing.

 

[JWC86]

Maybe start a business reselling OEM Japanese auto parts?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

What year is your Civic? How many miles? Most of them are still new enough to be under warranty, so it shouldn't cost you anything

 

[dubber09]

Shipping may play role in door to door cost for you but if you get a few parts at once you will save big.
I ordered a few parts directly from Korea, some plastic parts are $2 back there and $30 here, takes a couple weeks at most to come, never been hit by duty.

 

[atikovi]

What year is your Civic? How many miles? Most of them are still new enough to be under warranty, so it shouldn't cost you anything

And you don't think that if it was under warranty I would have thought of that?

 

[ATex7239]

Speculating: the US market is probably the cash cow for most companies.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

And you don't think that if it was under warranty I would have thought of that?

depends on how fast and furious you drive it

Speculating: the US market is probably the cash cow for most companies.

Honda makes most of their worldwide revenue from the US, so this is possible. And Subaru makes almost 3/4 of their revenue from the US!

 

[atikovi]

depends on how fast and furious you drive it

I can drive it fast, but without 2nd gear I can't drive it furious.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I don't know about car parts, but I know you can buy Japanese Industrial parts from Distributors in Asia - who source from China - and ship them here way cheaper than you can buy them here. Most don't bother because most are being bought by big companies, but I know a couple small outfits that do so.

Not sure if China subsidizes the stuff or they just sell it so much cheaper in China to compete with the Chinese? Pretty sure its not knock off's - this is precision industrial stuff you would know pretty quick. Quite possible they are stealing it directly off a Chinese production line for said Japanese companies?

Camera's were the same way ion's ago. Called "grey market"

 

[andrew_j]

That car and especially transmission is low volume for US and likely not representative of entire company and likely Japan vs USA. Check out pricing on common parts across Civic models (alternator?) for better comparison maybe?

 

[97prizm]

Looking online for transmission parts for my Civic R because the 2nd gear synchro set isn't available from Honda here. Found it from Japanese parts sellers and also noticed parts that ARE available here are so much more here than over there. Three examples:

Transmission fluid filter strainer.

U.S. retail $53:

21180-PR8-016 - Honda Parts Now

www.hondapartsnow.com

Japan price $8:

OEM HONDA 21180PR8016 STRAINER COMP., OIL PUMP 21180-PR8-016

Brand HONDA Product Name STRAINER COMP., OIL PUMP Product Number 21180-PR8-016 Product Description Fits: Honda Accord Honda Accord Inspire Honda Accord Tourer Honda Ascot Honda CR-V Honda Civic Honda FR-V Honda Legend Honda NSX Honda Rafaga Honda S2000 Honda Vigor Chassis: Engines: Notes Images...

www.blackhawkjapan.com

Bearing.

U.S. retail $105:

91103-PYZ-003 - Honda Parts Now

www.hondapartsnow.com

Japan price $22:

OEM HONDA 91103PYZ003 BEARING 91103-PYZ-003

Brand HONDA Product Name BEARING Product Number 91103-PYZ-003 Product Description Fits: Chassis: Engines: Notes Images are for illustration purpose only. Actual product may vary.

www.blackhawkjapan.com

Seal.

U.S. retail $18:

91205-RT4-003 - Honda Parts Now

www.hondapartsnow.com

Japan price $5:

OEM HONDA 91205RT4003 SEAL 91205-RT4-003

Brand HONDA Product Name SEAL Product Number 91205-RT4-003 Product Description Fits: Chassis: Engines: Notes Images are for illustration purpose only. Actual product may vary.

www.blackhawkjapan.com

And yes, there is shipping costs from Japan, but that's less than the savings on just one bearing.

The civic type r is fairly rare in the USA as it was only recently sold here. Japan and Europe have had many variants of the Civic type r.

 

[eljefino]

Speculating: the US market is probably the cash cow for most companies.

Particularly if Honda Motors USA (or whatever they call themselves), the official importer, has a lock on parts, too.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I can drive it fast, but without 2nd gear I can't drive it furious.

Pretend you have a Tremec muscle car and shift it from first to fourth

I don't know about car parts, but I know you can buy Japanese Industrial parts from Distributors in Asia - who source from China - and ship them here way cheaper than you can buy them here. Most don't bother because most are being bought by big companies, but I know a couple small outfits that do so.

Not sure if China subsidizes the stuff or they just sell it so much cheaper in China to compete with the Chinese? Pretty sure its not knock off's - this is precision industrial stuff you would know pretty quick. Quite possible they are stealing it directly off a Chinese production line for said Japanese companies?

Camera's were the same way ion's ago. Called "grey market"

They could be buying or stealing from China, they could be made in China like you said, and if it's not a knockoff, then it's a license-built copy

 

[bdcardinal]

As far as the part not being serviceable, it could be that Honda USA wants any issues to be fixed by a new transmission assembly. Ford has some like that and so does Mazda where there are no internal parts listed.

 

[John105]

When looking for a LS430 passenger side drip rail, it was $295 list. I got it for $90 new from an eBay power seller.

He had the driver side for sale for $220. I asked how come the big difference (actually driver side is like $25 less list), and the seller explained if sourced from Japan we would see prices like $90, and if sourced from the USA it would be $220. So it has to do with distribution and distributors taking a cut.

My first choice would be eBay US seller, second choice eBay Japanese seller (got a OE cupholder in 8 days), and last resort try here

Toyota 75551-50020-B1 (7555150020B1) MOULDING, ROOF DRIP SIDE FINISH, RH

Toyota 75551-50020-B1 (7555150020B1) MOULDING, ROOF DRIP SIDE FINISH, RH. New & genuine Japanese car parts. Fast shipping. Low prices. Request a quote from Amayama Trading Co. online.

www.amayama.com