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

A

atikovi

Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
19,530
Location
Suburban Washington DC
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:
https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genui...Door TYPE R (TOURING)&extra2=KA 6MT&filter=()

Japan price $8:
https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/products/honda-21180-pr8-016?variant=41867560386732

Bearing.

U.S. retail $105:
https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genui...Door TYPE R (TOURING)&extra2=KA 6MT&filter=()

Japan price $22:
https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/products/honda-91103-pyz-003?variant=41867533156524


Seal.

U.S. retail $18:
https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genui...Door TYPE R (TOURING)&extra2=KA 6MT&filter=()

Japan price $5:
https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/products/honda-91205-rt4-003?variant=41867544625324

And yes, there is shipping costs from Japan, but that's less than the savings on just one bearing.
 
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 :unsure:
 
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 said:
And you don't think that if it was under warranty I would have thought of that? ;)
Click to expand...

depends on how fast and furious you drive it ;)

ATex7239 said:
Speculating: the US market is probably the cash cow for most companies.
Click to expand...

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!
 
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"
 
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?
 
atikovi said:
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:
https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genui...Door TYPE R (TOURING)&extra2=KA 6MT&filter=()

Japan price $8:
https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/products/honda-21180-pr8-016?variant=41867560386732

Bearing.

U.S. retail $105:
https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genui...Door TYPE R (TOURING)&extra2=KA 6MT&filter=()

Japan price $22:
https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/products/honda-91103-pyz-003?variant=41867533156524


Seal.

U.S. retail $18:
https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genui...Door TYPE R (TOURING)&extra2=KA 6MT&filter=()

Japan price $5:
https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/products/honda-91205-rt4-003?variant=41867544625324

And yes, there is shipping costs from Japan, but that's less than the savings on just one bearing.
Click to expand...
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.
 
atikovi said:
I can drive it fast, but without 2nd gear I can't drive it furious.
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Pretend you have a Tremec muscle car and shift it from first to fourth :ROFLMAO:

SC Maintenance said:
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"
Click to expand...

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
 
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

https://www.amayama.com/en/part/toyota/7555150020b1
 
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