So that seepage you had around the top of the radiator hasn't gotten worse since the install?

If that's the case, I'll just get a denso first time fit locally and save 250, then get some foam from home Depot and call it a day.

 

Dyes are very permeating, for obvious reasons...
When I first saw it I thought it was fluid but if I had to guess I'd say it's just red dye making its way through the seam. I've had no issues with it.

 

That's what I'll do then. Foam shouldn't cost more than 10 and I'll have extra. No need to line the dealers pocket at that level of markup.

 

Replaced my Denso (aftermarket) 3 times and never was aware of anything dealing with replacing foam. Was that the foam glued to the sides of the outer housing? I did replace the support brackets at the top because the rubber was dried up and there was forward and backward play.

 

Thanks for your post as I wondered myself. With the dealership part, it must come in a box that says Toyota, have a genuine Toyota sticker, etc., right?

We all know that a Denso for $67 absolutely positively is not OE, and likely not OEM. It's aftermarket. The price alone says that.

btw the Denso non tow package costs more, that should be another hint.

I don't think you paid 3X for the same, because it sounds like you're basing it upon made in China. We love to bash that country and make excuses for why we aren't competing on the same level. Go to a 1.3 mil. sq ft brand new warehouse and look around at the robots. They aren't made in China and with people from China programming them for no reason. It's because for whatever reason we don't have the expertise to do it, or we would.

Anyhow on my Nissan the original was Calsonic made in Japan. The replacement was something like TYC made in China with lifetime warranty. Cost around $75 and no issues, as in none, in 4 years. There are a couple of rockauto radiators for the LS430 with lifetime warranty, maybe those are worth a shot. The Densos are not lifetime (for a reason), they have short warranties so clearly aftermarket, not OE, not OEM. We are often fooled by the name.

 

On somewhat on a different note.........last year I decided to purchase OEM floor mats from Lexus. When they arrived in factory plastic with all the part numbers and Lexus logos , I removed one and compared to my original OEM from my car. The weight was the first thing I noticed and the material and stitching was inferior. Of course I returned it and kept my robust originals. Goes to show that even if purchasing new parts from the dealer they might very well be inferior to what the car came with from the factory. Another example of cost cutting. Buyers should be aware of this. I’m sure there might be cases where aftermarket might be superior to some present OEM parts straight from the dealer.

 

For real, have you ever in your professional lives been told, force majeure?

A couple things I have only come across in the last few years. If you order something with favorable pricing, the vendor has the right to cancel it. At first, I am talking about online. And amazon/3rd party. They incorrectly priced something and seller canceled my order and everyone elses. Then it was hilarious. 1 star reviews started coming in, as well as a 5 star for each of the one stars!

Anyway, remember in 2016 there were charcoal LS430 mats for $15-$20 online. So I ordered 6!! 2 came plus other parts and so the seller invalidated my order but it already shipped. They told me I could keep the order for free (in other words lose what they shipped for $0, rather than have to come up with the other 4 sets of mats for the total of about $70).

Recently, I have seen clauses in contracts where due to the tariffs, vendors outright cancel quotes that say good for 30 days. There is a tiny printed clause saying right to cancel due to pricing.

Anyway the charcoal ones I got were legit, and identical to my cashmere that were in the car when I bought it used....

So I do appreciate the comments on this thread. If I did need a radiator I'll go with a $80 one that has a lifetime warranty, or I pay at the dealer maybe get some discount...

 

This says Toyota on it. It's a legit OE. You didn't pay 3X for the same. You got the real deal. China doesn't mean anything, Infiniti moved genuine oil filter production to China about 15 years ago--that means all cars have China filters right from the factory. That's when I did switch to WIX lol

 

I sure do hope so. I just ordered a denso first time fit but with the tow package as the regular one wasn't available. I'll compare and report. It's sounding more and more like what i have and what denso sells on the open market isn't the same.

We'll see.

 

Yes, the one i got from the dealer has foam all around it, to better direct the air i guess. And from my understanding, everything but the dealer part lacks that.

 

Just remember AC Delco--they are completely transparent and tell you when you buy the product. This is OE. This is OEM aka Professional. This is aftermarket aka Advantange. 3 grades. Rock auto denso is aftermarket.

btw my wife's GM's alternator went over a year ago and we had an extended warranty then. The part is "new." It listed for over $600. It is made by Denso and I believe in USA. That s***** is 170A! So in this case, if you buy AC Delco, you will get professional, not what came from the factory, or OE. Just illustrating that AC Delco does not mean OE for every part, on a GM car made in Detroit. In this case Denso is the OE part. I'm not sure why Japanese mfgs obscure all this info. I think it's the business model and distribution.

 

I been using a koyo replacement radiator and it's been fine. I want to believe denso & other companies have quality control depending on who they sell to. I personally wouldn't worry about buying parts from a dealer.

I had a recent incident with my own LS with denso O2 sensor. I was chasing a o2 code for over a year. New denso O2 would work for 3-5 months, then code would come back on. Warranty for another o2 and installed a defouler also, couple of months later code came back. Recently I installed a USED OEM o2 and no codes currently for over 2 weeks now. Hopefully code stays off.

 

I disagree that Denso China is as good as Denso Japan. I've put in several "first time fit" Denso rads (China) they failed in less than 4 years the original lasted more than 20.

 

Again, apples to oranges imho. First time fit is aftermarket.

Do we all prefer made in Japan? I think so when it comes to Toyota. But that doesn't always work well. Like a Panasonic Toughbook. I see these things new out of the box like it's going out of style. Made in Japan and not good. Mazda, made in Japan, not good. ThinkPad made in China, good.

The Denso from dealer made in China? Likely to last 20 years like the Japan made one that came with the car. Who will be around to see? (I raised my hand)

 

Unfortunately, we don't have the ability to travel back in time and buy that same radiator as was installed originally. Like it or not, and label it whatever you choose, this is the hand we are dealt today in 2019.