Recently serviced my timing belt and water pump which included a new Denso tow pkg radiator. Everything went fine but as I'm closely monitoring the water level after the job I notice pink seeping through the top where metal meets plastic. I'm not surprised to see a little around the overflow tank as I may have over filled it, but I didn't expect to see very even and consistent pink dust all around the top seam. This radiator was made in China and purchased from Rockauto. My first instinct is to send it back for a replacement but I'm almost afraid this may be the new standard to expect from a Chinese made radiator...? Has anyone seen or experienced anything similar, I've driven approx 300 miles since the TB svc.

I've never had an issue with my overflow tank spewing fluid everywhere and new hoses were also installed.

 

Someone had this issue when he went aftermarket at the dealership, right?

I would have Rock replace and hope the next one is better--you can use their FedEx account to return it (it's like 33% the cost compared to if you walked in and shipped it yourself).

I dunno, when I get there, I might just go original equipment and bite the bullet. I did install a $80 radiator from amazon on my Maxima and it never had any issues in over 3 yrs.....don't even remember the brand, but it was made in China....good luck

 

That someone happened to me! I had my original radiator replaced a number of years ago after the notorious top seam opened up. I had Lexus do the job and they used an aftermarket Denso radiator. I did not go for the towing package radiator. 1 1/2 years later it started leaking from the center core. Lexus replaced it. Fast forward and about the same amount of time the replaced radiator also started leaking from the core. I am now on my 3rd Denso which I believe was manufactured in Taiwan, but not certain. So far so good. It was a pain to go back to Lexus, but at this point I'm sure they'll take care of any further issues regardless of time, however I'm hoping all is well.

 

I wanted to say it was you Boca but didn't want to get it wrong lol

Just thought of this, maybe you got new coolant every time it was replaced? That would be nice for your heater core and insides....

 

How much do the OEM ones cost? After seeing a couple of these radiator issues pop up lately I'm going to take off my cover and look mine over when I do my brake job in the next week or so.

 

Looks like $457 list, then minus whatever discount....

If you google the p/n it comes back as $310 to $318....16400-50251

or non trailer tow is cheaper $378 list16400-50231



https://www.discountpartsmonster.com...bC12OC1nYXM%3D

 

Get a billet one with matching fan shroud and overflow tank will be bought the same for all 3 of those items as it would be for an oem radiator.

 

Yes, I specified I wanted the Toyota red coolant and when I noticed they put in the pink I had them flush out the system and replace with the Toyota red. I also had my thermostat replaced at the same time. FYI, make sure you check your transmission fluid level after installation of the radiator as some fluid is lost when the transmission lines are disconnected and reconnected.

 

My radiator with only 84k miles looked like that before it was replaced with OEM Denso from Lexus parts dept.
Im really surprised to hear more and more LS owners having issues with radiator......

 

Sorry to bring this thread from the dead, but i noticed a leak starting to form on my radiator, so i did some research and learned about how even the denso from the dealer isn't the same as the denso from other sources, so i went ahead and picked up one from my Lexus dealer to find out that even that is made in China!

So 3 things are running in my head,

1. I just paid 3x for a Chinese radiator.
2. There are no more Japanese radiators.
3. Maybe there's a difference in build quality?

It does come with the foam surround already installed vs nothing on other denso unit.

By the way, i ordered the part ending in 31, without the tow package.

So my question is, do i keep it or return it and get a denso locally for a fraction of the price?

 

Yeah looks like Denso is spreading their manufacturing facilities all over different countries, I got lucky with the one from Vietnam. No leaks so far.

 

It's ridiculous honestly. I only put oe parts on my Toyotas and take issue with Toyota making them in China with other brands, makes the whole paying more for a dealer part questionable.

I really can't see it lasting 15 years and 229k like the one on the car now.

I want original, and willing to pay 3x the amount, but it needs to match the factory in quality. I feel sick knowing I'm paying that much more just to pick it up from the Lexus parts counter if it's made to the same standard as aftermarket parts.

 

Yeah it sucks when even such a great car part veteran as Denso is falling into modern trends of lower quality parts in favor of more frequent replacements or repairs. Overall the trend is not towards durability but rather to enhance marketing tricks and improve sales. The quantity is more important than quality nowadays.

 

So this is the radiator i got from my dealer. Anyone with an aftermarket "Denso first time fit" care to compare? I need to decide by Wednesday if i should install this one at $364 vs $110-$160 for a denso first time fit purchased from O'Reilley or bap geon.

i have a hard time believing a 100 dollar radiator being of any quality. But at the same time i can't see the dealer upcharging a product this much. A part of me wants to believe that yes, Chinese, but not the same quality of a denso first time fit product.

 

The radiator at the beginning of this thread is a Denso "First Time Fit" and, aside from my initial concerns, has proven reliable. Granted it's only been a year but it looks basically identical to yours minus the foam.
$68 from Rockauto made in China...