PSA/Heads Up - Counterfeit YZZA4 Oil Filters (1 Viewer)

[jlin011]

Due to my lack of planning/foresight I needed oil filters quickly (and was hoping to avoid a trip to the dealer, it’s tough with two little kids!) and in the process of Amazon Prime-ing I was shipped some counterfeit YZZA4 filters. Just wanted to do a PSA - make sure you purchase from a dealer or trusted vendors online.

Fake on the left, Genuine on the right

Hard to capture with a camera but the hologram on the fake filter box is off center and only a partial hologram.

Dead giveaway here with the GR engines listed as the application for the YZZA4 and incomplete sentence/odd British English spelling (“before installation please make sure part catalogue”). Missing UPC code.

Again, poor spelling and bad grammar (“O-ring’s no sticking out”, “oil can be leaked”, “make sure to fit O-ring on a correct position”)

 

[jlin011]

 

[tacoduck]

amazon has a huge issue with fake automative parts. If you buy spark plugs on amazon, most likely they are knockoffs.

 

[bloc]

Is nothing sacred?!?!
Very good job catching this. And thanks for the PSA

 

[jmw101]

Great post. Thanks for sharing.

 

[fasteddie2015]

Now I need to go back and see what I've bought on amazon. I dont recall where I got my plugs. I typically buy online from McGeorge toyota. Their prices are lower than everyone else, so makes me wonder just a little. Thx for the heads up.

 

[Audiophilitis]

Excellent post and thank you for bringing awareness to this community.

 

[JohnJB]

I bought some spark plugs off eBay just to see what showed up for $36. Definitely counterfeit. The boxes and markings all looked legit Toyota/Denso (correct markings on ceramics and metal collar) but the they were slightly nicked up, which seemed odd. Also some of the metals just looked different between the plugs. Then after weighing them, they were all different weights. Seller had reputable ratings over thousands of transactions and whatnot, but odds are many people did not even realize what they were installing.

 

[Bunga]

Interesting. I have a third style, closer to your right, but unclear, also from Amazon. Box has offset hologram, but fully holographic. Box has made in Japan, Engine application zr. Illustration all in Japanese. Bottom is white and folder per your illustration, media is yellow and filter drain insert has a much smaller tip (1/3 width) over the others. How do you know for certain it is a knockoff?

 

[hankinid]

I simply use the TRD variety & get them from the local Toyota dealer.

 

[bloc]

How do you know for certain it is a knockoff?

The only way to know for -certain- it isn't a knock-off is to pick up or order from a dealer.

 

[jlin011]

Hey Bunga, you make a good point. I don’t have any proof it’s fake. But as bloc points out, unless the source is trusted you really don’t know if it’s genuine.

There’s no one thing that screams knockoff but the combined errors (engine family, mixing up V6/V8; grammatical and spelling issues; even little things like the quality of the box and how Toyota wouldn’t screw up the instructions by splitting them across a box top) all add up to something fishy. I don’t know if Toyota makes these in Japan but that’s certainly possible.

For a fairly critical part that’s roughly $5-$6 from the dealer (for the record the knockoff was $6 ea) there’s no point in taking a chance.

 

[fasteddie2015]

As hard as that 8th plug was to change, I wouldn't want to repeat the work for defective parts.

I recently bought a driver door lock actuator on Amazon. Made by Asin allegedly, same mfg as the oem, and a hundred bucks cheaper than from the dealer. Hopefully the real deal. Glad I kept the old one and rebuilt it just in case. Used the electric motor I also bought on Amazon, but they're crappy parts to begin with. Can't really be any worse.

 

[OregonLC]

Dang it, I have two bad ones in the parts drawer! Thanks for posting though! Fortunately, plugs came from Rock Auto.

 

[chipsterguy]

amazon has become like eBay with fake goods. good catch.

 

[OregonLC]

One additional identifier is the printed part number on the pleats of the real Toyota element.

 

[silverhorse]

good grief, I just bought an entire case from Amazon.. I had no idea.. Luckily, they are OEM... thanks for putting the word out!

rotten bastards , cant they just counterfeit Hyundai parts!

 

[paulunm]

Was the counterfeit filter from a 3rd party seller or direct from Amazon?

 

[jlin011]

Was the counterfeit filter from a 3rd party seller or direct from Amazon?

Whoops, sorry for bringing this back from the dead to reply. This was sold by a third party seller but shipped/fulfilled by Amazon.

 

[04UZJ100]

Was it a Toyota dealer on amazon or “bobs car parts”?

I bought a case of filters for my 2UZ which shipped from DaytonaToyota.