Maintaining a personal vehicle is something that should last and be ever-present. Car owners know all too well how crucial the optimal performance of their vehicle can be. In the modern world, everything is made and developed with the idea of most people owning a set of wheels and it can be hard to get to certain places or even move around the city without it. For these and many other reasons like comfort, convenience, and urgency, it is prevalent that a contemporary family has at least one car.
Now, owning a car is one thing but actually maintaining it and caring for it is a whole separate issue. There is a lot that can go wrong just like with anything else that is made out of numerous intricate parts working together. Car parts are often something that people do not know much about. Apart from the usual roles of the most popular ones, an average car owner has no idea what goes where, what is located in which areas, and most importantly, how to tell if it works and whether it needs replacement.
A Mechanic’s Job
Luckily, we do not have to know all of this since there are professionals and experts who have dedicated their lives to helping others with their vehicles. Mechanics and everyone else in some form dealing with vehicles can be lifesavers. Their expertise and knowledge help drivers every day, particularly when there is a need for a new part to be installed. People cannot be expected to know things like these when they are highly specific and intricate. Therefore, a trip to your mechanic is all you need to do when you need a new part. Therein lies a new potential issue though.
It goes without saying that you want the best for your vehicle, which means that you want the best parts. How does one make sure the parts are actually genuine then and not a fake imitation? Counterfeit parts could be very dangerous for multiple reasons, from safety issues for the driver and passengers to other parts ending up broken and needing replacement. Therefore, it is crucial that you find the best genuine products out there. This is exactly why we are here, to help you tell the difference between Toyota parts. In this article we talk about how to distinguish genuine parts for your Toyota vehicle from fake ones. To find out even more on the matter and find what you need, make sure to visit sts-global.com/toyota-parts.
Toyota Standards and Quality
Toyota is a serious brand, and like any other professional and experienced company they want nothing but the best for every car they manufacture. Therefore, they make millions of spare parts in case some of their customers has an issue and needs something replaced. Every single genuine Toyota part undergoes detailed examinations and guarantees until all of the quality, reliability, and performance standards are met. Only then can it leave the factory and enter the market. Safety and a longer life of your vehicle are guaranteed if you make sure to always get the real deal. Apart from this, every genuine part also comes with a Toyota warranty, while counterfeit ones do not.
Telling the Difference
Not all parts are made equal nor are they sought after as most. In the following sections we will be talking about the most common parts and how to tell the differences between genuine and real. Shorter life, poorer performance, and less safety are common no matter the type of counterfeit part.
Oil Filters
A genuine Toyota oil filter is made with high quality materials and it goes under strict and rigorous tests. The material of the filter has a larger surface and it is held by special parts made for this very role. The casing and the “o” ring are also tested and they never leak. The construction and quality of the casing materials is the best available.
With counterfeit products, there are no bypass valves so clogs happen that lead to more expensive engine repairs. The filter paper quality is low and it too clogs. The materials of the “o” ring is poor and cheap, resulting in oil leaks.
Brake Pads
All it takes is a quick visual test to tell the difference here. Genuine brake pads are symmetrical and made from high quality friction materials. Counterfeit pads are smaller, nonsymmetrical. And made from visibly poor and inferior materials. This influences the braking and the plates can even separate from it causing braking failures. They are also not as heat resistant and can ignite. You will need to replace them much sooner too than you would the genuine Toyota brake pads.
Air Filters
Real Toyota air filters come with three layers of filter materials. The working life is long and the engine performance will be maximized. The dimensions are precise and the filter fits perfectly without any gaps or overlapping, which cannot be said for fake filters. They are congested much sooner and only have one layer of filtering. They also perform worse and hold less dust and other particles. If you care about the cleanness of your engine, you will always get the genuine part.
Spark Plugs
For optimal Toyota vehicle performance, you need reliable engine functions which you cannot have without a real spark plug by the brand. These will always perform exactly as their specs on the casing says they would. The electrodes are made of copper and they are always properly tested. There are no copper electrodes on counterfeit spark plugs, resulting in less to no heat resistance and potential engine damage or failure. Fake parts tend to look the same as the real thing, so you have to make sure to get if from a trusty source and have a warranty.
Miscellaneous
As mentioned, not all parts are equally important, which hardly means that they are not counterfeited and imitated. Even the smallest and most trivial things are copied like the floor mats and air bags for example. The same thing true for them as the standards and safety risks still remain low if you choose fake products. With aesthetic and cosmetic items it will be easier to tell however, as the printing and design solutions are easier to spot when they are not real.
