So, I've been buying car parts for nearly 4 decades. Over the last several years, Amazon has been a great source for parts and ultimately the low cost, not having to leave my home type of experience. Granted, I still buy lots of stuff locally, as you can't get everything from Amazon, especially liquids, but I digress.

I had an interesting experience the other day, and thought I'd share.

My wife's toyota needed new O2 sensors. Locally, they were about $100 a piece, and can't imagine what the dealer wanted. I know Denso manufactures sensors for Toyota, Nissan and other car companies, and I've bought a lot of their stuff before for my jap vehicles. Never had any issue until I placed this order several weeks back.

Amazon had the Denso sensor from Prime, and a bunch of other vendors. Since the same part number came up several times, I looked to see what was the least expensive, as the truck requires 4 of them. 2 downstream, and two upstream. I figured since the two downstream units were from a new vendor, and they were about 1/2 the cost of Prime, and a quarter of local, I figured I'm not in a rush, so I ordered them. Had some 3 week lead time, but again, wasn't in a rush.

So after a week or so, I get a shipping confirmation. For chickes and googles, I decided to look up the tracking information from USPS, or UPS. It says it was packaged in California, and sent on its way. Two days go by, and I'm on my amazon account, and I see that the parts were delivered already. Well, that was interesting considering the original order said 4 weeks. So, I go outside, look around the house, and I can't find any deliveries here. Go back inside, go onto my Amazon account, and I send the vendor a "where's my stuff? " note. THey reply back that "they didn't know what happened to the tracking information, but it was on it's way, and the new tracking information was sent to me in the same note.

3 or 4 weeks go by, and I'm still not seeing my parts. I go onto my amazon account, and I cancel the order, stating I never received it, and it was delivered to a house some 3000 miles away. Amazon credits me, and I order the parts again through PRIME, and this time I order all 4 sensors.

I walk out to the mailbox, and in my mailbox there is a delivery of the original 2 sensors I ordered, and this is what I found.

I open up the box, and there's no part numbers on the carton they came in. (strike #1)

I pull out the sensor and it's in a clear sandwich bag, and not a sealed plastic pouch (strike #2)

There is no gasket, and no instructions at all. (strike #3)

There are no part numbers anywhere, including nothing engraved on the sensor itself. The original sensor has a mounting flange with two bolt holes in it. This sensor has a removable flange, and spins on a threaded section of the sensor. It's obviously to me, not the correct part.

So, again, I ordered the sensors from Amazon again, and they come in. This is what I found.

The parts from Amazon (second order) were directly from Amazon prime, and not some arbitrary new vendor that just started selling on Amazon.

The Boxes are all labeled with part numbers, and other writing that looks completely legit.

The parts are in sealed pouches in the cartons, and there are labels on those pouches with the correct part numbers on them.

The parts themselves are all there, including the gaskets.

The parts are engraved with the Denso markings on them. They're correct, and legit parts, and nothing like the first order I placed with the "new" vendor that just started selling on Amazon.


Moral to the story? Scrutinize any online purchase you make from any vendor, as who knows where they're getting these parts from.

It appears that: Someone started selling on Amazon. Someone is selling counterfeit, after market parts as actual "Denso" parts. Someone has since had a ton of negative 1 star reviews of similar experiences I've had. Not even sure if they're still a vendor on Amazon or not. They didn't have all those negative reviews when I ordered the parts originally.


How stupid ? You get an account to sell on Amazon, and you try cheating people.... Boneheads will ultimately be removed from there, and I guess try their scam elsewhere.



Denso engraving on the sensor

No labels on counterfeit box, and it's twice the size of the original Denso parts box

Original on left, and counterfeit / universal on right. Nice sammich bag, dude...

Denso parts come labeled, with an instruction sheet, and if the sensors are threaded, it also comes with a tube of copper neverseize.

 

I had the same issues with Amazon on sensors for my Dodge Dakota Throttle Body. I at the time I noticed a slight difference but installed them. My truck runs like crap for a minute or two then dies and won't start till It's cold again.