Just a PSA for those who buy OEM parts from Toyota dealers.
Many dealers charge substantially more for parts than Toyota MSRP when you buy the parts in person at the dealer. For example, a cabin filter listed at $37 MSRP at Toyota official website may cost you as much as $50+ if you just show up at a dealer and buy it in person. I have seen this trend time after time, at Toyota and Lexus dealers. Here is how you can protect yourself from price gouging.
This guarantees that you will pay at or below Toyota MSRP. You can probably find the parts cheaper at other outlets like Rockauto, but buying directly from the dealer guarantees that you get the OEM part, and not some counterfeit knockoff in fake Toyota box.
Another thing you can do is to show the MSRP price from the official Toyota website to the salesperson while you are the dealership. In most cases they will (reluctantly) say "OK, I will sell it to you at MSRP". But usually they won't be happy about. Pre-ordering the part(s) online will save you the angry look.
BTW, the same happens when parts are replaced during maintenance or repairs. Dealers frequently apply a surcharge on top of MSRP. If you have a trusted service advisor (and I strongly recommend to build a good relationship with one), he/she will try to correct the issue in the final invoice if you show him/her the MSRP from Toyota website. Sometimes, dealers have a policy of applying a (small) surcharge of 10% or 15% and there is little you can do about it. But knowing the MSRP in advance can save you from paying outrageous markups that can get as high as 100% on some common parts (oil filters, gaskets, etc.)
Many dealers charge substantially more for parts than Toyota MSRP when you buy the parts in person at the dealer. For example, a cabin filter listed at $37 MSRP at Toyota official website may cost you as much as $50+ if you just show up at a dealer and buy it in person. I have seen this trend time after time, at Toyota and Lexus dealers. Here is how you can protect yourself from price gouging.
- You can find Toyota OEM parts MSRPs on the official Toyota parts website Genuine Toyota Parts and Accessories: Official Online Store | Autoparts.toyota.com
- Once you found the part(s) you need, shop around across several dealers - this can be done directly on Genuine Toyota Parts and Accessories: Official Online Store | Autoparts.toyota.com site. Just enter your ZIP code and check the actual price at all the dealers listed. Many times, one or more dealers run "specials" and you can find discounts ranging from 10% to 40%.
- Order the parts online from the lowest price dealer. Most dealers offer free shipping on orders >$75, or you can just do local pick-up from the dealer. I usually order local pick-up as I don't want parts damaged in shipping and dealing with returns afterwards.
This guarantees that you will pay at or below Toyota MSRP. You can probably find the parts cheaper at other outlets like Rockauto, but buying directly from the dealer guarantees that you get the OEM part, and not some counterfeit knockoff in fake Toyota box.
Another thing you can do is to show the MSRP price from the official Toyota website to the salesperson while you are the dealership. In most cases they will (reluctantly) say "OK, I will sell it to you at MSRP". But usually they won't be happy about. Pre-ordering the part(s) online will save you the angry look.
BTW, the same happens when parts are replaced during maintenance or repairs. Dealers frequently apply a surcharge on top of MSRP. If you have a trusted service advisor (and I strongly recommend to build a good relationship with one), he/she will try to correct the issue in the final invoice if you show him/her the MSRP from Toyota website. Sometimes, dealers have a policy of applying a (small) surcharge of 10% or 15% and there is little you can do about it. But knowing the MSRP in advance can save you from paying outrageous markups that can get as high as 100% on some common parts (oil filters, gaskets, etc.)
