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Old 05-31-2019, 04:02 PM #1
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PSA: Beware of Fake Iridium Spark Plugs (Ex. Denso SK20R11)

Hey gents,

Just wanted to give a heads up for anyone looking for new spark plugs for their V8's. There is a big problem with fake spark plugs from online retailers such as eBay and Amazon. I recently ordered a spark plug from eBay that the seller advertised as Genuine Toyota parts with 99% positive feedback. After receiving it and realizing it was clearly a fake, I went ahead and ordered the same plugs from Rock Auto. To make matters worse, the eBay plugs were about 50 cents more expensive than genuine ones from Rock Auto so it wasn't as if it was "too good to be true".

Here is the comparison between the two:



First, notice the text difference between the two. Be aware that the checkerboard pattern isn't the telltale sign as I've seen genuine plugs with the checkerboard pattern. However, the SK20R11 markings have odd spacing and font:




The biggest telltale sign... Genuine Iridium plugs should have a blue hue and have laser welded tips. Notice the fake has a copper color and there is no sign of welding of the tip. In addition, the fake tip is recessed and the white insulator is of poor quality. Finally, there are lots of defects in the machining of the spark plug, there are deep nicks found throughout the threads and metal around the tip.
Credit to AuSeeker: The ground electrode on the genuine plug is platinum (you can tell by the difference in color) while the fake plug uses the same metal as the threaded portion of the plug:



Another look at the recessed tip, shoddy white insulator, poor machining, and the use of the same metal on the ground electrode:



What's funny is when I contacted the seller about selling me fake plugs, he was quick to issue a refund and $5 on top. In return for his generosity he requested that I change my bad review to a positive one. Of course, I told him to pound sand.

Last edited by ac1617; 05-31-2019 at 06:48 PM.
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Old 05-31-2019, 05:57 PM #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ac1617 View Post
Hey gents,

Just wanted to give a heads up for anyone looking for new spark plugs for their V8's. There is a big problem with fake spark plugs from online retailers such as eBay and Amazon. I recently ordered a spark plug from eBay that the seller advertised as Genuine Toyota parts with 99% positive feedback. After receiving it and realizing it was clearly a fake, I went ahead and ordered the same plugs from Rock Auto. To make matters worse, the eBay plugs were about 50 cents more expensive than genuine ones from Rock Auto so it wasn't as if it was "too good to be true".

Here is the comparison between the two:



First, notice the text difference between the two. Be aware that the checkerboard pattern isn't the telltale sign as I've seen genuine plugs with the checkerboard pattern. However, the SK20R11 markings have odd spacing and font:




The biggest telltale sign... Genuine Iridium plugs should have a blue hue and have laser welded tips. Notice the fake has a copper color and there is no sign of welding of the tip. In addition, the fake tip is recessed and the white insulator is of poor quality. Finally, there are lots of defects in the machining of the spark plug. There are deep nicks found throughout the threads and metal around the tip:



Another look at the recessed tip and poor machining:



What's funny is when I contacted the seller about selling me fake plugs, he was quick to issue a refund and $5 on top. In return for his generosity he requested that I change my bad review to a positive one. Of course, I told him to pound sand.
Thanks for the heads up on this!!

There's one other difference I can see and it's a big one IMHO, the ground electrode on the genuine Denso SK20R11 is platinum, the fake one clearly is not platinum, it appears to be the same metal as the threaded portion, whereas on the real one you can clearly see the ground electrode is not the same metal as the body!!
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Old 05-31-2019, 06:22 PM #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AuSeeker View Post
Thanks for the heads up on this!!

There's one other difference I can see and it's a big one IMHO, the ground electrode on the genuine Denso SK20R11 is platinum, the fake one clearly is not platinum, it appears to be the same metal as the threaded portion, whereas on the real one you can clearly see the ground electrode is not the same metal as the body!!
Great catch! I'll add that to my post to your credit.
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Old 05-31-2019, 06:45 PM #4
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Great catch! I'll add that to my post to your credit.
Just an FYI on your edit of your OP, you typed titanium instead of platinum.
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Old 05-31-2019, 06:48 PM #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AuSeeker View Post
Just an FYI on your edit of your OP, you typed titanium instead of platinum.
Fixed!
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Old 05-31-2019, 06:52 PM #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ac1617 View Post
Hey gents,

Just wanted to give a heads up for anyone looking for new spark plugs for their V8's. There is a big problem with fake spark plugs from online retailers such as eBay and Amazon. I recently ordered a spark plug from eBay that the seller advertised as Genuine Toyota parts with 99% positive feedback. After receiving it and realizing it was clearly a fake, I went ahead and ordered the same plugs from Rock Auto. To make matters worse, the eBay plugs were about 50 cents more expensive than genuine ones from Rock Auto so it wasn't as if it was "too good to be true".

Here is the comparison between the two:



First, notice the text difference between the two. Be aware that the checkerboard pattern isn't the telltale sign as I've seen genuine plugs with the checkerboard pattern. However, the SK20R11 markings have odd spacing and font:




The biggest telltale sign... Genuine Iridium plugs should have a blue hue and have laser welded tips. Notice the fake has a copper color and there is no sign of welding of the tip. In addition, the fake tip is recessed and the white insulator is of poor quality. Finally, there are lots of defects in the machining of the spark plug, there are deep nicks found throughout the threads and metal around the tip.
Credit to AuSeeker: The ground electrode on the genuine plug is platinum (you can tell by the difference in color) while the fake plug uses the same metal as the threaded portion of the plug:



Another look at the recessed tip, shoddy white insulator, poor machining, and the use of the same metal on the ground electrode:



What's funny is when I contacted the seller about selling me fake plugs, he was quick to issue a refund and $5 on top. In return for his generosity he requested that I change my bad review to a positive one. Of course, I told him to pound sand.
Fantastic work by yourself on all ends. Thanks for the heads-up!
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Old 06-01-2019, 01:03 PM #7
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Geez, as if we didn’t already have enough crap to worry about, now we have to worry about fake auto parts too, wtf!? Thanks for the heads up!
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Old 06-01-2019, 04:36 PM #8
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Glad to read that Rock Auto sold the real thing, I will remember this and. Also glad you did not change your negative review for $5 bucks from him.
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Old 06-08-2019, 05:18 PM #9
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Are mine fake??

PICTURES ARE IN MY ALBUMS.
I originally bought my densos from amazon, and after reading this post and looking at my plugs, I became suspicious. So I bought OEM plugs from eBay. Then I received them and they look correct but the packaging is questionable. Well I guess I am not allowed to upload photos yet, I will post them in my album and you can look at it there. Thanks
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Last edited by MY06T4R; 06-08-2019 at 05:42 PM. Reason: Update
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Old 06-08-2019, 05:47 PM #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MY06T4R View Post
I originally bought my densos from amazon, and after reading this post and looking at my plugs, I became suspicious. So I bought OEM plugs from eBay. Then I received them and they look correct but the packaging is questionable. Well I guess I am not allowed to upload photos yet, I will post them in my album and you can look at it there. Thanks
I looked at your photo of the plugs..but it's hard to say from the view of the new plug in your photo...but if the ground electrode (the L shaped piece welded to the body) looks to be the same metal as the threaded portion of the body of the plug, which to me in your photo looks to be the same metal, I would say they're fakes, look at the OP photos above and you can see the difference of the ground electrode of both the fake and a original Denso, you can also compare the other differences as well since he has posted photos of both.

If I were you I would send them back and get your plugs from Rockauto, a Toyota dealer or a reputable auto parts store, the cheapest by far will be Rockauto.
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Last edited by AuSeeker; 06-08-2019 at 05:50 PM.
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Old 06-08-2019, 05:54 PM #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MY06T4R View Post
PICTURES ARE IN MY ALBUMS.
I originally bought my densos from amazon, and after reading this post and looking at my plugs, I became suspicious. So I bought OEM plugs from eBay. Then I received them and they look correct but the packaging is questionable. Well I guess I am not allowed to upload photos yet, I will post them in my album and you can look at it there. Thanks
It says made in China right on your box man haha. My Denso box (which had 4 plugs in them) says "assembled in USA with Foreign Content".
Don't buy spark plugs from Amazon or eBay (especially eBay). Too many fakes out there.
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Old 06-09-2019, 02:09 AM #12
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I agree

Quote:
Originally Posted by ac1617 View Post
It says made in China right on your box man haha. My Denso box (which had 4 plugs in them) says "assembled in USA with Foreign Content".
Don't buy spark plugs from Amazon or eBay (especially eBay). Too many fakes out there.
That was my hangup when I got them, and the first thing I noticed, the package says made in china but the actual Toyota boxes say Japan. I will be contacting both amazon and the seller on ebay.
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Old 06-09-2019, 04:14 AM #13
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That was my hangup when I got them, and the first thing I noticed, the package says made in china but the actual Toyota boxes say Japan. I will be contacting both amazon and the seller on ebay.
If you search AliExpress for "Toyota Spark Plug" you will see plenty of listings for Iridium Spark plugs with the small Toyota boxes that say "made in Japan" for sale (all counterfeit of course). Now of course AliExpress almost exclusively sells products made in China. eBay sellers probably source their plugs from the same factories in China. The seller you bought the plugs from probably didn't care enough to remove the sticker indicating the true origin of the spark plugs nor the box they are packaged in from the factory the fakes are made in.

Last edited by ac1617; 06-09-2019 at 04:33 AM.
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Old 06-09-2019, 07:48 AM #14
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Agreed

Quote:
Originally Posted by ac1617 View Post
If you search AliExpress for "Toyota Spark Plug" you will see plenty of listings for Iridium Spark plugs with the small Toyota boxes that say "made in Japan" for sale (all counterfeit of course). Now of course AliExpress almost exclusively sells products made in China. eBay sellers probably source their plugs from the same factories in China. The seller you bought the plugs from probably didn't care enough to remove the sticker indicating the true origin of the spark plugs nor the box they are packaged in from the factory the fakes are made in.
I messaged the seller today indicating I intended to return and give negative feedback, I actually bought these after the "Denso" plugs I bought from amazon last year causing misfires, and I found that the gaps had expanded since their installation, I did install them and they are okay, but still going to return because they are not what I paid for.
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Old 12-16-2019, 09:27 AM #15
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Ordered a set of plugs off ebay from seller autopartconnection and they are definitely not OEM... Thanks OP & contributors to helping me out here.
DON'T BUY THESE:

1. No iridium weld presence at the electrode tip or blue tinge
2. Incorrect laser printing compared to glazed OEM print
3. Machining defects present, including slag bridging the spark gap on one... See pics below!

8pc NEW Denso Iridium Power Spark Plugs Toyota Lexus 90919-01210 SK20R11 3297 | eBay

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