OK, sorry to reasurrect a dead thread, but I want to rant a bit.
i appreciate the research and development and engineering and manufacturing and parts specing/sourcing dollars that go into OEM parts development. BUT WHY IN THE HELL do Toyota parts cost so much more than aftermarket parts, decades later??? Just priced parts for a tune-up on my 2000 4runner 3.4 V6 2x4 auto (plugs, wires, coil packs), and figured may as well replace the injectors while i was at it, as I would have to make the same tear-down for injector replacement that has to be done for a tune-up (appears the original injectors were still in service ay 240K miles, bless 'em). But $560 !!!???
I did some research/checking (semi-retired attorney, computer research has made me a lot of money) and found NEW injectors, spec dual electro plugs, 3 coil packs and wires, and the throttle body and plenum gaskets (necessary replacements when you take the fuel injection system apart to get to the coil packs and plugs), all for less than $200 delivered to my door, on Ebay.
Yes, I would rather buy from the dealer. Yes, I would love to have that close relationship with people I would like to depend on to maintain my daily transportation. Yes. I have bought a few beers for dealer service managers and dealer techs in my past years. And I have learned, and I am sure the reader knows, that to build a $30K car from the parts sourced from the dealership parts department would cost $100K. A real pity, an open secret, and a fraud on the public.
I cut my teeth wrenching on '60s and '70s muscle and "fun" cars. After watching Timmy the Tool Man and a few other videos, I see nothing to prevent me from tuning up this little fuel-injected V6, but dealer parts prices are OUTRAGEOUS. I understand "Toyota reliability" that is engineered into, and expected from, the branded parts. But when shop managers tell me they regularly use Ebay parts to cut overhead, why should I pay dealer service prices for something I can do myself, with the same Ebay parts?? If your dealer or shop mechanic is using ebay-sourced parts, why can't you?
