Fake TPMs shipped and sold by Amazon

You can buy a set of 4 TPMS aftermarket sensors for less than $40 and they work fine... But instead you're paying someone to do that for you via a scam and now you got all the lost time doing return hassles as well as having lost $120?

This set of four "OEM" TPMS cost $34: Set of 4 OEM TPMS Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors For Lexus Scion Toyota | eBay

These are standard parts across all Toyota and Lexus that are mass produced by many companies. It makes zero difference which ones you buy.

 

The cheapo ones in the OP's photo are clearly even missing the potting compound. Doesn't seem great for longevity....

 

An electronic device that sends a signal if tire pressure gets low is not a performance part... Clearly, there's no such thing as a high performance TPMS. As in they're all junk wether OEM or not.

In general, I've found that if a car part is identical for most all Lexus & Toyota that it's wise to make your purchasing decision on low price rather than OEM or quality. Of course, I could be wrong... We'd have to test lifespan of Denso OEM vs. aftermarket TPMS to be sure.

 

I didn't realize denso printed boxes for them because they're made by Pacific and it looks like the Pacific logo and all the stuff is there It does look like the silicone or the potting material or whatever is not like factory or what I took out of my car which was factory wasn't as clear and legible can't see the battery that kind of thing but other than that they pretty much look the same these have QR codes on them My factory did not

 

I think when you take them out of the package that's where the denso ends I don't think on these black parts of these TPMS sensors fakes or not denso is applied. If you look on the back of your center caps of your wheels you'll see the word Pacific these are the people that make all the tire and wheel trim for the particular model of car that you're dealing with that has the center caps with these letters on the back the TPMS sensors have the same letters and red or green in the logo depending upon what car you're working with I don't think I see dead so on the sensor at all.

 

The one I recently got from a Toyota dealer says Pacific Industrial Co. Ltd. along the lower left edge (of the side with the printing).

In the photo in the OP, the one that isn't counterfeit appears to say the same thing in the same place.

 

To make a claim like that without any reference link or basic logic or even anecdotal evidence as to why there could be such a huge difference sounds like you're just making stuff up...

I've spent more than a decade on here buying the cheapest most junk quality spare parts and fixing people's Prius and am almost never disappointed.

And sure occasionally a $30 inverter pump doesn't last as long as a $170 inverter pump, but I got 140 reason for why its worth the risk, especially when I pass that savings on to the people who's cars I work on. With a near free replacement if there's premature failiure, I might add.

And yes, sometimes cheap ignition coils don't last as long as expensive ones, but I've found that the heavier the coils are, the better quality they are and that price is all over the map regardless of weight and so are claims of being OEM.

As in real life experience, trying the cheap stuff is the best way to find out and people too often throw their money away paying 5 times as much for stuff that's no different than the cheap stuff, especially when you're talking about Prius that are 10 to 20 years old and are nearing the end of their lifespan anyways. I mean, do you really need a TPMS sensor to last 15 years instead of only 8 years when the cars we're talking about are older than that?

 

I've spent more than a decade on here buying the cheapest most junk quality spare parts and fixing people's Prius and am almost never disappointed.

This has to be the absolute worst self-promotion I've ever read. There are better ways to word that.

What people want is a reliable car where they can just hop in, turn it on and get where they want to go, without breaking down, here or there.

Every car I work on gets treated as if it were for my wife, son or nieces. Price doesn't matter, high, medium or low, only quality and dependability matters. "the cheapest most junk quality spare parts" does not and should not fit that requirement. Good quality parts can be found for reasonable prices. I've even seen 70% price differences for OEM Toyota parts between local dealers. I've never had a counterfeit part from Rock Auto. I've even gotten $65 ICWPs from Toyota dealers online that were clearing out leftover OEM ICWP kits from the recall campaign. I never buy from local parts stores unless it's a crisis due to their crazy markup.

 

Are the black valve stem caps a dead giveaway? The dealer collected my caps at the cars first scheduled free service and the regular schrader caps don't really fit on dem dare stems to nice like.

 

Our 2010’s build date was August 2009, all TPMS sensors still functioning. When they do quit, I’m going to do squat, just carry on. AFAIK that’s still legal up here. To be fair in the States tire shops are obligated to ensure vehicles leave with functional TPMS?

Just for comparison: last time I checked, genuine Mazda sensors were around $35 CDN apiece, and self-initializing. Maybe require a first introduction by dealership, not sure.

Apparently for Gen 5 Prius Toyota’s finally made them self-initializing?

 

Depending on the state you're in. My state (NC) does not require them to be functional...I use an old fashioned tire pressure guage.
Tire shops are not obligated to do anything. It's the state "safety" inspection that may require them to be functional.

 

This link is specific to Canada, home of laxer rules regarding TPMS, and even so, tire shops are asking for clarification:

Tire dealers seek clarity on TPMS - Auto Service World

US link, even stickier, and reading through it, quite bewildering, trying to make sense of it:

Dealing With the Legalities of TPMS: ‘Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse’ | 2017-04-20 | Modern Tire Dealer