You probably bought your Toyota because of its long lease on life. To ensure it stays in peak condition even longer, fit only genuine parts
Quality, durability and reliability (QDR) are the very essence of a Toyota, which prompts the question: Would you do something that compromises any of these values?
Probably not, but maintaining QDR over the life of a vehicle isn’t something that happens by chance. It is directly affected by the parts used to service or repair the vehicle, which is the reason why Toyota Genuine Parts exist. The logic is simple: They’re the same items that contributed directly to the QDR of your new Toyota, whereas using a non-genuine item could compromise one or all of those characteristics. There are many examples of areas where using Toyota Genuine Parts is essential – from brake pads and clutches; to air, fuel and oil filters.
Oil is the lifeblood of your engine and thorough filtration between service intervals is critical to prevent premature wear. While all filters may appear to be much the same from the outside, what’s inside them often isn’t. This includes the actual medium (usually pleated paper, which traps microscopic particles) and two important valves. Under certain conditions, an engine may be supplied with unfiltered oil, which is better than no oil at all. This can happen when the filter paper becomes clogged, which will cause a bypass (or safety) valve to open. If this does not happen, the engine may for a period get no oil at all – often with catastrophic results.
Similar reasoning can be applied to the air filter. If it does not fit perfectly in the housing, unfiltered air can reach the combustion chamber. Or the actual filtration medium can be inferior and prove incapable of trapping dirt particles large enough to cause premature wear and tear.
It is when it comes to these kinds of critically important details that a Toyota Genuine Part can be relied on, while a non-genuine part will invariably have some sort of negative effect on quality, durability or reliability.
FAST FACT 1
Did you know you are never more than 330 km away from a Toyota dealer in SA? Every one of the nearly 200 dealerships (making Toyota by far the largest motoring brand in Southern Africa) is a full dealership with the ability to sell, service and provide parts.
FAST FACT 2
The Toyota dealership in Walvis Bay is 1 800 km from the Ekurhuleni parts centre, yet it still receives a delivery every working day. Toyota dealerships in Gauteng can receive deliveries up to twice a day.
WHY BUY THE REAL DEAL?
You should always fit Toyota Genuine Parts because:
• They’re designed and manufactured with precision and attention to detail to ensure a perfect fit.
• Extensive testing ensures that they comply with all regulatory, environmental and safety requirements.
• Ongoing research and development, along with cutting-edge technology, ensure they contribute to your vehicle’s overall QDR.
• Advanced cataloguing and picking systems ensure you will always get the correct part.
• They’re covered by a 12-month warranty, and are the only replacement parts that will not impact the validity of the manufacturer’s warranty.
Toyota has always gone to great lengths to make sure parts are readily available all across Southern Africa. The brand’s strong logistical backbone ensures that when a vehicle needs a part it can be located and delivered in the shortest practicable period of time.
Toyota’s 199 dealers (including 11 in Namibia, six in Botswana and two each in Swaziland and Lesotho) are serviced by two parts distribution centres with a combined area in excess of 60 000m².
All parts are despatched from the 40 000m² facility in Ekurhuleni, which stocks 110 000 individual components and sends out 90 000 parts to national, neighbouring and export destinations every single day. That’s a staggering total of 1.8 million items a month.
A staff complement of 375 keeps the operation running for two overlapping eight-hour shifts.
Photography Toyota, Quickpic
(This article was first published in the winter 2015 issue of AA traveller magazine)
