Beware 15400-RTA-003

[Evox787]

I bought 3 filters online on one of these "Honda" part stores, because I refuse to go to my local dealer due to the fact that they are a crap dealer and shady. The other dealers are an 1hr or more. Anyway I pay 30 dollars for 3 filters but since I have the car, I’ve been using the "bad" one without any issues. Decided to see what was the fuss of using the Japanese one but got scammed I think because all the 003 I find pictures are different to the ones I received, I will attach pictures but I will be sticking to the 002 because has been working fine for me anyway. Probably I’m wrong but I’ll be throwing them away to avoid any headaches. Just beware that now they are making copies of your beloved Japanese filter and the stores aren’t even bothering on checking them.

 

[Cueyo]

See if you can get yourself am actual 03 before you throw them out, the images online could be inaccurate. Would also save you some time and money.

 

[Evox787]

See if you can get yourself am actual 03 before you throw them out, the images online could be inaccurate. Would also save you some time and money.

Yeah, it is just that now the only option is online and I don’t think I will trust that venue again.

 

[Xmetal]

Sorry, please educate me? What's the tell tell signs that these are counterfeits? Thanks.

 

[blueroadster]

Seems sketchy...No OEM Honda filter includes a crush washer. Vacuum sealing material used also does not look legit at all.

 

[Cueyo]

Now that I'm looking at it closer, I can see what you mean. Maybe in remembering wrong, but are the gaskets even black? I imagine a lot more is off on the inside.

Who's the seller?

 

[HorizonsEdge]

bought a pack of 3 off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWG8JYDS a while back. 3 filters and 3 washers. Washers were not packaged with the filter; just rolling around the shipping box. seems legit but take a look, thx

 

[AspecR]

Sorry, please educate me? What's the tell tell signs that these are counterfeits? Thanks.

Genuine OEM does not include the washer with the filter like that.

 

[AZCWTypeR]

I was buying these at my dealer, but last time there they only had the new Chinese filters - yuck.

 

[SonicRSC]

That's why I but the Amsoil filters. They always work fine, and are way over OEM specs for micro filtration (20microns) and are made with high quality materials.

 

[zymmer4]

bought a pack of 3 off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWG8JYDS a while back. 3 filters and 3 washers. Washers were not packaged with the filter; just rolling around the shipping box. seems legit but take a look, thx

I bought those and as I change my oil every 5000 miles, and use 5W30, I have had NO ISSUES..I have not opened one up to look at the construction details.

 

[Spart]

bought a pack of 3 off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWG8JYDS a while back. 3 filters and 3 washers. Washers were not packaged with the filter; just rolling around the shipping box. seems legit but take a look, thx

I'm not saying that's 100% fake, but the label looks wrong, is the wrong orientation on the box, and the shrink wrap on the filter doesn't look tight enough.

Here are some examples of what a label looks like on a Japanese market filter (from websites in Japan)

There are subtle variations in the label on these, but they're all real.

Here's an example of a fake that looks allllmost real:

A few things stand out on this really-close-but-still-fake filter:

• The corners of the label (more noticeably the red ones on the top, but also the white ones on the bottom) are rounded off, whereas the real labels are squared off.
• It's hard to tell in the photos, but the red on the real Honda labels is darker and the fake is very bright red.
• The elements inside the white box where the barcode and part number are at are all present, but oriented relative to each other in a way that Honda doesn't actually use, the aspect ratio of the barcode is wrong, and the font is wrong.
• The period at the end of the Japanese text is a Western-style filled-in dot. On the real filters, it's a hollow circle as it should be for Japanese writing.
• There's an apostrophe missing in the French instructions.
• There's a space missing after a comma in the German instructions.
• Real filters *from Japan* don't have a second label on the shrink wrap that I've ever seen.
• The "9M31" is some sort of date code or lot number, and recent production has added a fifth digit at the start of those. They've been starting with a B (and if I had to guess, C, D, etc. soon since it seems to "count up") But importantly, "9M31" was copied from one of the date codes on pictures published by real vendors. If you look at my real examples above, you'll see a "9M31" and that's likely where this counterfeiter got that number from. If you get a real filter, you shouldn't expect that code to match any pictures you see online. They'll probably all be the same code in a pack of multiple filters though, since it's not a serial number or anything like that.
• Newer production ones have a QR code on the label like in the first example. While this could be faked, the QR code should have the date code (or lot number?) embedded in it.

 

[mattrose4]

This is interesting. I also got the 3 pack on amazon with the crush washers, but the washers were in a little bag and not in the box. Shrink wrap was tight too so I'm not too sure. Maybe AMs filter is the way to go

 

[Xmetal]

This is interesting. I also got the 3 pack on amazon with the crush washers, but the washers were in a little bag and not in the box. Shrink wrap was tight too so I'm not too sure. Maybe AMs filter is the way to go

I've stopped buying mission critical automotive parts from Amazon a long long time ago. I would rather pick something up from a local franchise parts store than Amazon. Ebay only if I know it's from a legitimate dealer.

 

[Spart]

This is interesting. I also got the 3 pack on amazon with the crush washers, but the washers were in a little bag and not in the box. Shrink wrap was tight too so I'm not too sure. Maybe AMs filter is the way to go

Post a picture of the boxes the filters are in.

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