TRD Pro grill upgrade and warranty issues??

So I just bit the bullet and got a 2019 TRD Off-Road, but as many folks seem to have done, I want to swap for the TRD Pro grill. I called the dealership and they actually said they could order one for me, but that the sensor for the TSS was a different part number for the TRD Pro truck vs the TRD Off-Road truck, and that swapping them out would void the warranty on any sensor related issue even though the grill was OEM. I asked if I could look at getting a new sensor too, but they seemed a little uncertain that even that would make a difference.

Any thoughts on this? Workarounds, solutions, thoughts on not needing a warranty for that particular part/system? I’d love the new grill, and the dealership will actually get the OEM part for me, but I’d hate to void the warranty for that part on a new truck.

 

This is a heavily covered topic, run the part numbers on the sensors and see if they sre the same.

Many do this swap without issue.

 

Just need the garnish to go with it. IIRC there is no fundamental difference in the sensor locations etc. The pro grill just has the garnish to enable the sensors to work correctly

 

swap it out.. If any other sensor related issues pop up.. Put the factory equipped grille back in before you go to the dealer..

 

I negotiated a pro grill to be installed when buying my truck. Dealer used the same sensor and recalibrated it. No mention of any warranty issues and all sensors and features work perfectly.

 

Not sure why the dealer would even say that since they are not a party to the contract...the warranty is between the owner of the vehicle and Toyota. They have no authority to deny a warranty claim they can only deny a customer concern or complaint.

 

My guess is that they're referring to their own dealership warranty.

 

Yeah I figured it would be, so apologies for a revisit/new thread.

The guys in the dealership were looking the part numbers up for the grill and actually brought the potential sensor issue to my attention. I’ve read that realistically there shouldn’t be any issue beyond maybe having a recalibration period, but I wasn’t sure if anyone else dealt with the same problem of changing the grill and trying to keep a warranty. Or again, if folks have found that the TSS is not in much need of warranty, I’m all ears (though I’m a little hesitant when talking about safety features).

 

And yes, they are referring to the dealership warranty. I’m not familiar with how all that works, as it’s my first new vehicle that has one, but they pointed out the different part numbers when I called looking into the new grill and mentioned that it looked like the warranty on the TSS could be voided if I switched to a “non-supported/stock” setup that didn’t have an exact parts match.

Just kind of confused and let down since it is still an OEM part for a Tacoma, despite the fact that the Pro has some different features/add-ons.

 

And what I worry about even if this is the case, is that Toyota would come back and say that I can’t utilize my warranty since I switched to a part that wasn’t EXACTLY matched. Not sure if a scenario would arise where this is even an issue, so I’m just putting out some feelers to see if anyone else has encountered this question.

 

I hope this is just the guys in the parts department not really knowing what to do, even though the manager was apparently consulted.

They did specifically indicate that the sensor for the PRO is a different part number than the sensor for the Off-Road, hence them brining up potential warranty issues if I made the switch. Even though the parts could be identical or near-identical, which I am obviously unsure of.

 

My guess is that it's their crappy way of covering their own asses when it comes to the TSS sensor. I guess those things are sensitive and can be a serious liability issue for them if something is to go wrong. I'm runnining into a similar issue right now, I swapped out my grille for the Pro version and I'm getting a TSS error. I called a few dealerships around town and asked them how much it'd cost to get it 're-calibrated', one dealership says they charge $280.

 

They probably just had no idea what theyre talking about. People only really report issues when tgey dont use the OEM garnish.

 

Out here in Seattle I've replaced my stock grill with the pro grill (ebay). I also placed the radar sensor behind the black plastic plug instead of using the garnish similar to what @flipnidaho and @Old Pirate have done (see post #942). There were an initial a few hundred miles of calibration where TSS would switch off/on as I drove. But, 6k miles later and 2 dealer visits there hasn't been a problem. Each visit was to different dealers and neither mentioned the grill or radar/TSS placement.

Anecdotally - Get the grill and either use or don't use the garnish. I wouldn't overthink it.

 

It’s a different part number because the Pro is an inch taller than the Off-Road. The only difference between the two parts is the calibration.

 

Your dealership does not know what they are talking about. You do not need to replace the sensor. Should be no reason at all for your warranty to be voided.

All the parts you need:
Actual grille w/ sensor cutout for 2018+ tacos- PT228-35180
Garnish for the sensor -

$365 53141-35060 Genuine OEM

53141-35060
Lock nuts for garnish -

$8 90183-06044 Lexus Genuine Factory 2 EMBLEM NUTS 90183-06044

90183-06044

Should take 15 minutes to complete. Only had one error a few days after install which went away after a few minutes of driving. Have had it on my SR5 for 6 months with no issues.

 

At least your dealer will sell you one, tried 3 closest to me and they say Toyota makes them submit my VIN number to prove I have a Pro which I don’t.

 

Part number was the same in 2018 and it was a bolt-on for me. They did reject my warranty claim initially when I complained about false positives but I told them it was an OEM grille and garnish, they validated, then took care of the work. That said mine was on my truck's purchase slip as something delivered on the truck (someone screwed that one up... I picked it up a week later) so since "I bought it like this," I might be a special case. I have read that it might need to be recalibrated but I'm no expert.

 

Go to their websites, find a Pro for sale, and give them that VIN. Their system isn't smart enough to go "hey that's a Pro on our lot!" I did that to get a price quote on the grille.

 

And what kind of a damage can the sensor cause for Toyota to deny the warranty?