Dealer won't sell TRD Pro parts without VIN

I ordered the TRD Pro LED headlights from an online dealer. They sent an email requesting a matching VIN, saying that they can't ship the order without.

Can I just use a random VIN? Found a listing for a TRD Pro at another dealership and it lists the VIN. Any other issues with this?

This is in Canada.

 

yeah, pretty normal. If you know of a buddy / neighbor with a Pro ask to use their VIN to place the order. I don't think you can use random unsold one....but what's the worst that could happen?

 

Some dealers just don't want to deal with returns from people who don't know what is interchangeable between different models. Gotta idiot proof everything nowadays.

 

Welcome to the forum @IluvTTs


How would they know if a 2017 2.5 was sold or not?
Or how would they know he didn't buy a used one?
Couldn't @IluvTTs find a used 'TRD Pro' for sale and give them that VIN number?

2017 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for sale in Scottsdale, AZ - CARFAX




2017 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for sale in Cambridge, OH - CARFAX

 

You might be right. I just remember a buddy had a Tundra and he wanted some of the trd pro parts. The dealerships (multiple) wouldn’t let him do it without a vin. He asked his salesperson if he sold any trd pro’s lately. He had and then my buddy asked if the salesman could contact any of them to use their vin to order parts. One was a friend who he was comfortable asking, the guy said yes and he was able to order using that vin. Otherwise he was SOL


And come to think of it it probably depends on what you order. I was able to order the grill and cai without a bin so…..maybe just certain items????

 

Lol I used craigslist for sale listings to bypass VIN requests..
Stealerships just wanna make sure you can't return nothing. Lol.

 

Thanks for the welcome! Love the avatar lol.

I found a VIN from a Pro for sale local to me, will try it out and report back. Just wanted to hear of other people's experiences (like if anyone's been blacklisted - these guys have the best prices).

 

Yeah, that avatar is quite attractive for some reason! Many, many months later i still have to zoom in every single time his posts pop up

 

The dealerships that require a VIN to order are also the ones that are going to charge you more. Just google the part number and order from a different dealer. Tons out there that will have better prices and not require it.

 

Interesting - I couldn’t find any dealers that didn’t require a VIN for my sequoia TRD pro grill for my second Gen. I didn’t conduct an exhaustive search, but all of the dealerships that I’ve used for other parts required it. When I emailed them about the part, I told them that I didn’t own a TRD pro but was looking to add it to my SR5 truck. They responded that they just need A vin number… from a trd pro truck…

But now that you say that, I reached out to a different dealership about a pro grill for my 2.5 Gen; they have been backordered for a year, but when I spoke with the guy on the phone, he didn’t ask for a VIN. So maybe it does depend on the dealership.. or at least the guy behind the counter?

 

I've ordered parts from this dealer before. Vin only recommended.

https://parts.olathetoyota.com/oem-parts/toyota-grille-531000c260b2?c=bD03Jm49U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM=

 

Also when you order over the phone, they will charge you the in-person rate. Ordering online is almost always going to be cheaper, even ordering from the same dealership

 

I used a VIN for a used Pro listed at a local dealership. The dealership confirmed the VIN and said they are shipping out the parts tomorrow.

It's probably a requirement from Toyota corporate, but enforcement depends on the person behind the counter. In this case I was allowed to check out online, but they emailed me after to confirm the VIN. The online form had the VIN field as optional.

 

Olathe is where I got my Sequoia TRD pro grille. That’s even the right color for my other truck.. Thanks for the link.

Ya, the guy I’ve worked with on the phone at a different place will verify stock for me, and usually match their online retailer pricing. (Same dealership). They just don’t ship from their dealership shelf unless I pay the in-person rate. They are a couple hours from me so when I purchased the 38 gallon tank, I was able to order it online for online price, but pick it up in-person instead of paying $700 for shipping.