HOWTO: Use the Toyota Parts system to find & order parts

EDIT: May 2023 - Toyota has apparently stopped using PartSimple to fulfill their parts system. It's possible they've in-housed the service, I don't know.

All I can say is, the new system was garbage at first, and isn't much better today, and not all dealerships are participating at the same discount rates, but still the cheapest, safest way to get OEM parts because you can't trust scAmazon or fleaBay for legitimate parts these days. I still recommend using their system for parts ordering, but I'd encourage you to do parts# investigations at another site, then carry the part number back to the Toyota Parts site. I'm leaving the pictures etc. below because some of the info is still valuable, but I'd recommend using another website to drill-down for the correct part number, then bring that part number back to the Toyota Parts site. Info on part drill-down is here:

• Visit this site: https://toyota-usa.epc-data.com/tundra/
• Plug your full VIN# into the search box and click SEARCH; this should return parts only applicable to your vehicle's factory config (cab type, drivetrain, colors etc.)
• Click on the parts grouping you want to investigate from the 4 options returned, i.e. 'Engine', 'Electrics', 'Body & Interior', 'Transmission' etc.
• In most cases you'll be given some high-level exploded diagrams ("Schemes"). Scroll down to find the exploded schematic with your area of interest, and click on it; if there's only one schematic showing, skip to the next step.
• In the final scheme you're reviewing, either (A) click on the reference number pointing at your part in the picture, noting that "RH" and "LH" refer to right-hand and left-hand parts, where applicable, or (B) click on the part description link to the right.
• Review any notes or details on the final parts page, especially if there are multiple part numbers; for example, with interior parts, you may find color designations like "MD GRAY", "OAK", or "FAWN" for the part color. Use your brain, some may be in shorthand.
• After you're confident you have the right part number, plug it into the https://parts.toyota.com system and check for local dealerships to see what the discounted pricing is, or just order it from McGeorge Toyota since they have some of the best online pricing nationally.
• Pro tip: If you need a sanity check, sometimes searching the part number in Google Images, and even in fleaBay will give you visual confirmation of the part. It may help to search for (A) the part number in quotations, or (B) removing any dashes from the part number, or (C) a combo of both A&B.

If all else fails, or the price just seems too goddamn high for your palate, check out McGeorge Toyota's online storefront. They have some of the deepest parts discounts nationally, but note: They have three separate storefronts! Two of those DO NOT use the new Toyota Parts system, and all three will give you different discount levels! Be sure to give them your VIN also so they can confirm your part is correct.

Whatever you do, and I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT trust scAmazon or fleaBay or WallyWorld's websites for legitimate OEM parts. They're breeding grounds for fraud/counterfeiting these days. This is especially true for hot-ticket smaller items like spark plugs, coil packs, and anything electronic.

Good luck, happy hunting, hope this thread saves you a few bucks.

[---- Original Post Follows ----]

Toyota changes the way the system works occasionally, so while this information may be outdated in a year, the birds-eye, fundamental overview of what I'm showing should remain mostly valid. Companies tweak their web stuff periodically but don't normally change the entire user experience very often.

Why should you use this? OEM is king, and Toyota incentivizes ordering your parts through their website to pickup at your local dealership by giving anywhere from 5% - 90% off MSRP price which is what you'd pay walking up to the dealer counter asking them find it. Don't ask me, although I know Toyota's not the only OEM that does this ... just the only one I've dealt with that lets you pick up at any participating dealership, although not every dealership participates and the discounted prices you pay could be more or less, depending which dealership you choose as you go to add parts to your cart for checkout.

Anyway, here's the breakdown on how to parts hunt, or to get part numbers from Toyota's exploded diagrams:

First, point your web browser at https://parts.toyota.com

Plug your VIN into the search box:

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When the search returns, you'll see the box next to the search should have the make/model of your truck and all its options pre-populated correctly:

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The easiest thing to do from that point, honestly, is to click on the year of your vehicle, which is displayed on a "you are here" style directory path above everything else on the results page, which will bounce you out of the Search Products mode:

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Doing that should put you into 'Category' mode, where you can select your parts using the boxes. "Body and Interior" has all sheet metal and interior bits and is where 90% of all things people ask about on here are found.

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Once you click on a category, scroll down into the list of assemblies to find the one that's the most logical "bucket" for your specific part, then click on the popout box to open up the exploded diagrams for that part. Like, in this case, if I were hunting for the armrest switches, you'd click on the popout for Armrest & Visor next...

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Now you'll find yourself in the exploded diagrams area. There's two important things to point out here. I'll number them here for sake of reference because they're critical to finding your part...

1. VIEW FULL SIZE: If your eyes suck like mine, this magnifies the size of the exploded diagram. First thing I click.
2. VIEW MORE IMAGES: Some assembly sections have multiple exploded diagrams, like engine stuff may have a V6 exploded and a V8 exploded, or for interior parts, different exploded for regular cab, access cab, double cab. This is probably the biggest 'gotcha' in the system.
3. PARTS LIST: Note the columns. Far-left column "#" corresponds to the numbers/letters shown in the exploded diagram (except for cases like bullet 5 in this list).
4. PINK BOXES: These boxes are almost never aligned correctly and don't always work, but they're supposed to be next to a part/part#, and if you click them, it jumps you to the exact part in the parts list. Or it doesn't. It's hit or miss, check points 5 and 6 for how to manually find the part.
5. ACTUAL PART NUMBER: Some items in the diagram are going to have the full-on Toyota part number listed instead of just a reference. This is common with bolts/fasteners and such. If the number shown in the exploded is more than 6-7 digits, or it's hyphenated, it's probably Toyota's actual part number. The shorter numbers/letters will virtually always be a reference to an item in the parts list.
6. PARTS LIST REFERENCE NUMBER: I drew a line to the column showing where this part is referenced. Like, if I scrolled down in the parts list for this photo, you'd eventually find "74210" as a number, and that'd be your part. Again, remember that different clicking different exploded diagram images will show you different

EDIT: Quick note to say, some items, like the two next to the number 6 in the diagram, have other info next to them in parenthesis, like the "(RH)" and "(LH)" you see which designates RIGHT HAND part or LEFT HAND part, depending on the side of the vehicle it's in. Sometimes other areas of the diagram may have designations like "DC", "AC", "RC" for the cab type the drawing or part pertains to. You may also see a number, which identifies the actual total quantity used, like, the diagram may show only one fastener attaching an oh-shit grab handle, but a "(2)" next to the actual part# in the diagram, there are actually 2 total fasteners required to install that part.

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About the PARTS LIST ... It does give you a brief summary of the part, the UCK/VCK numbers which tell you what chassis the part fits, etc. (sometimes there's more than one variation of the part). But generally speaking, you can click on the "PART NUMBER" in the list and it takes you to in-depth info:

EDIT: Also important to mention, the QUANTITY (QTY) column tells you the total number required for a new installation. Like, if this were a valve cover bolt, you may see "11" in the QTY. It has nothing to do with the quantity that will be added to your cart in their system:
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And for the in-depth info ... here are the critical tips I'd pass along which may help you shop. IF EVER IN QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT'S THE RIGHT PART, CALL YOUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO CONFIRM! I'm empowering you with knowledge, but I'm not responsible for you ordering the wrong damn part.

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Finally, after you click the "Shop Now" button for any dealership in the list on the parts detail page, you'll be shown the pickup price at that local dealership. As you see in the pic, each dealership may have a different price. Look at the picture above, note the MSRP price is $3.51 - that's what you'll pay if you go directly to the dealership parts counter, if not more. The Shop Now button will show you what the discounted parts price is for the dealership. In this case you save 26%, but I've seen as high as 60-70% off!:

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