My understanding is that the Japanese Denso are the ones with the spongey filter material, and the Densos with this type of setup are made in Thailand. Which makes me suspect this as a fake as well.
I was also under the impression the Toyota-branded Thailand Denso were endcap-free, while the Denso-branded ones had metal endcaps.
Both of those facts suggest to me that this was a fake Japanese Denso, since the spongey-type media ones are in somewhat high demand and command a premium price.
FWIW, I buy the Denso-branded Thailand-made filters for my Honda vehicles on RockAuto. If you play around with the number of units, you can minimize the shipping price per unit if you decide to go that route.
I like them better (my opinion only. not trying to start a debate) than the Toyota-branded ones because they have Silicon ADBV's and metal endcaps.
I was also under the impression the Toyota-branded Thailand Denso were endcap-free, while the Denso-branded ones had metal endcaps.
Both of those facts suggest to me that this was a fake Japanese Denso, since the spongey-type media ones are in somewhat high demand and command a premium price.
FWIW, I buy the Denso-branded Thailand-made filters for my Honda vehicles on RockAuto. If you play around with the number of units, you can minimize the shipping price per unit if you decide to go that route.
I like them better (my opinion only. not trying to start a debate) than the Toyota-branded ones because they have Silicon ADBV's and metal endcaps.