The radiator and transmission posts in these forums have been great. It just happened to me and I would have been lost without them. The trouble is, I found a Honda radiator (19010-RJE-A52) on Amazon for $140.00 and it arrived with a manufacturing defect; it is trapezoid shaped. Yes, that's right. So I looked for a new one and prices are $300.00 to $500.00.
https://www.hondapartsunlimited.com was reasonable but want $200.00 shipping!!!
So my question to the forum is, does anyone have any recent experience with the aftermarket companies? Spectra was good but seemed to have problems. I don't mind paying a bit of a premium for high quality but $500.00 over the counter at my dealer is absurd. Any other thoughts appreciated.
Thanks in advance
No recent experience, but I do have an opinion. Actually, many many opinions, but specific to radiators....
Of all the options I'm aware of, Denso makes the most sense to me. Reasoning:
1) They are OEM supplier to Honda.
2) They have a adopted the "new improved" trans fluid heat exchange port mechanism which *should* eliminate the possibility of coolant/ATF mixing if/when a port failure occurs.
As a side note, I have direct experience with Denso as an ODM in a completely different tech sector (circuit card sub-assemblies) and I gotta say, Denso is dead serious about quality standards and ISO compliance.
Every tid-bit and major component they produce for the automotive sector is true world class.
I haven't shopped so can't comment on pricing, but if Denso gets stupid money for their product, the OSC I purchased a couple years back is flawlessly doing it's job with no sign of impending doom.
At the time of purchase, it seemed to offer the best balance of mechanical/design integrity and cost.
One caveat: my out-of-box experience was not good. After installing the new OSC rad and dumping in a gallon of Honda coolant, she leaked like a kitchen strainer. They made it right and hand delivered a replacement, but warranty only covers the hardware and nothing else. As trouble goes, it was a PITA but they did handle the issue expeditiously.
BTW: the first OSC had a similar tweak in the structure, she absolutely wasn't square - I didn't heed the warning and plummeted boldly forward like the amateur I am. So, for that part, I own the wasted coolant is totally on me.
Best of luck. Updates to follow?