TRD Pro Grill: buying direct from Toyota vs buying on Internet

Hello All,

This is my first time posting on here and I was looking to get some advice on an Aftermarket Grill. I would like to get the TRD Pro style grill but I do not know if its worth buying the cheaper grilles from sites like these when you Google: "2018 Tacoma Aftermarket Grills"

https://www.google.com/search?q=tac...512j0i512l2.3336j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I am having front end work on my truck and I am putting a TRD Pro hood on my truck and I would like to get the very popular aftermarket grill (TRD Pro style) but I don't know if its cheaper and smarter to just get the TRD Pro Grill (but I can only get the "TOYOTA" in Gray through Toyota (who is doing the body work) and pay the extra $. But if you guys have any advice or reputable stores to get the TRD Pro style grill from, please let me know. I would like to do Red Letters with white Raptor lights and have the sensors included. If you have any guidance or info on this purchase, I would greatly appreciate any advice.

PS: The photos below are what I'm trying to do on my Tacoma but am hesitant to order from a random place on Google Shopping.

Thanks, Tacoma World

TRD Grille by christopher hynes, on Flickr
TRD by christopher hynes, on Flickr

 

I bought my heritage grill from Toyota for $200, which is not much more than the aftermarket ones. I would stick with OEM if you can get one for a good price.

 

Anybody know where I can buy the lettering on the pro grille?

 

Ever since the TRD lift kit grille came out, there isn’t really any point to buying aftermarket, anymore. You can now get an OEM pro grille for $130

https://parts.toyotaofdecatur.com/p/97495920/PT228-35200-20.html

 

There was such a roller coaster of pricing for the silly grille. Not sure what it is now or if you have to provide a vin still to order one. The killer was the insert. They increase the price of that about 1000%. Might be helpful to post current prices for everything.

 

Thank you so much for this! I have to drop my steel bumper to install new lights and figure even though I don’t have tires yet, since they are inevitable, I should probably just do the grille at the same time (for the dropped sensor).
Started thinking about this today and have been combing through part #s and oem vs aftermarket threads, but something must be in the air because this is the second grille thread that popped up just today!
Anyone have good leads or insight on the sensor garnish?

 

In 2019 I bought an aftermarket Pro grille from eBay because it was way less than half the cost of the over priced OEM and it still looks good today.

But if the OEM grilles are only about $200 these days, I would probably spend the extra and go that route if I had to buy another (OEM parts are usually always better quality IMO)

The Pro grille garnish’s are another story though; I bought a cheap aftermarket one and it threw codes constantly. So then bought an OEM one for double the price but haven’t had any codes since.....

 

Do you happen to recall if the the garnish can be removed while the grille is installed?

 

theres a guy on Etsy who sells adhesive 3d letters that look really cool. i bought some but havent put them on yet because i still have the Army Green vinyl overlays on each letter (EDIT: I see you were asking about the actual letters. Not the overlays)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1106786626/grill-letter-overlays-fits-2016-22?click_key=c92400f16e892fd47d04daa8fdb59ec2e586468d:1106786626&click_sum=965c5c91&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=tacoma+grill+overlays&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1

 

Yeah in the old days the Heritage/Pro grille was a $400 piece of plastic. My $130 or so Faux grille has held up well, but if I wanted one today, I'd just go OEM and be done with it.

 

No, Well maybe but you can have the grille off in like 3 minutes as opposed to maybe having to lean over and down to get at the screws that hold the garnish in.

 

I think I got mine here. You can then buy the painted lettering of MOST of the colors.
They have the garnish too but not sure if it's OEM.

 

Appreciate the reply! It’s not that simple for me though... Dropping my aftermarket bumper is a pain in the ass, so I’d rather just do everything all at once

 

I hate that you posted this. Now I want to replace my after market one so I can have one with an appropriate front camera bracket.

In all seriousness though, thanks for posting it.

 

You have to drop the AM bumper to remove the grille surround? What is blocking it?

 

In trying to come up with a way to answer this without sounding like an asshole, I actually realized something I’ve been overlooking. Since the bumper comes up so high as to block the removal of the grille, the dropped TSS sensor location may actually be obscured by the bumper...
Here I was all excited about nothing. Back to researching

 

So am I missing something or is this an actual pro grill?? I have the cheese grader and want to replace it really bad. This just seems too good to be true lol. Thanks!

 

Does anyone know if the heritage grill comes with the garnish cover? I'm assuming it must but I don't see it mentioned on the toyota parts page that is above.

 

it’s an actual pro grille. It’s technically a “replacement” part for folks who bought the OEM TRD lift kit, which comes with this grille. Ever since the Toyota factory lift kit came out, this is the new best/most affordable way to get an OEM pro grille. You’ll still need a TSS sensor garnish, like with any OEM or aftermarket pro grille.

Here’s a pic of this exact grille on my truck:

 

It does not come with the garnish.