I just had to swap my alternator today on my MK7. Mine was Valeo but I could only find a Bosch locally, I decided to give it a shot and it worked just fine. Just a PSA for anyone in the same situation, they are both the same barring a slightly different orientation of the plug on the back.
I have a 2005 XLS and upgraded to the 130a one, no issues at all. I bought a Denso (oem) one on rockauto for $170, sent my old one and got $40 back. The Toyota one (also denso) was like $450. The 130a was actually cheaper than the 100a too. Did it myself in about 3 hours
I’ve used denso remans and not had issues
Please please please, get a remanned or new Denso. Do not buy anything else. You WILL regret it.
Unless you love electrical quirks and replacing alternators, get a Denso.
I ordered a new (reman) denso alternator from RockAuto and also got a replacement alternator belt too. I\u2019m almost done with the job (took out the old alternator, mounted the new one) and it\u2019s been surprisingly easy, just a matter loosening 3-5 bolts and fiddling with a belt.
For the alternator I would only go with a reman denso personally
I replace just as many aftermarket alternators that are 'new', as I do 10+ year old OEM. Aftermarket alternators, unless denso's, fail often.
I've been looking on RockAuto. Will a Bosch remanufactured or AC Delco remanufactured work ok?
Horrible mistake with the aftermarket alternator. You likely will need to redo the job really soon.
As someone pointed out, don't expect the 150 dollar alternator to last that long. I threw on my 4runner a few months back because that's all that was in stock locally and I'm gonna have to replace it again, it's already whining. I'd definitely spend $350 or whatever it is on a denso unit
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If choosing alternator across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare alternator across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Denso were overall better than Bosch.
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Denso were overall more popular than Bosch.
By vote balance, alternator Denso surpassed Bosch:
By number of reviews, alternator Denso surpassed Bosch:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator Bosch led more car-specific ratings than Denso:
Bosch are chosen by owners of cars such as: BMW X5, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, and others.
Denso are chosen by owners of cars such as: Honda Civic, Honda Element, Honda Odyssey, Toyota 4runner, and others.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of alternator Bosch with: Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan, Motorcraft.
Also available: comparisons of alternator Denso with: Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan, Motorcraft.
You can also see who is better among other alternator manufacturers: Denso or Duralast, OEM Toyota or Denso, Bosch or Duralast, Denso or VALEO, OEM Honda or Denso.
