Alternator Denso or OEM Mazda
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
Denso or straight from a Honda Dealership (Denso). Today's aftermarket and remanufactured parts often leave quite a bit to be desired. You may pay a little more, but legit Honda parts won't let you down like the others.
As another recommended I would have gone denso or Bosch or something. But these newer Honda alternators are expensive and around me hard to get.
I replace just as many aftermarket alternators that are 'new', as I do 10+ year old OEM. Aftermarket alternators, unless denso's, fail often.
Horrible mistake with the aftermarket alternator. You likely will need to redo the job really soon.
Mazda's DO NOT like aftermarket alternator. Most don't work out of the box. You need to get a genuine Mazda alternator.
Write your review
Help others - share your experience with this part.
Which alternator to choose — Denso or OEM Mazda?
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:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which alternator are better — OEM Mazda or Denso?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Denso were overall better than OEM Mazda.
- Denso received a PR Score of 81 out of 100, and OEM Mazda scored 38 points.
- Denso ranked 1 in the overall ranking, and OEM Mazda ranked 17.
- The average rating is higher for Denso (4) than for OEM Mazda (2.4).
-
Alternator Denso have better feature ratings than OEM Mazda:
- Noise - owners believe, that this property for Denso is better than OEM Mazda.
- Lights - drivers claim, that this property for Denso is outperforms OEM Mazda.
- Warning light - reviews suggest, that this property for Denso is preferred to OEM Mazda.
Which alternator are more popular — Denso or OEM Mazda?
In March 2026 on PartReview, alternator Denso were overall more popular than OEM Mazda.
By vote balance, alternator Denso surpassed OEM Mazda:
- For Denso, the ratio of positive (548) to negative (125) votes is 423 votes.
- For OEM Mazda, the ratio of positive (15) to negative (24) votes is -9 votes.
By number of reviews, alternator Denso surpassed OEM Mazda:
- For alternator Denso there are 218 reviews: 170 positive, 19 neutral, 29 negative.
- For alternator OEM Mazda there are 13 reviews: 5 positive, 0 neutral, 8 negative.
Which alternator do car owners prefer — Denso or OEM Mazda?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, alternator Denso led more car-specific ratings than OEM Mazda:
Denso are chosen by owners of cars such as: Honda Civic, Honda Element, Honda Odyssey, Toyota 4runner, and others.
Alternator OEM Mazda have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
Other comparisons of alternator
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of alternator Denso with: Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan.
Also available: comparisons of alternator OEM Mazda with: Bosch, Duralast, OEM Toyota, VALEO, OEM Honda, OEM Volkswagen, AC DELCO, OEM FORD, OEM Audi, OEM Nissan.
You can also see who is better among other alternator manufacturers: Bosch or Denso, Denso or Duralast, OEM Toyota or Denso, Bosch or Duralast, Denso or VALEO.