vs
Starter motor OEM Toyota or VALEO
Reviews
Valeo came out of my 2010 I bought at 74k over 200k now so pretty sure that was OEM. The starter was also a Valeo.
Pros: OEM part, long lasting
Mileage: 200000 km
I have a 2006 corolla with 350,000 miles. I had to replace the OEM alternator and starter. Transmission and everything else is original, save consumables.
Pros: original transmission, steady diet
Cons: valve cover gasket leak
Vehicle:
Toyota Corolla
Mileage: 563270 km
Starter motor finally gave out when south Florida got hit with the cold spike a few days ago and may have upset the starter motor, of all things. Battery was great, reading 12.3- 12.5 volts. Surprisingly, autozone packs a brand new (debatable) Valeo starter motor for $220 (including shipping and taxes), which is a BMW OEM supplier. Just missing the torx that mounts the starter motor that I will need to grab in my shop and then will swap. Thought I’d share this, since autozone gets a mixed rep for parts for BMWs in the BMW community. iv gotten my alternator and starter from them. 2 months after alternator install and it still works like OEM equivalent. It’s worth checking them out.
Pros: works like OEM equivalent
Cons: missing torx
Starter motor finally gave out when south Florida got hit with the cold spike a few days ago and may have upset the starter motor, of all things. Battery was great, reading 12.3- 12.5 volts. Surprisingly, autozone packs a brand new (debatable) Valeo starter motor for $220 (including shipping and taxes), which is a BMW OEM supplier. Just missing the torx that mounts the starter motor that I will need to grab in my shop and then will swap. Thought I’d share this, since autozone gets a mixed rep for parts for BMWs in the BMW community. iv gotten my alternator and starter from them. 2 months after alternator install and it still works like OEM equivalent. It’s worth checking them out.
Pros: works like OEM equivalent
Vehicle:
BMW
I did an oil change and replaced my starter because my started had gone out after 270,000 miles.
Pros: starter replaced after long use
Vehicle:
Toyota Corolla
Mileage: 270000 km
I just replaced my starter motor on my N210 4Runner. What you're experiencing is identical - battery is fine, clicking + no start. I replaced a door actuator just prior and had disconnected the Negative on the battery as part of the door sensing sequence and it seemed to awaken my starter issue. I too had periodic starting to none.
Pros: fixed starting issue
Cons: periodic starting problems
Vehicle:
Toyota 4runner
Burro a veces se pone pesado (recomiendo cambiar por nuevo valeo de 11 dientes que anda mas liviano y no jode mas)
Pros: anda mas liviano
Cons: se pone pesado
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Fox
I took the starter out, it looked OK. Removing the solenoid connector was really difficult since the plastic piece that you push to disengage it had disintegrated with time/heat. No 12V on the solenoid terminal when I pressed start.
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Passat B7
Mileage: 220000 km
I have a 2005 w/210,000 miles and the starter just died. Was quoted 4.5 hrs to replace = $1,200 with OEM part
Cons: starter died
Vehicle:
Toyota Sequoia
Mileage: 337962 km
Valeos are fine until the magnets fail, and they will.
Cons: magnets fail
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Which starter motor to choose — OEM Toyota or VALEO?
If choosing starter motor across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare starter motor across these categories:
- PR Score.
- Overall ranking.
- Vote balance.
- Average rating.
- Number of reviews.
- Feature ratings.
- Car owners’ choice.
Which starter motor are better — VALEO or OEM Toyota?
In March 2026 on PartReview, starter motor OEM Toyota were overall better than VALEO.
- OEM Toyota received a PR Score of 86 out of 100, and VALEO scored 78 points.
- OEM Toyota ranked 4 in the overall ranking, and VALEO ranked 7.
- The average rating is higher for OEM Toyota (4.3) than for VALEO (4).
-
Starter motor OEM Toyota have better feature ratings than VALEO:
- Cranking - owners believe, that this property for OEM Toyota is better than VALEO.
- Multiple attempts - drivers claim, that this property for OEM Toyota is outperforms VALEO.
- Sounds - reviews suggest, that this property for OEM Toyota is preferred to VALEO.
Which starter motor are more popular — OEM Toyota or VALEO?
In March 2026 on PartReview, starter motor OEM Toyota were overall more popular than VALEO.
By vote balance, starter motor OEM Toyota surpassed VALEO:
- For OEM Toyota, the ratio of positive (53) to negative (8) votes is 45 votes.
- For VALEO, the ratio of positive (29) to negative (8) votes is 21 vote.
By number of reviews, starter motor OEM Toyota surpassed VALEO:
- For starter motor OEM Toyota there are 19 reviews: 15 positive, 4 neutral, 0 negative.
- For starter motor VALEO there are 12 reviews: 9 positive, 1 neutral, 2 negative.
Which starter motor do car owners prefer — OEM Toyota or VALEO?
In March 2026, according to PartReview, starter motor OEM Toyota and VALEO have not taken top places in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding your review about these manufacturers.
Other comparisons of starter motor
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of starter motor OEM Toyota with: Bosch, Denso, OEM Honda, Duralast, OEM FORD, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Subaru, AC DELCO.
Also available: comparisons of starter motor VALEO with: Bosch, Denso, OEM Honda, Duralast, OEM FORD, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Subaru, AC DELCO.
You can also see who is better among other starter motor manufacturers: Denso or Bosch, Bosch or OEM Honda, Denso or OEM Honda, Bosch or Duralast, Bosch or OEM FORD.