How to tell if your TRD SE is authentic; official word from Toyota Corp.

[N8!]

Since the TRD SE FJ Cruiser is a limited production run of only 3200 vehicles and may therefore eventually become sought after collector's items sometime in the future, there has been some concern over how to tell if you are looking at a factory produced SE or one somebody cobbled together piece-by-piece.

Toyota has confirmed there is only two ways, as of now, to verify if your TRD SE is authentic or not.

1. Call Toyota's Corporate office and ask them to check the VIN# and see if it was a factory produced TRD SE: 800-331-4331 ext. 6

2. Check the Monroney label (better known as the sticker) on the vehicle (example here) and if the SE package (code SE) is listed under the OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT under the 50 State Emissions (FE) then you have a legitimate SE. If the items from the SE package are listed on the side where the DEALER ADDS are listed then that is not a legitimate factory produced SE. It is possible to have another code for a convience pkg listed with the SE since some of the TRD SE's are arriving with a C7 pkg as well (example here). I suggest all SE owner's should safeguard this sticker for the future.

I hope this will help anyone who seeks such information and will protect those who bought the limited edition TRD SE's resale values.

[cruzinwyo]

Thanks N8!! Nice work

[Dbl Blk <>]

Like I said in the other thread, you can only tell by the VIN #. I really wish they had done a special serial number or something. Oh well, I still like it and I plan on driving the snot out of it!

[rsant39]

Crazy thing is the MSRP on mine(not a TRD SE) was more than that. Not a bad deal on the TRD SE.

[N8!]

rsant39 previously said:

Crazy thing is the MSRP on mine(not a TRD SE) was more than that. Not a bad deal on the TRD SE.

I am always LOL'ing at those who say the SE is more than a regular FJ with additions...

[gascolator]

Take your key and scrape the roof. If you hit bare metal before you hit
white paint, then it was real.

[FJAggie07]

gascolator previously said:

Take your key and scrape the roof. If you hit bare metal before you hit
white paint, then it was real.

[Valkyrie]

gascolator previously said:

Take your key and scrape the roof. If you hit bare metal before you hit
white paint, then it was real.

Not foolproof... I've been sanding all the roofs to the primer before I paint them black and mark them up $7,000.

[FJAggie07]

Valkyrie previously said:

Not foolproof... I've been sanding all the roofs to the primer before I paint them black and mark them up $7,000.

You would!!!

[Valkyrie]

LOL! You would too!

*disclaimer: this all was said in jest.