Engine radiator MISHIMOTO or OEM Volkswagen

PartReview Score

Rank #5 in ranking

3.5

Leaks

2.8

Overheating

4.1

Sweet smell

5.0

No data

PR Score

Ranking

Votes

Reviews

Average rating

Properties

Car

PartReview Score

Rank #6 in ranking

4.0

Leaks

2.6

Overheating

4.0

Owners' choice:

Volkswagen Jetta

Reviews

All

MISHIMOTO

OEM Volkswagen

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

manzin82 20 Jan 2026, 18:17

Leaks:

Rating 5.0

I got a Mishimoto with zero issues and fitment was spot on

Pros: zero issues, spot on

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

Keith_13 3 Jan 2026, 23:51

Overheating:

Rating 4.0

And don't put the oem radiator in (it sucks). A mishimoto is 2/3 the price, will last longer (it's not made of plastic at the top -- that's why the oem ones fail) and it will actually keep your engine a little cooler.

Pros: lasts longer, keeps cooler

Cons: oem ones fail

Vehicle: Subaru Impreza

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

brandothesavage 24 Dec 2025, 15:48

Leaks:

Rating 5.0

If u get a mishimoto it won't break again

Pros: durable radiator

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

froebull 15 Dec 2025, 19:55

Rating 4.0

I like my Mishimoto one. But I have an Auto, and the only one they had for the Baja didn't have the cooler built in, so I had to run an external trans cooler. But it all went easy, even with that. Electric fans and catch tank bolted right up no problem

Pros: easy installation

Cons: external trans cooler needed

Vehicle: Subaru

OEM Volkswagen › Engine radiator

Sea_Name_1570 13 Dec 2025, 07:29

Leaks:

Rating 4.0

In the year I’ve had it, it’s cost me a new radiator that had split.

Pros: drives like brand new

Cons: radiator split

Vehicle: Volkswagen Passat

Mileage: 167000 km

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

Coupe368 2 Mar 2025, 17:42

Leaks:

Rating 2.5

The crap-tastic mishimoto MMRAD-E36-92 that I use these days do come with a lifetime warranty and I send them photos of the leak and they just send me a replacement in a week or so. I have purchased 6 of them and replaced 2 under warranty. The "Z3" raditator won't fit as its too thick, but the Z3 IS and e36 so its confusing.

Pros: lifetime warranty, easy replacement

Cons: crap-tastic, pinhole leaks, poor welds, Z3 fitment issues

Vehicle: BMW

Part number: MMRAD-E36-92

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

LolPandaMan 20 Feb 2025, 18:32

Overheating:

Rating 3.5

They're fine. They're one step above oem imo

Pros: one step above OEM

Vehicle: Mazda

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

TwOhsinGoose 28 Jan 2026, 17:59

Leaks:

Rating 1.0

My mishimoto radiator sprung a leak after 1.5 years in my F150. So good luck.

Cons: sprung a leak

Vehicle: Ford

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

Ok-Fish-9244 19 Dec 2025, 06:16

Overheating:

Rating 2.0

Get a csf or koyorad. Mishimoto isn’t that great

Cons: not that great

MISHIMOTO › Engine radiator

Ok_Somewhere6429 9 Nov 2025, 21:05

Overheating:
Leaks:

Rating 1.0

I went through 4 mishitis in 2.5 years DO NOT each replacement cost $45 for “shipping.” I lost money and time dealing with recycled beer can BS.

Cons: poor quality, expensive shipping, unreliable

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Which engine radiator to choose — MISHIMOTO or OEM Volkswagen?

If choosing engine radiator across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.

We compare engine radiator across these categories:

Comparison of engine radiator MISHIMOTO and OEM Volkswagen

PR Score.
Overall ranking.
Vote balance.
Average rating.
Number of reviews.
Feature ratings.
Car owners’ choice.

Which engine radiator are better — OEM Volkswagen or MISHIMOTO?

In March 2026 on PartReview, engine radiator MISHIMOTO were overall better than OEM Volkswagen.

MISHIMOTO received a PR Score of 65 out of 100, and OEM Volkswagen scored 77 points.
MISHIMOTO ranked 5 in the overall ranking, and OEM Volkswagen ranked 6.
The average rating is higher for OEM Volkswagen (4) than for MISHIMOTO (3.5).
Engine radiator OEM Volkswagen have better feature ratings than MISHIMOTO:
- Leaks - owners believe, that this property for MISHIMOTO is better than OEM Volkswagen.
- Overheating - drivers claim, that this property for MISHIMOTO is outperforms OEM Volkswagen.
- Sweet smell - reviews suggest, that this property for MISHIMOTO is preferred to OEM Volkswagen.

Which engine radiator are more popular — MISHIMOTO or OEM Volkswagen?

In March 2026 on PartReview, engine radiator MISHIMOTO were overall more popular than OEM Volkswagen.

By vote balance, engine radiator MISHIMOTO surpassed OEM Volkswagen:

For MISHIMOTO, the ratio of positive (195) to negative (105) votes is 90 votes.
For OEM Volkswagen, the ratio of positive (51) to negative (15) votes is 36 votes.

By number of reviews, engine radiator MISHIMOTO surpassed OEM Volkswagen:

For engine radiator MISHIMOTO there are 95 reviews: 55 positive, 15 neutral, 25 negative.
For engine radiator OEM Volkswagen there are 21 review: 15 positive, 3 neutral, 3 negative.

Which engine radiator do car owners prefer — MISHIMOTO or OEM Volkswagen?

In March 2026, according to PartReview, engine radiator OEM Volkswagen led more car-specific ratings than MISHIMOTO:

OEM Volkswagen are chosen by owners of cars such as: Volkswagen Jetta, and others.

Engine radiator MISHIMOTO have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.

Other comparisons of engine radiator

If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.

For example, comparisons of engine radiator MISHIMOTO with: Koyo, Nissens, KOYORAD, Denso, OEM BMW, VALEO, OEM Toyota.

Also available: comparisons of engine radiator OEM Volkswagen with: Koyo, Nissens, KOYORAD, Denso, OEM BMW, VALEO, OEM Toyota.

You can also see who is better among other engine radiator manufacturers: MISHIMOTO or Koyo, MISHIMOTO or Nissens, MISHIMOTO or KOYORAD, MISHIMOTO or Denso, MISHIMOTO or OEM BMW.