Water pump Gates or OEM Toyota

I used a Gates kit which seemed good quality and included a water pump, tensioner and idler pulleys.

Just buy the wole WP+ housing as an assembly. Who cares if it's OEM. I install Gates WP/Timing belt kits on many other cars and they are excellent. Better than OEM.

Gates is the brand everyone get and refers to for the water pump. Good quality and cheap enough. If you can't get gates. There are two main impeller designs. Cast and sheet metal tabs. Supposedly the cast impeller design performs better. So if you're ordering from a generic parts store, make sure it's the cast impeller design (but the sheet metal design works just fine).

Water pumps, I tend to stick with OEM now. Gates used to be great but has gone down hill imo.

water pump failed at 101,000. Shop replaced under warranty. That next one failed at 110,000. Took a little work since shop changed owners but got the the water pump replaced at no cost. Shop said the two bad ones were Gates

I had nothing but problems with Gates water pumps in my 4Runner - they would always start leaking profusely from the weep hole after a few days of use. Replaced it three times under warranty

I used a Gates kit for the timing belt change and the cheap Chinese water pump water seal failed in 2 years.

OEM. Went aftermarket 2 times in a year replacing that pump. Finally bit the bullet and paid for toyota part.

I recently installed a Gates timing belt kit with pulleys and water pump in my 2001 Forester. Unfortunately, the water pump where it mates to the engine was not machined completely flat and had a very small leak. I ended up having my mechanic remove it and put a stock Subaru one in while he was working on my clutch.

Gates pump on my Chevy 5.3 lasted a year and half. That's bullshit.