Affiliate Disclosure

Last updated: April 30, 2026

Toyota Blues (https://toyotablues.com) is a reader-supported automotive website. Some of the links on our site are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission when you click on them and make a purchase — at no additional cost to you. This page explains exactly how this works, which programs we participate in, and what it means for you as a reader.

We share this information openly because honesty is more important to us than any single commission. If you trust our recommendations, we want you to know exactly how we earn money so you can make informed decisions.

What Is an Affiliate Link?

An affiliate link is a special URL that tracks when you click through from our website to a partner retailer. If you make a purchase after clicking that link, the retailer pays Toyota Blues a small commission for referring you. The price you pay is exactly the same as it would be if you visited the retailer directly — there is no extra cost added because of the affiliate link.

For example, if you read our article about the best batteries for a Toyota Camry and click a link that takes you to Amazon, and then you buy a battery (or anything else, in some programs), Amazon may pay Toyota Blues a small percentage of that sale.

Why We Use Affiliate Links

Running a quality automotive content website costs real money. Hosting, security, design, research, software, image licensing, and (most importantly) the time of our writers and editors all have to be paid for. We have a few choices for how to do that:

  • Charge readers a subscription fee.
  • Sell paid placements and sponsored content disguised as reviews.
  • Display advertising and use affiliate links.

We chose the third option because it lets us keep all of our content free for readers worldwide, while keeping our editorial integrity intact. Affiliate income lets us spend more time researching and writing useful articles instead of selling our reviews to the highest bidder.

Amazon Associates Program Disclosure

Toyota Blues is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other Amazon properties (including Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.in, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.com.au, and other regional Amazon stores, where applicable).

As an Amazon Associate, Toyota Blues earns from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. The exact disclosure language required by Amazon: “As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.”

This applies to:

  • Product links to Amazon embedded in articles.
  • Image links pointing to Amazon products.
  • Banners or widgets that lead to Amazon listings.
  • Any redirected URL on our site that ultimately routes through an Amazon affiliate tag.

Other Affiliate Programs

In addition to Amazon Associates, Toyota Blues may participate in other affiliate programs and partner networks, including but not limited to:

  • Automotive parts retailers (such as RockAuto, AutoAnything, Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, and similar networks where available).
  • Tire retailers and tire-rating networks.
  • Battery retailers and automotive accessory partners.
  • Tool and equipment retailers (for DIY-related articles).
  • Aftermarket performance and styling retailers.
  • Insurance comparison and quote-generation services.
  • Car care, detailing, and cleaning product brands.
  • Affiliate marketing networks (such as ShareASale, Awin, Impact, CJ Affiliate, FlexOffers, and similar).

Whenever we link to a product or service through any of these programs, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase after clicking through. The disclosure is the same whether the program is Amazon or any other partner.

How We Choose What to Recommend

Earning a commission has zero influence on what we recommend in our articles. Our process is:

  1. We identify a topic worth writing about (often based on reader questions).
  2. We research the available products and find the best ones for our readers.
  3. Only after we have decided which products to recommend do we check whether they are available through any affiliate program.
  4. If a recommended product is available through an affiliate program, we use an affiliate link.
  5. If the best product is not available through any affiliate program, we still recommend it — and link to it directly.

In other words, we never start with “what pays the most commission” and work backwards. We start with “what is genuinely best for our reader” and work forward.

What This Means for You

As a reader, the affiliate relationship works like this:

  • You pay nothing extra. The price you see at the retailer is the same whether you used our link or not.
  • You support the website. Using our affiliate links is one of the easiest, free ways to support the work we do — at no cost to you.
  • You can always opt out. If you prefer not to use an affiliate link, you can simply visit the retailer directly and search for the product yourself. The information in our articles is the same either way.
  • You are not tracked beyond what the retailer normally tracks. Once you leave Toyota Blues and arrive at the retailer’s site, you are subject to their privacy policy and tracking practices, not ours.

How Affiliate Links Are Marked on Toyota Blues

Affiliate links on Toyota Blues may be indicated in one or more of the following ways:

  • A general disclosure at the top or bottom of articles that contain affiliate links (for example, “This post contains affiliate links”).
  • This dedicated Affiliate Disclosure page, which applies site-wide.
  • Links that include affiliate-tracking parameters or redirect through known affiliate networks.

Even when an individual link is not separately labeled, you should assume that any link from Toyota Blues to a retailer (especially Amazon) may be an affiliate link.

FTC Compliance

Toyota Blues complies with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s “Endorsement Guides” and similar consumer protection standards in other regions. This means we openly disclose:

  • That we have a financial relationship with the brands we link to through affiliate programs.
  • That this disclosure applies to all relevant content on the website.
  • That our recommendations represent our honest opinions, but readers should still do their own research before making any purchase.

If you are reading from outside the United States, you may have similar consumer-protection laws in your country. Either way, our policy is to be transparent regardless of jurisdiction.

Editorial Independence

Our editorial team is not influenced by affiliate income. Specifically:

  • Affiliate partners cannot pay to be featured in our articles.
  • Affiliate partners cannot edit, approve, or review content before publication.
  • We will criticize a product even if we earn affiliate income from it, when criticism is warranted.
  • We will recommend a product even if we earn nothing from it, when it is genuinely the best option.
  • If a brand pressures us to change editorial content based on a commercial relationship, we will refuse — and we will end the partnership if necessary.

For more details, please read our Editorial Policy.

Trademarks

“Amazon,” the Amazon logo, “Amazon.com,” and other Amazon marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Other retailer and brand names mentioned on this page are the property of their respective owners. Their mention here is solely for the purpose of identifying our affiliate relationships and complying with applicable disclosure requirements.

Refunds, Returns, and Customer Service

Once you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, your order is processed by the third-party retailer (such as Amazon). Toyota Blues is not the seller of the product and cannot help with:

  • Order tracking;
  • Refunds and returns;
  • Damaged or incorrect items;
  • Warranty service;
  • Customer service issues.

For these matters, please contact the retailer directly using the customer service options on their website.

Updates to This Disclosure

We may update this Affiliate Disclosure from time to time as we add or remove affiliate programs, or as relevant laws change. When we make a meaningful change, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

Contact Us About Affiliate Disclosure

If you have questions about how our affiliate program works, want to report a broken or misleading affiliate link, or want to discuss a partnership, please contact us:

Thank You

If you have ever clicked one of our affiliate links and bought something, thank you. That small commission is a meaningful part of how Toyota Blues stays online, ad-supported, and free for every reader. We do not take that support for granted.

Drive safe — and shop smart.

— The Toyota Blues Team