Toyota has suspended shipments of popular models such as the Hilux, Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser 300 over “potential irregularities” related to their turbodiesel engines…
UPDATE: Toyota South Africa Motors has issued Cars.co.za with the following statement:
“With the current information at hand, Toyota South Africa (TSAM) can confirm that this issue does not affect any models sold in South Africa. Should this change, we will notify our customers.
“As reference, this matter relates to irregularities in the certification process based on national requirements in certain countries but does not have any impact on horsepower, torque or other powertrain-related values. Additionally, these irregularities do not compromise the emissions or safety of the vehicles involved,” TSAM told us. The original story continues below.
Toyota’s global division has announced a temporary suspension of shipments of popular diesel-powered models – such as the Hilux, Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser 300 – over “potential irregularities” related to their turbodiesel engines.
The Japanese giant released a statement confirming that a special investigation committee had found that “irregularities occurred during the horsepower output testing for the certification of three diesel engine models for automobiles that Toyota had commissioned to TICO [Toyota Industries Corporation]”.
“During certification testing, the horsepower output performance of engines was measured using ECUs [engine control units] with software that differed from that used for mass production so that results could measure to make values appear smoother with less variation. Ten vehicle models are using the affected engines globally, including six in Japan,” the statement from Toyota Motor Corporation said.
“We have re-verified the mass-produced products manufactured at the plant and confirmed that the affected engines and vehicles meet engine performance output standards. Therefore, there is no need to stop using the affected engines or vehicles. However, we deeply apologise to our customers who have been supporting affected vehicles and waiting for a long time, and also to all other stakeholders for the significant inconvenience and concern that this has caused.”
Based on the results of this investigation, TICO has decided to “temporarily suspend shipments of the affected engines”, with Toyota Motor Corporation following suit. The Japanese brand says it “will provide detailed explanations to the authorities and promptly proceed with appropriate measures, including conducting testing in the presence of witnesses if appropriate”.
The 3 oil-burning engines involved in the shipment suspension are the 2.4-litre (2GD-FTV) and 2.8-litre (1GD-FTV) – as employed by the Hilux and Fortuner, with the larger-capacity unit also used by the Land Cruiser Prado, not to mention the Quantum (and the upcoming 4-cylinder version of the Land Cruiser 70 Series) – and 3.3-litre (F33A-FTV) motors. Meanwhile, diesel versions of the Land Cruiser 300 and Lexus LX (specifically the LX500d) are fitted with the latter F33A powerplant.
What does this mean for South Africa? Well, that’s not yet clear though it’s interesting to note that Toyota SA Motors’ Prospecton factory is mentioned – among numerous others around the world – in the global statement, specifically relating to the 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV engine in the Hilux. We asked Toyota SA Motors for local comment and updated this story with a local statement (see top of article)…
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