Toyota HiLux Prado Fortuner DPF class action settled

Toyota Australia has agreed to pay $750 million to settle a long-running class action over defective diesel particulate filters (DPFs) fitted to more than 264,000 HiLux, Prado and Fortuner vehicles sold between October 2015 and April 2020. The settlement, which remains subject to Federal Court approval, brings one of Australia's largest automotive legal disputes closer to an end.

The proceedings focused on diesel particulate filter systems fitted to Toyota's 2.4-litre 2GD-FTV and 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV turbo-diesel engines used across the HiLux, Prado and Fortuner range.

DPFs are designed to capture soot from diesel exhaust emissions before periodically burning it off through a regeneration process.

Owners involved in the class action alleged the systems could become blocked during normal use, leading to excessive white smoke, unpleasant exhaust odours, increased fuel consumption and additional servicing requirements.

The original Williams class action began in 2019, with a separate action later launched on behalf of some owners who acquired affected vehicles through private sales.

Court proceedings ultimately found the vehicles were not of acceptable quality and that Toyota had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct when marketing and selling them.

Toyota introduced a number of measures during the dispute, including a manual DPF regeneration switch in 2018 and a more comprehensive repair program in 2020 involving hardware and software updates.

In a statement, Toyota said:

"Toyota Australia has agreed to a settlement in the DPF Class Action case. The settlement is subject to Court approval.

"We remain committed to assisting any impacted customers and to providing a free-of-charge remedy that has been available since 2020."

The company also apologised to affected customers, saying it remains committed to addressing concerns and maintaining customer confidence.

The final settlement figure is significantly lower than some earlier estimates discussed during the litigation, with damages previously forecast to exceed $1 billion and plaintiff lawyers at one stage pursuing more than $2 billion.

The proposed settlement is expected to be considered by the Federal Court on November 20. If approved, it will draw a line under a dispute that has been running for more than seven years and has affected some of Toyota Australia's most important models.

The outcome comes as Toyota remains Australia's top-selling vehicle brand, with the HiLux continuing to rank among the nation's best-selling vehicles.

While the affected vehicles received repair programs during the case, the settlement represents one of the largest financial resolutions reached in the Australian automotive sector.

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