Australia

Toyota class-action bill could reach $2b over impacted Hilux, Fortuner and Prado vehicles

April 8, 2022 10:00 am

The class action alleged Hilux, Fortuner and Prado vehicles had defective diesel filter systems. [Source: AP News]

Toyota could be forced to pay out thousands of Australian customers who were sold cars with faulty engine filters to the tune of $2 billion after the auto giant lost a class action lawsuit.

In a Federal Court judgment handed down on Thursday, Justice Michael Lee found that 264,170 drivers who bought some of the brand’s top-selling cars were eligible for a payout.

The class action alleged Hilux, Fortuner and Prado vehicles sold between October 2015 and April 2020 had defective diesel particulate filter systems, leaving owners out of pocket.

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The defect caused the vehicles to spill foul-smelling white smoke and decreased fuel efficiency.