Australia's top selling car caught up in class action lawsuit
The makers of Australia’s top-selling car are facing a class action lawsuit over claims their vehicles were fitted with defective parts.
Toyota Motor Corp’s Hilux, Prado and Fortuner are alleged as the models with faulty parts in a suit filed by Banister Law, together with Gilbert + Tobin, in the Federal Court.
It’s alleged the defective parts are diesel particulate filters, which are meant to trap and burn soot from the engine.
"The affected vehicles... require time consuming and costly repairs, including repeated vehicle servicing and repeated replacement of the (diesel filters) in its entirety," Bannister Law said in the statement.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of customers who purchased the cars between October 1, 2015 and July 26, 2019, seeks compensation for the alleged loss and damage suffered by the group, the statement said, without giving any details on the amount.
The lawsuit also alleges Toyota made misleading statements because the vehicles "could not, and did not deliver the advertised combination of durability, reliability, quality, comfort and convenience, and the (diesel filter) in the affected vehicles was not durable, reliable and of good quality".
Toyota's Hilux is Australia's top selling car, according to comparison website Canstar.
In June, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia posted a 50 per cent increase in after-tax profit to $206 million for the year ended March 31, 2019, according to its website. The company sold 223,096 vehicles in the country over period.
Toyota, Japan's biggest automaker, sold 10.6 million vehicles globally in the same period.
Representatives from Toyota's Australian unit did not return Reuters’ attempts for comment.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted the manufacturer.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo’s daily newsletter. Sign up here.
