Toyota

2020 Toyota Yaris off the road and waiting 12 plus weeks for standard body parts with no supply in sight, local dealer says they have 20 plus… Read more

vehicles in the same situation. One could expect this of a Chinese or European import but Toyota is an industry staple and that’s why we buy them or do we?

This car is basic transport and it certainly isn't a powerful car, especially on hills without a "run up". However, its great on a budget, simple, and good on fuel.

As part of my job, I spend a lot of time travelling and driving hire cars. I've sampled everything from budget buzz-boxes to luxury cruisers.… Read more

Somehow, until now, I had managed to avoid driving a Toyota RAV4. After spending a week with a brand-new hybrid showing just 8,000km, I can only assume I've been living a blessed life.

Let's start with the styling. From the outside it's... there. Like every other SUV currently roaming Australian roads. If you drew an SUV from memory, you'd probably sketch a RAV4. The paint seems thinner than my patience in peak-hour traffic, and the doors feel like they're made from recycled soft drink cans.

Step inside and prepare for a nostalgic trip back to the 1990s. The plastics are hard enough to survive a nuclear apocalypse, the screens look like they were borrowed from a budget GPS unit, and finding USB-A ports felt like discovering an archaeological artefact. Somewhere, a 2015 office worker is wondering where their technology went. At least Toyota remembered to include wireless CarPlay and a few USB-C ports hidden away in the armrest.

The locking system appears to have been designed by a prison architect. Once the driver gets out, everyone else can finally enjoy freedom. Until then, good luck. I spent far too long digging through menus trying to work out if I'd accidentally activated "maximum security mode."

The dashboard is simple and uncluttered, which is a polite way of saying it has all the excitement of a tax return. Customisation options appear to have been considered and then immediately rejected.

The driver assistance systems deserve special mention. The lane assist beeps so often on country roads that I began checking whether I'd accidentally hired a poker machine. After a day of constant warnings, the lane assist was switched off in the interests of preserving my sanity.

Then there's the driving experience.

Remember when Toyota hybrids were the benchmark? Unfortunately, after driving several recent Hyundai hybrids, Toyota now feels like the company resting on its trophies. The drivetrain is underpowered, the transition between petrol and electric operation is anything but seamless, and overtaking requires careful planning, favourable winds, and possibly a written application.

The auto-hold function apparently missed the flight to Australia because you have to keep pressing the brake-hold button every single time you stop. The road noise is impressive, and not in a good way. At highway speed it sounds like the tyres are engaged in a heated argument with the bitumen. The suspension rolls through corners like an old farm truck, and somehow the turning circle feels larger than vehicles twice its size.

After a week behind the wheel, I spent a long time trying to think of something I genuinely liked.

I came up with reliability.

That's it.

I'm sure it'll start every morning and faithfully carry its owner from A to B for many years. Unfortunately, it'll also remove every ounce of enjoyment from the journey. Driving this RAV4 felt less like owning a modern SUV and more like ordering one from TEMU and hoping for the best.

Needless to say, handing the keys back at the end of the week was the highlight of the ownership experience.

My New Toyota Hiace 2024 – Received the Van earlier than expected December 20 2024 rather than Jan 2025 Great So far so good it handles well although the new apple carplay is… Read more

mainly for gps music messages I'm getting used to it the call sending and receiving is way clearer than old van Sirri is a major player on screen Going to Sydney in a couple of days so will put to the test on fuel economy as I went to Euroa only got 9.5 litres per 100 on fuel economy light load last van we go 12.5l per 100k this one has Barn doors so we can load with fork lift getting used to them also the centre console was a great improvement with drink holders a quad lock system for phones would be good I'd Like to Mention Patterson Cheney they were great with Keeping me posted on my order they went beyond expectation as to sales and after sales Service this is my 5th Van purchased from them service is great they do what they tell you they going to do nothing Else unless they ask me so no unexpected bills Anyway I will do review when I get back on fuel economy and yes ill reset it on start to give it a fair go

It's in no way supposed to be a performance car but the 2.5ltr engine has enough power to get you around safely. I havnt had any problems with it and… Read more

I do alot of km per week, great for a reliable daily or first car. The only negative thing about it is the engines lifters love to rattle abit especially wen cold & due to the very narrow oil inlets you really need the rite oil (0w-30w) and to let it warm up properly. I would definitely recommend it for P platers or small family that just drives from A to B.

Great car... have done multiple interstate trips with 3 kids and works fine. We have long fuel range which is great for remote travel after hours. No issues in 3 years and good value services. Actually has a real spare tyre.

My Kluger 2018 GXL has done approx 95K KM, its super solid like day one Kluger offers very plush ride, easy handling despite its size, best thing is… Read more

its quite cabin. Handling is easy and i found steering wheel on lighter side. Overall its an excellent car, durable and easy to maintain, no dramas. 2018 model doesn't have car play, seats are leather and very cushioned and comfortable.

Love the car. Bougjt it 2023 brand new. Hybrid. Very economical. Very small amount of petrol consumption. All features are great. Very large boot and comfortable to travel on long distances.

Roller Cover CSE: Toyota knew about the fault and still charged me to fix it Bought a 2023 HiLux Rogue for commercial use. The electric Roller Cover… Read more

started malfunctioning — exactly the fault described in Toyota Australia's own Customer Service Exercise (CSE) issued in July 2024, affecting 14,032 HiLux Rogues produced between May 2020 and November 2023. Here's what makes this worse: Toyota never contacted me about the CSE. Not by SMS, email, or mail — nothing. So when the cover failed, I had no idea it was a known manufacturer defect. I took it to Nunawading Toyota, paid $99, and they handed the car back in worse condition than it arrived — completely inoperable. I filmed it failing the moment I stepped outside the service centre. When I contacted Toyota's Customer Assistance Centre, they told me in writing there was "no outstanding recall" on my vehicle. That directly contradicts their own press release. The Roller Cover motor can overheat and continue running, draining your battery and potentially leaving you stranded. Toyota calls this "may cause overheating." I call it a safety issue they buried in corporate language. Vehicle unusable for over a month. Real commercial losses. Now at VCAT (Case C2236/2026). If you own a HiLux Rogue, check your VIN against the CSE range: https://pressroom.toyota.com.au/PressRelease?pr-code=4d013a7a-50d5-408e-80ad-ebb0efe01155 Don't wait for Toyota to contact you. They won't.

I've had this vehicle for 6 months. Positives, ride and handling is awesome, having independent rear suspension. Fuel economy is excellent. I… Read more

regularly get 2.8 litres per 100km with a light right foot. It shines in traffic. Consumes more fuel on Freeway/ Highway. The safety features are awesome compared a 15 year old Toyota Corolla I drove previously, which was bullet proof. Has 10 airbags. The fit and finish are typical Toyota levels. The safety features are not intrusive. Just right. Decent boot size. Negatives. Expensive and no rear seat vents.This is nasty cost cutting. Cannot comment on long term reliability, but the 1.8 l Hybrid has been around for awhile.So hopefully it will be reliable.

I took my car in for WARRANTY repairs and the experience has been nothing short of a complete circus. First off, I waited over 60 DAYS for parts to… Read more

arrive. Fair enough, delays happen. But the real joke? Nobody from Toyota Castle Hill even bothered calling me to let me know the parts had arrived. I had to chase THEM up myself, only to be told, “Ohhhhhh yeah, your parts are here.” What exactly are the staff there doing all day?

I then booked the car in on Friday the 15th and was told it would take ONE DAY. The next phone call? “Actually we need the car for 4 days.” Fine. Then a week later I call again and suddenly the car still isn’t ready, there’s “no job card number,” and I’m told to call back Monday.

I call back Monday the 25th and now the story changes yet again,apparently Toyota hasn’t even approved the repairs and they now need my car for another TWO WEEKS.

So let me get this straight…..... if Toyota supposedly hasn’t approved the repair yet, then why were the parts already ordered and sitting there for over 60 days waiting for my car? None of their story even adds up. It sounds like nobody there has any idea what is actually going on.

My car has basically been sitting there collecting dust while every staff member gives a completely different answer. Nobody communicates. Nobody follows up. Nobody takes ownership. The place operates like a bunch of headless chickens running around hoping the customer eventually stops asking questions.

For a dealership representing Toyota, this level of customer service is beyond embarrassing. The professionalism at Toyota Castle Hill has completely collapsed. Ever since the new faces came in, the place has turned into an unorganised clown show with zero accountability and absolutely no respect for customers’ time.

If this is how Toyota treats warranty customers, I’d hate to see how they treat everyone else

Sold our 80 series single ute, which we owned for 17yrs, and 80 series station wagon, which we owned for 26yrs, both for more than we bought them… Read more

for during Covid!!! Both were used every day, have been around Australia & to the tip Of Cape York, through the NT, over dirt, sand & snow, & the worst we ever had happen was a blown gasket in the wagon once. We keep up with our services etc, but these cars just go & go & go. When we sold our two Toyotas, both over 600k Kms (diesels), we bought the 2020 Military 79 & as usual, this dual cab diesel has not missed a beat. It's been everywhere man, it's been everywhere. I will never buy another brand of car!

I had the Corolla Cross as a loan car for a week, and on the whole it was a good experience. The positives were: its ride comfort - really good both… Read more

in town and on longer country drives; its oomph - I was pleasantly surprised by its get up and go; the efficiency of it - great around town (5.2), higher on longer freeway drives (6.5), and finally the size - I am 2m tall and the room inside was great. The less positive side of things were: the plastic steering wheel (admittedly I drove the entry level model but it was a little rough to hand); the oppressively dark headlining - the ceiling was dark grey and the cabin felt a little oppressive, and finally the adaptive cruise control had an annoying habit of slowing down by about 5 km/h whenever I went around a corner, regardless of the severity of the corner. I couldn't turn this function off and as a consequence I accelerated into corners! Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would be tempted to upgrade to one.

Big claim in the headline — but this is the main selling point of the Toyota Land Cruiser 76 Series Wagon. It’s the only large 4x4 on sale today… Read more

still available with a manual transmission. The interior fit and finish hasn’t changed since the 1990s, and it’s been given just enough modern technology to tick some compliance boxes.

The list of things this car is not is long. It’s like an old family friend you have great memories with. You don’t see them for a while and start to reminisce about the good old days, while the world moves on. Then, finally, you meet them again — and it feels like nothing has changed. And that’s exactly how you want it to be.

The Land Cruiser is a modern-day time machine. It doesn’t play by the rules, and it doesn’t have to. Toyota can’t build enough of them — and that’s why they haven’t changed the formula.

Sadly, many cars have lost their identity. And the Land Cruiser could have been one of them. The nameplate has been stretched across multiple models and variations. But the 76 Series remains the most pure 4x4 utility vehicle on the market.

It’s unapologetically flawed. The front wheels are wider than the rear to make room for a non-existent V8 option in the Australian market. The gear ratios on the five-speed mean you’re sitting far too high in the rev range at simple highway speeds. And you’ve got to love a separate key and remote fob in 2025.

All of these quirks are easy to dismiss with more expensive alternatives like the Land Rover Defender and Ineos Grenadier on the market. But if you’re after a pure driving experience — free of screens, connectivity, and modern creature comforts — Toyota still sells what brands like Singer charge millions for: tactile nostalgia.

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jIKVwj0IZI

Economy is fantastic, build and delivery quality isn't so good and unfortunately has a very long delivery time. My one year old Yaris Cross had to… Read more

be towed to the dealer due to failed brakes as the pedal went completely to the floor.

The car soon after delivery and after letting it settle in I had my mechanic have a good look over the car. I've known the fella since he was an apprentice so I do trust him. He noticed every single clip and mount for every single underbody tray from the firewall back, and there are quite a few, were loose with some over half way out.

What's good, economy. The noisy 3 cylinder engine makes it's presence known but does the job. EV mode is serenely silent with the contrast very noticeable so encourages economy driving. Economy can go as low as 3.2 l / 100 km in normal stop / start city traffic however out on the open road at 110 kph it will use 6 l / 100 km with low to mid 5's if drop back to 100. The small 36 litre tank means country driving range is limited so country Yaris Cross owners can expect to own a Jerry Can.

The lack of supplying a spare tyre should be outlawed. Driving in Oz outside of cities without a spare tyre and only an inflation kit is a recipe for stranded motorists. I've hit the wreckers & bought a spare tyre which takes up a considerable amount of hatch space when needed to be carried.

Body build quality is variable. The fit and finish of the steel work is good although there was wind flutter and seal squeak from the top of the rear doors which the dealer rectified. The mechanic told me it "takes strength" to fix the issue. I presume he meant he's bent the top of the doors in a bit which also stopped the rubbing noise from the door seals. Be better if it was made correctly in the first place and I do wonder what effect it's had on the paint. External plastic fitment is poor with especially large gaps around the rear tail lights. While hidden under the convenient electrically lifted back hatch the plastic surrounds of the rear lights has large gaps which collect any leaves that make it through the panel gap between the hatch and the body. The windscreen wiper pivot points are similar at attracting and holding leaves. Moral: try not to park under gum trees etc. Other external plastic parts creak & move to the lightest touch but aren't heard inside the car.

Driving is pleasant and easy with the Hybrid system doing it's thing very well. Steering effort is light and, for me, well weighted. The brakes aren't in tune with the rest of the car and don't inspire confidence as they don't haul the car to a stop when needed. Like a previous car I had there's a pause before the brakes engage but with this car it doesn't feel like the car is doing maximum braking almost like it's tip toeing but not ever getting there. There's also the bad final change over from regeneration braking to hydraulic braking. When light braking to roll up to, say, red traffic lights I presume it's only using battery regeneration braking. At somewhere around 10 to 15 kph it automatically swaps to hydraulic braking, there can be a loud clunk sound and the brakes engage way too much. Not good for any traffic behind my car.

Interior wise it's fab if there's only two people. The front is roomy for a small S.U.V. and quite pleasant. The back isn't roomy as expected but the rear doors don't open wide enough which adds to the cramped feeling in the back. Headroom in the back is good for a small vehicle. The hatch opens wide and electric operation makes using it a doddle while the hatch area is good for a small vehicle. At the bottom of the hatch a cover sits over foam that holds the tyre repair kit with what looks like a computer module sitting smack bang in the middle of the area. Don't even think about putting any kind of space saver spare in there as that module blocks using the space for much of anything.

Oddly the car only comes with an electrically adjustable seat for the driver, the passenger misses out. Both seats have heating function which my partner she says should be standard fitment on all cars. There's no split zone venting, only single zone which is odd missing from a top of the range model. The A/c itself is strong and cools quite well but rear seat passengers have no direct vents so I can't comment on whether it's good or bad back there.

Also odd is there's no variable intermittent wiper function. There's single speed intermittent wiper function but not variable. Again in a top of the range car it's a glaring omission that's noticeably missing with the misting drizzle that generally happens where I live.

I've also had the 12 V battery go flat after being away for 3.5 weeks. Not just couldn't start flat but zero volt on a Voltmeter completely dead flat. A brand new super smart battery charger refused to charge the battery so I had to dig out a 20+ year old charger that I had to initially charge the 12 V battery. I've since bought a dash mountable solar panel that plugs into the OBD2 port to keep the 12 V battery charged if I go away again for more than a couple of weeks.

The auto headlight function is nice and convenient to have that can't be turned off but it's also quite d#mb. I've tried adjusting the sensitivity but even on the least sensitive setting it's still too sensitive. Pass through an under pass that's even mildly more than a single lane road in width and on come the lights even on a bright sunny day. Following traffic behind get a rude awakening from the apparent braking with brake lights turning on. The L plater that was behind me one day hit the brakes which must've been close for a nose-tail collision with all the cars behind them.

Implementation of Android Auto is okay but when it doesn't want to co-operate then it really doesn't want to work much at all. It really is pull over, stop the car and spend a couple of minutes sorting it out after which it'll happily run the App I want but it won't let me choose that App through the car's screen only through my mobile.

Ah TSS. TSS is Toyota Smart Sense or as I prefer call it Toyota St^pid Sense. If you're an active driver who drives for smoothness and efficiency then TSS will constantly interfere trying to do some really odd d#mb stuff. I've had it try to drive me straight into a parked car while the driver was getting out of the car. Try to avoid potholes and manhole covers? Nope, it'll override trying drive right through them. It'll also complain about long repair patches in the road and try to follow them. Generally it interferes badly with smooth driving and there's no way to turn it off.

TSS also runs the Traffic Alert system after parking the car. It requires a short then long push of the Okay button on the steering wheel to turn it off almost every time after parking the car as it resets back on every time after turning off the car. Unless I turn it off it'll fire off in my driveway every time. Coming home late at night in my super quiet, almost always in EV mode, car only to have the Traffic Alert system activate and loudly beep 5 or more times in my driveway isn't conducive to neighbourly relations.

TSS also runs the rear seat alert for passengers not having their seat belt on. Excellent idea with one slight problem, putting groceries on the back seat instead of in the hatch. Groceries can be heavy enough to set of a warning which will continuously beep after about 30 kph all the way home warning of back seat occupancy without seat belts on. When putting groceries in the back seat it's worth remembering to clip all the seat belts in place first before loading any groceries into the back seat.

Delivery times are huge. For my car from order in January 2023 to delivery on 29th November 2024 was nearly 2 years.

Honestly it's a great little car that has fabulous fuel economy which like all cars it has its foibles.

I purchased my new Rav 4 from William Harrop at Chatwood Toyota and can not say enough good things about William. He was knowledgeable, courteous… Read more

and really helpful. I was stressing about which brand and car to buy and had been to a few different dealerships but as soon as I met William h e made it easy, I felt that the information he was giving was spot on, from there I felt I could make a decision based on facts. He took the time show me all the functions of the car when William delivered the car to my door, it cant get better than that .

Very nice – Drive is very good, I love it. I don't like the the gps as it often make mistake, the rear view camera is not good at all when there is a light even… Read more

it is far and the voice recognition for phone call is really bad. I mentioned these items as they are not toyota standard. last 34 years I'm driving different models of Toyota, I know the quality Toyota equipments.

Atrocious customer service vehicle wasn't ready on settlement day, told untruths, supposed to be a full tank of fuel lucky to get to the servo when… Read more

delivered and once they had the money they resorted to bullying tactics delaying delivery of the vehicle

10/10 – This car slaps hard, it’s increased my drift points by hundreds! In all seriousness quality car, never had issues, had since day 1 about 10 years ago

Cockburn Toyota Panel and Paint at 38 Horus Bend, Bibra Lake, WA 6163 These guys did and awesome job, no half job, every thing got done over and… Read more

above what was required so the car was finished looking even better than before the damage/acident. I highly recommend this Panel and paint shop, they are profesional but with good old fashon down to earth service. A big thank you to the team.

Love cleaning up your mess! – Took my brand new 84k hilux in for a service. When I picked it up they told me it was outside in the car park, it wasn't, it was parked on the… Read more

streets of Palmerston with bird droppings all over it. When I complained both the service advisor and then the service manager explained that this was perfectly ok because they had many services today and their car park was full. They were actually defensive, as if I had somehow wronged them. It seems to much to ask for my car to be returned in the same condition it was 4 hours earlier. Not good enough bridge Toyota Palmerston!!!

Do not waste your money – The Toyota Dash camera which I ordered and recieved with our Hilux in early 2023 should be priced a lot lower. It has very litle to recommend it as… Read more

compared to a $100.00 Dash Cam I have installed in my older ride. Please do your research before ordering one.

Top value for money – I had 2 of the late models twin turbo vvti and got rid of 1 but im still keeping one and i cant fault this car its very true japanesse sports machine… Read more

for anyone interested in getting into the sports car scheme without getting a huge loan and i tell you its the most reliable car ive had, ive also had about 12 toyotas in past which include lots of soarers all ( turbo of course) mark ii turbos and i drove them like lunatic and i never had to see mechanic because they bloody never broke down on me, but i had to have the king of course Supra and i kept the excellent example it has 76000 on clock with twin turbo vvti and it puts me smile everytime i get into this power house i know i can push as hard as i want and i know it want brake down on me, in my house im from perth wa no other car comes in our garage if its not made in japan and yes they are old, and yes they still outperform all those fancy looking new toys out there in any way. i had bmw before, i had mercedes and they are puffy cars because every month i had to see mechanic and pay through the nose for repairs for owing that bloody merc,bmw badge. no more.