Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has notified consumers and the National Consumer Commission (NCC) of a recall affecting 518 vehicles across five Toyota models sold through the company’s national dealer network.
The recall relates to a programming issue affecting the vehicles’ combination meter system, which displays important information including warning and indicator lights, gauges and messages on the vehicle’s 12.3-inch driver instrument cluster.
The affected vehicles comprise 16 RAV4 models, four Corolla Cross models, 391 Corolla Hatch models, 21 Crown models and 86 GR Corolla vehicles.
Vehicles Covered by The Recall
The affected vehicles were sold or manufactured from different dates.
The recall covers Corolla Hatchback models sold from 7 October 2022, Crown models sold from 17 October 2022, and GR Corolla models sold from 16 February 2023.
It also covers Corolla Cross models sold from 2 July 2024 onwards, as well as RAV4 PHEV vehicles built from 8 July 2024 onwards.
All affected vehicles were sold through Toyota’s national dealer network.
Programming Fault Could Affect Warning Information
The NCC said improper programming of the combination meter could result in unnecessary data being repeatedly written to a memory device while the meter is operating.
This could cause the memory device to deteriorate earlier than intended. If the device fails, the monitor may not display information when the vehicle is started.
The potential safety concern is that drivers may not see warning indicators that would normally appear on the instrument cluster.
The NCC warned that this could increase the risk of an accident if a driver is unable to see an important warning displayed by the vehicle.
Toyota To Carry Out Repairs at No Cost
Owners of affected vehicles have been advised to take their vehicles to their nearest Toyota dealership.
The required repair involves reprogramming the combination meter assembly, and the work will be completed at no additional cost to affected owners.
The NCC has urged consumers to take recall notices seriously and ensure that affected vehicles are presented to the supplier for the required repairs.
Consumers with questions about the recall can also contact the NCC through its product recall channels.
Toyota Faces Several Recalls In 2026
The latest recall comes after a number of other Toyota-related recall campaigns in South Africa this year, involving thousands of vehicles and a range of faults.
Most recently, Toyota recalled 2,208 vehicles over another combination meter-related fault involving incorrect fuel indicator correction values being written into the system’s memory.
A week earlier, hundreds of Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and Lexus LX600 vehicles were recalled over a potentially serious fault involving their shared V35A 3.4-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine.
According to the NCC, engine machining debris may not have been completely removed during a particular production period, potentially contaminating the engine assembly.
If the debris adheres to the main bearings while the engine operates under sustained high loads, the bearings could fail.
Thousands Of Vehicles Affected by Earlier Recall
Prior to that campaign, Toyota South Africa Motors and Lexus South Africa Motors recalled a combined 6,525 vehicles over a fault involving the Parking Assist Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which forms part of the Panoramic View Monitor system.
The software fault could cause the rear-view image to briefly freeze when reverse gear was selected shortly after the vehicle was started or cause the image to fail completely.
In March, Toyota also recalled 1,846 Land Cruiser LC300 models because of an error in the programming of the Transmission Electronic Control Unit (T-ECU).
The issue could prevent the unit from detecting and reporting certain errors originating from the vehicle’s transmission.
Consumers Urged to Act on Recall Notices
The latest recall highlights the increasing role of electronic systems and software in modern vehicles, with faults affecting digital instrument clusters and control units potentially creating safety concerns.
Toyota owners who believe their vehicles may be affected should confirm their recall status and arrange the required inspection or repair through an authorised Toyota dealership.
For affected vehicles, the combination meter reprogramming is available at no additional cost, allowing the identified software issue to be addressed before it potentially affects the driver’s ability to receive important vehicle warnings.