In one of the largest class actions in Australian legal history, law firm Maddens have launched a claim against Toyota for alleged used of so-called \’defeat devices\’ to conceal the emissions output from a range of popular models produced by the auto giant.
Up to half a million Australian car owners could be represented in the class-action which was lodged in Victoria\’s Supreme Court on Monday by Maddens in a claim that Maddens lead lawyer Brendan Pendergast saying could cost Toyota up to $1 billion.
The lawsuit would claims some Toyota vehicles used \’sophisticated engineering\’ and \’multiple sensors\’ to comply with emissions standards during test conditions but not in real-world use.
\’We allege that not through accident but through deliberate engineering intervention, these vehicles are fitted with what are generically called defeat devices,\’ he said in a media report.
\’When the vehicle comes under load or achieves speeds commonly required in the usual purchaser of a vehicle, the vehicle no longer complies with the emission standards.\’
Among the popular vehicles named in the lawsuit range are four-wheel drives to utes and vans including the Toyota Hi-Lux, LandCruiser, RAV4, Prado, Fortuner, Granvia and HiAce.
The press release from Maddens is below –
Join one of Australia’s biggest class actions
Maddens Lawyers has launched a class action in the Supreme Court of Victoria on behalf of owners of some diesel-powered Toyota vehicles. The class action alleges that Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited supplied hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles in Australia that possess engine design features commonly known as diesel defeat devices.
The class action alleges that some diesel engines developed by Toyota, including those incorporated in some of the most popular models such as the Landcruiser and Hilux, include design elements which tamper with the vehicle’s emissions control system in order to enhance the car’s performance. It is claimed the emissions control system performs differently in test conditions compared to on road conditions, resulting in Toyota cars passing regulatory testing but then emitting unlawfully high levels of nitrogen oxide when on the road.
If you acquired one of the following Toyota diesel vehicles you could be entitled to compensation:
- Hilux, Landcruiser Prado, Fortuner, Granvia and HiAce vehicles fitted with a 2.8 litre 1GD-FTV engine
- Hilux vehicles fitted with a 2.4 litre 2GD-FTV engine
- Landcruiser vehicles fitted with a 3.3 litre F33A-FTV engine
- Landcruiser vehicles fitted with a 4.5 litre 1VD-FTV 195kW to 200 kW engine
- RAV-4 vehicles fitted with a 2.2 litre 2AD-FHV or 2AD-FTV engine
The class action is being advanced on behalf of people who own (or have owned) affected Toyota diesel vehicles. Vehicle owners are encouraged to register their interest in the class action to stay informed and to ensure they are eligible for compensation if the class action is successful. Maddens Lawyers is acting on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. This means participating in the class action is risk free because legal costs will only be charged if the claim is successful.
