Toyota & Lexus Recall SA: Fuel Gauge Fault and Engine Debris in LC300/LX600
Toyota South Africa Motors and Lexus South Africa Motors have launched two separate recalls that together touch thousands of vehicles across the region, and both relate to safety, not cosmetics. The first involves a combination meter fault that can make your fuel gauge lie to you — showing more fuel than you actually have, with the low-fuel warning light failing to switch on. The second is more serious: manufacturing debris left inside the new V35A twin-turbo V6 engine used in the flagship Land Cruiser 300 and Lexus LX600, which can cause bearing failure, knocking, or sudden loss of power while driving.
This isn't an isolated event. It's the third Toyota/Lexus recall in just over a year, following T-ECU transmission software issues and a Parking Assist ECU fault that froze rear-view camera feeds on the RAV4 and Lexus models. Taken together, this pattern suggests SA is receiving vehicles built on newer platforms and engine architectures faster than quality control processes have fully matured — a trend DriveLedger has been tracking across the industry.
For most owners, the fix is straightforward and free: a dealership visit for a software correction (fuel gauge) or full engine replacement (LC300/LX600). But the real risk lies in inaction — vehicles running dry unexpectedly in traffic, or premium SUV owners unaware their engine is under a safety notice. This article breaks down exactly who's affected, what to check, and how to act before it costs you time, money, or safety.
What Happened
TSAM and LSAM, working with the National Consumer Commission (NCC), have recalled 2,208 Toyota vehicles sold nationally and regionally between 17 January and 3 June 2025 (2,015 of them in South Africa, with the rest in Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho). The fault lies in the combination meter: a manufacturing defect can record an incorrect fuel correction value, causing the fuel gauge to show more fuel than is actually in the tank — and critically, the low-fuel warning light may not illuminate as the tank empties.
Separately, a more serious recall covers 507 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and 124 Lexus LX600 models built between December 2022 and May 2024, all fitted with the V35A 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine. Manufacturing debris left inside the engine during assembly can cause main bearing failure, engine knocking, sudden power loss, or unexpected stalling while driving — a genuine collision risk at speed.
These follow a March 2026 recall for T-ECU programming errors in Land Cruiser and LX models (risking transmission damage and fluid leaks), and a June 2026 recall of over 6,500 RAV4 and Lexus units for a Parking Assist ECU software fault freezing rear-view camera images.
Why It Matters
A fuel gauge that lies to you isn't a minor inconvenience — it's a safety hazard. Running out of fuel unexpectedly on a busy N1 off-ramp or a rural road with no cellphone signal can strand you in a dangerous position, or cause the engine to stall mid-manoeuvre. For an engine defect on a R1.5-million-plus Land Cruiser 300 or Lexus LX600, the stakes are even higher: sudden power loss at highway speed, potential collision risk, and — if left unaddressed — catastrophic engine failure that would normally cost hundreds of thousands of rand to repair out of pocket.
The broader pattern matters too. Four recalls in roughly 18 months signals that Toyota and Lexus's newest technology — twin-turbo engines, electronic transmission control, camera-based parking assist — is arriving in South Africa with teething issues. That's not unusual for any manufacturer introducing new platforms, but it does mean owners of recent-model Toyotas and Lexuses should be more vigilant about checking recall status than they might have been in the past.
Who Is Affected
Owners of Toyota vehicles purchased through the dealer network between 17 January and 3 June 2025 (fuel gauge/combination meter recall) — this spans South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho. Owners of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and Lexus LX600 built between December 2022 and May 2024 with the V35A 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 engine face the engine replacement recall. Owners of Land Cruiser and LX models from the March 2026 T-ECU recall, and RAV4/Lexus owners from the June 2026 Parking Assist ECU recall, should also confirm their vehicles have been actioned if they haven't already.
What You Should Do
Don't wait for a letter in the post. Contact your nearest Toyota or Lexus dealership directly, or use the manufacturer's online VIN lookup tool, to check whether your specific vehicle is included in either recall. This takes only a few minutes and costs nothing.
If your Land Cruiser 300 or Lexus LX600 falls within the affected build dates, book it in for inspection as a priority — engine replacement is a significant undertaking and dealerships will need to schedule it, so early booking avoids a longer wait. If you own a Toyota from the January–June 2025 sales window, ask specifically about the combination meter/fuel gauge correction, and in the meantime, don't rely on the fuel gauge alone — track your fill-ups and mileage against your vehicle's known fuel consumption until the fix is applied.
Keep all recall documentation and service records, as this protects your vehicle's resale value and warranty standing, and log the repair in your vehicle's service history for future reference.
DriveLedger Insight
DriveLedger's data shows that recall-related repairs, when properly logged, actually protect resale value — buyers and dealers increasingly check whether outstanding safety recalls have been resolved before making an offer, and an unresolved recall can knock thousands of rand off a trade-in valuation or delay a private sale entirely. With four Toyota/Lexus recalls in roughly a year and a half, we're advising owners of 2022-2025 model Land Cruisers, LX-series, and RAV4s to build a habit of checking recall status every six months, not just when they hear about it in the news — new campaigns can be issued for the same vehicle over time as faults surface in the field.
Action Checklist
- Check your VIN on Toyota or Lexus SA's online recall lookup tool immediately
- Call your nearest dealership to confirm if your vehicle is affected by either recall
- If you own a Land Cruiser 300 or Lexus LX600 (Dec 2022–May 2024), book an engine inspection as a priority
- If you own a Toyota bought Jan–Jun 2025, ask about the combination meter/fuel gauge correction
- Don't rely on your fuel gauge — monitor mileage against known fuel consumption until fixed
- Keep all recall paperwork and repair records for warranty and resale purposes
- Recheck recall status every 6 months if you own a recent-model Toyota or Lexus