The just-released Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series now has a phenomenal four-year delay in Japan – however waiting times being quoted in Australia range between six and nine months, because Toyota prioritises different markets.
The news comes as Toyota – the world’s biggest car-maker, and Australia’s top-selling brand for the past 19 years in a row – yesterday announced an additional one-week pause in production on 20 assembly lines in 12 factories in Japan (out of a total of 28 assembly lines in 14 factories in Japan).
Most key models are affected by the sudden shutdown this week, including Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Hiace, Toyota Prado, and Toyota LandCruiser.
While Toyota Japan hopes to make up for lost production in the last week of January by adding it to February’s build schedule, the latest assembly line shutdowns nevertheless add to new-car delivery delays in Australia and other countries.
Toyota dealers in Australia canvassed by Drive gave the following estimates on deliveries of new vehicles ordered today:
- Toyota Yaris: 3 to 6 months
- Toyota Corolla Hybrid: 3 to 6 months
- Toyota HiLux (selected models): 1 to 3 months
- Toyota HiLux Rogue and Rugged X: 6 months
- Toyota Hiace: 3 to 6 months
- Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: 6 to 9 months (Toyota Australia says up to 12 months)
- Toyota Kluger Hybrid: 3 to 6 months
- Toyota Prado: 3 to 6 months
- Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series: 6 to 9 months
- Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series: 12 to 18 months
- Toyota Camry Hybrid: Limited stock
- Toyota Kluger V6: Limited stock
As for the LandCruiser 300 Series, Toyota’s most delayed model in Japan – which has a waiting time even longer than the 12 months currently estimated by Toyota Australia for the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – a notice on Toyota’s Japanese website says:
“We sincerely apologise for the fact that LandCruiser has been very well received not only in Japan but around the world, and it is expected that it will take a long time to deliver after receiving an order.
“The delivery time for ordering from now on may be about four years,” the notice on Toyota Japan’s public website continued. “We will do our utmost to shorten the delivery time (to) our customers, and we appreciate your understanding.”
However, Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series customers won’t be waiting four years in Australia, because Toyota Japan has allocated higher production to different markets.
While Toyota Australia was not able to provide an estimate on local arrival timing for new customer orders for the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, a statement from the company said: “Vehicle allocation is market specific, so any suggestion that Japan’s reported LandCruiser 300 wait times (of four years) are attributable to Australia is incorrect.
“We ask our customers to please contact their local dealer for updates on the status of their individual orders. Quoted wait times will vary between dealers, depending on their individual stock situation, which is why you may hear of different advice on delivery times being provided to customers around the country,” the statement from Toyota Australia continued.
“Toyota Australia is continuing to work closely with our global production team to support our dealers and our customers. Together with our parent company, we are doing everything we can to get customers into their new Toyota vehicles as soon as possible.
“We apologise to customers experiencing delays and we sincerely thank them for their patience.”
Keyword: Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series sold out for four years in Japan, up to nine months in Australia