Latest news with #Corollas
The Advertiser
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Oh what a peeling: Toyota to defend faulty paint claims
Frustrated Toyota Corolla owners have been driven to file a class action suit over alleged defects that cause paint to peel when exposed to sunlight. The Japanese vehicle juggernaut, Australia's best-selling car brand for more than two decades, will "vigorously defend" the claims filed in the Federal Court on Wednesday. The suit was filed on behalf of disgruntled drivers of Corollas manufactured from July 12, 2010 to September 30, 2014 and painted with factory code 040 white paint. The claim argues the paint defect breaches Australian Consumer Law and that Toyota is liable to compensate affected customers for loss and damage. Under Australian Consumer Law, any vehicle purchased from 2011 onwards must be of "acceptable quality". But in a July 2022 statement, Toyota Australia explained the alleged defects could have arisen because of sustained sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. "Over time, (exposure) degrades the adhesion between the factory-applied paint primer coat layer and the base metal electrodeposition layer, causing paint to peel from the metal body panel." Lawyers from William Roberts argued that Toyota hid some crucial information from consumers about alleged manufacturing problems. "Throughout the periods during which the affected vehicles were manufactured, Toyota did not disclose to the public that affected vehicles contained the paint peeling defect or ... had the propensity to experience the ... defect," they said. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says consumers have a right to a free repair when a car has a minor problem. A Facebook group boasting over 7000 members, dedicated to taking Toyota to task over what they say are flaws from the car maker, had several Corolla drivers voicing their intention to join the lawsuit. Many posted photos of paint peeled off from large sections of their vehicles. A Toyota spokesperson acknowledged the claims, adding customers with questions about their vehicles should contact their local dealer. "Toyota Australia has been served with a statement of claim for a paint peeling class action in relation to certain 2010 – 2014 Corolla vehicles," they said. "We intend to defend the claims vigorously." Frustrated Toyota Corolla owners have been driven to file a class action suit over alleged defects that cause paint to peel when exposed to sunlight. The Japanese vehicle juggernaut, Australia's best-selling car brand for more than two decades, will "vigorously defend" the claims filed in the Federal Court on Wednesday. The suit was filed on behalf of disgruntled drivers of Corollas manufactured from July 12, 2010 to September 30, 2014 and painted with factory code 040 white paint. The claim argues the paint defect breaches Australian Consumer Law and that Toyota is liable to compensate affected customers for loss and damage. Under Australian Consumer Law, any vehicle purchased from 2011 onwards must be of "acceptable quality". But in a July 2022 statement, Toyota Australia explained the alleged defects could have arisen because of sustained sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. "Over time, (exposure) degrades the adhesion between the factory-applied paint primer coat layer and the base metal electrodeposition layer, causing paint to peel from the metal body panel." Lawyers from William Roberts argued that Toyota hid some crucial information from consumers about alleged manufacturing problems. "Throughout the periods during which the affected vehicles were manufactured, Toyota did not disclose to the public that affected vehicles contained the paint peeling defect or ... had the propensity to experience the ... defect," they said. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says consumers have a right to a free repair when a car has a minor problem. A Facebook group boasting over 7000 members, dedicated to taking Toyota to task over what they say are flaws from the car maker, had several Corolla drivers voicing their intention to join the lawsuit. Many posted photos of paint peeled off from large sections of their vehicles. A Toyota spokesperson acknowledged the claims, adding customers with questions about their vehicles should contact their local dealer. "Toyota Australia has been served with a statement of claim for a paint peeling class action in relation to certain 2010 – 2014 Corolla vehicles," they said. "We intend to defend the claims vigorously." Frustrated Toyota Corolla owners have been driven to file a class action suit over alleged defects that cause paint to peel when exposed to sunlight. The Japanese vehicle juggernaut, Australia's best-selling car brand for more than two decades, will "vigorously defend" the claims filed in the Federal Court on Wednesday. The suit was filed on behalf of disgruntled drivers of Corollas manufactured from July 12, 2010 to September 30, 2014 and painted with factory code 040 white paint. The claim argues the paint defect breaches Australian Consumer Law and that Toyota is liable to compensate affected customers for loss and damage. Under Australian Consumer Law, any vehicle purchased from 2011 onwards must be of "acceptable quality". But in a July 2022 statement, Toyota Australia explained the alleged defects could have arisen because of sustained sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. "Over time, (exposure) degrades the adhesion between the factory-applied paint primer coat layer and the base metal electrodeposition layer, causing paint to peel from the metal body panel." Lawyers from William Roberts argued that Toyota hid some crucial information from consumers about alleged manufacturing problems. "Throughout the periods during which the affected vehicles were manufactured, Toyota did not disclose to the public that affected vehicles contained the paint peeling defect or ... had the propensity to experience the ... defect," they said. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says consumers have a right to a free repair when a car has a minor problem. A Facebook group boasting over 7000 members, dedicated to taking Toyota to task over what they say are flaws from the car maker, had several Corolla drivers voicing their intention to join the lawsuit. Many posted photos of paint peeled off from large sections of their vehicles. A Toyota spokesperson acknowledged the claims, adding customers with questions about their vehicles should contact their local dealer. "Toyota Australia has been served with a statement of claim for a paint peeling class action in relation to certain 2010 – 2014 Corolla vehicles," they said. "We intend to defend the claims vigorously." Frustrated Toyota Corolla owners have been driven to file a class action suit over alleged defects that cause paint to peel when exposed to sunlight. The Japanese vehicle juggernaut, Australia's best-selling car brand for more than two decades, will "vigorously defend" the claims filed in the Federal Court on Wednesday. The suit was filed on behalf of disgruntled drivers of Corollas manufactured from July 12, 2010 to September 30, 2014 and painted with factory code 040 white paint. The claim argues the paint defect breaches Australian Consumer Law and that Toyota is liable to compensate affected customers for loss and damage. Under Australian Consumer Law, any vehicle purchased from 2011 onwards must be of "acceptable quality". But in a July 2022 statement, Toyota Australia explained the alleged defects could have arisen because of sustained sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. "Over time, (exposure) degrades the adhesion between the factory-applied paint primer coat layer and the base metal electrodeposition layer, causing paint to peel from the metal body panel." Lawyers from William Roberts argued that Toyota hid some crucial information from consumers about alleged manufacturing problems. "Throughout the periods during which the affected vehicles were manufactured, Toyota did not disclose to the public that affected vehicles contained the paint peeling defect or ... had the propensity to experience the ... defect," they said. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says consumers have a right to a free repair when a car has a minor problem. A Facebook group boasting over 7000 members, dedicated to taking Toyota to task over what they say are flaws from the car maker, had several Corolla drivers voicing their intention to join the lawsuit. Many posted photos of paint peeled off from large sections of their vehicles. A Toyota spokesperson acknowledged the claims, adding customers with questions about their vehicles should contact their local dealer. "Toyota Australia has been served with a statement of claim for a paint peeling class action in relation to certain 2010 – 2014 Corolla vehicles," they said. "We intend to defend the claims vigorously."
IOL News
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Racing reflections as we encounter highs and lows from the Toyota Gazoo GR Cup at Zwartkops
There were lots of thrills and spills for car #60 at the GR Cup held at Zwartkops this weekend. Image: Stefan Van Niekerk It was a mixture of euphoria and disappointment as I drove my Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) GR Yaris into the pits after the final race of the fourth round of the GR Cup held at Zwartkops this weekend. Racing can be a cruel mistress and the highs and lows that come with it put you on an emotional rollercoaster. Practice It had been more than a month since we drove at the Aldo Scribante Circuit in Gqeberha and during the first practice at Zwartkops I felt a little detached from the car as I tried to get back into my rhythm with my times reflecting that as well. The previous week I had done a number of laps during a Mercedes-Benz AMG day and with the help of a racing and media colleague had worked out all the important entry and exit zones. I stuck to them for the second practice ending with more competitive times despite struggling to get an open run in a field of 25 cars including our GR Yaris', dealers in their Corollas and the GR Academy youngsters in their GR 86's. Going as fast as possible in the Toyota GR Yaris. Image: Stefan Van Niekerk Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading GR Cup popularity Talking of 25 cars… It's a testimony to the hard work and vision of the TGRSA staff that has seen the series grow exponentially in popularity from an initial six cars in 2022 to the almost full grid this season including five of the manual Yaris' that we started the season with. It's now a fully-fledged racing series that follows the Extreme Festival around South Africa's most iconic race tracks. Practice three went a lot better after I had spoken to Lorenzo Gualtieri from Comprehensive Driving Solutions and shown him my inboard footage. There was lots of time to be made up in turn one, two and four with later braking and earlier acceleration. I heeded the advice; my times improved, and more importantly, I was being consistent. It's strange how the two days dominate your every thought as you go through each corner in your mind even while you're trying to fall asleep, knowing that race day takes a lot out of you. Because of the large field, qualifying was split into two 10 minute sessions to allow for cleaner runs. Keeping the chasing cars at bay into turn six. Image: Stefan Van Niekerk Qualifying As we exited Parc fermé onto the track I latched onto one of the Corollas who had set some fast practice times and in doing so took two seconds off my best practice time. For the rest of the session I concentrated on braking, entry and exit points trying to save my tyres for the races ahead. Our GR Media Cup Challenge with Charl Bosch (Citizen), Lawrence Minnie (Auto Trader), Phuti Mpyane (TimesLive), Kyle Kock (CAR Magazine) and Nabil Abdool (SuperSport) again saw Abdool tear up the track throughout the weekend. Race one The rolling start for race one saw me get a lucky break into turn one and two allowing me to make up a couple of places, but it meant that they were hunting me down. Remembering the advice of keeping your lines and running your race, a group of three GR Corollas and myself ran bonnet to boot. It's damn exhilarating trying to outbrake and out maneuver the others but at the hairpin on turn two on the second last lap I turned too late, allowing a Corolla to pass me on the inside. Still, it was a fantastic dice. Hugging the apex. Image: Stefan Van Niekerk Race two Race two started in much the same way but with six of us going head to head. It's a tough job focussing on your race when you're chasing, there's someone pushing behind you and you have to keep your cool going into every corner. I needed to pass one car in order to get a clean run and took my chance on lap four at the turn two hairpin. The Corolla braked too late and came in wide, allowing me to sneak inside. Perhaps he didn't see me in his side mirrors but he turned in and smacked me on my left front, sending him into the kitty litter and me sideways before arresting it for turn three. The calm before the storm. Image: Stefan Van Niekerk
West Australian
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
Toyota opens biggest car parts centre in southern hemisphere in Kewdale
Toyota has officially opened its $115 million parts and accessories centre — the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and among the most valuable industrial properties ever built in WA. The Kewdale facility is more than three times the size of its previous site, with a massive 22,000sqm workshop — enough to cover more than three soccer fields. In a sign of the Japanese multinational's confidence in WA, the facility services 550,000 Toyota vehicles on local roads, with ample capacity for expansion. The wholesale centre means Toyota drivers will likely no longer need to wait for spare parts from the east coast or overseas — delays that emerged during the COVID pandemic. Gary Nettle, executive director of Toyota WA's parts distribution, said the size and technology of the new Parts and Accessories Distributor Facility were unprecedented in the southern hemisphere. 'We have invested heavily in 'world's best' technical innovation, notably automation explicitly designed to optimise the flow of goods whilst minimising time and disruption,' Mr Nettle said. 'To put the size of this centre into perspective, you will better understand its scale when I tell you that this facility can house four A380 jets and accommodate the entire Optus Stadium and if we wanted to get real cosy we could get about 94,000 people in here.' Mr Nettle said the facility operates on the ADAPTO system — an automated storage and retrieval system developed with Toyota subsidiary Vanderlande. The system includes driverless vehicles and 44 robotic shuttles that collect and deliver parts to mechanics in another section. Shuttle traffic is software-controlled to maximise efficiency. The winding conveyor belt system spans more than 630 metres — the length of about 140 Corollas lined up bumper to bumper. While artificial intelligence is displacing jobs globally, Mr Nettle told last night's launch that the system would allow staff to focus on 'more complex tasks instead of repetitive ones'. He said early data indicated that the centre's rate of receiving inbound goods is about six times faster than at the previous facility, indicating dealerships will have to hold significantly lower stock holdings to cope with demand. The system involves seven inbound loading docks and a further 18 dedicated dispatch doors. The whole centre is powered by nearly 1000 solar panels behind a 400kW PV system, helping it achieve a 5.5 Green Star rating and a 94 per cent weighted recycling rate during construction. In a sign of WA's maturing industrial property sector, the racking and three-level mezzanine structure was designed, engineered and manufactured by Bassendean company APC. The new centre includes a Stan Perron training room, in honour of the late entrepreneur, who sold Toyota's commercial and passenger models as well as their parts and accessories from the late 1960s. The arrangement with Toyota operated for many decades with no written contract, instead relying on a handshake agreement.
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
‘Crime is planned from prison,' says former police minister Bheki Cele
Former Police Minister has disclosed that South Africa's violent crime is planned from within prisons by inmates serving life sentences. Image: X/@SizweMpofu-Walsh Former Police Minister Bheki Cele has made a shocking revelation, claiming that most of South Africa's violent crime is being planned and organised from behind bars by inmates serving life sentences. 'Most of the crime is planned from prison,' Cele said during an interview on the Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh Xperience (SMWX) podcast. 'The people that are doing life sentences, they run crime outside.' Cele, who served as Minister of Police from 2018 to 2024, said correctional facilities have become a place where criminal syndicates are coordinating illicit activities beyond prison walls. 'Correctional facilities themselves are, in some ways, reproducing crime,' he said. 'One day I was phoned by a guy in prison who refused to tell me who he was. He warned me that a chief was going to be killed in Ulundi. He gave me names, the lodge, and everything.' Cele said he passed the information to KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. 'When Mkhwanazi got there, he found exactly what the caller had described. That came from someone inside prison,' he said. Cele also said the Wellington Prison, Mthatha in the Eastern Cape is known as a planning centre for conflicts in the taxi industry. 'That's a big problem. The case of Thabo Bester was high-profile, but there are many like him. Not just escapees, people who are still inside, sending out plans,' he said. He added that addressing crime in South Africa requires more than just empowering the police. 'You can't just strengthen the police. You need to strengthen the entire criminal justice system,' Cele said. Cele, who served as National Commissioner of Police from 2009 to 2011 before being removed in 2012 over misconduct allegations, said crime statistics during his leadership were significantly lower. 'Go study the crime stats from 2009 to 2012. They came down. Not just by numbers, South Africans said they could sleep with their doors open,' he said. He credited the drop in crime to strategic collaboration during preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Cele said they created the Tactical Response Team, known as the 'AmaBherethe,' after a cash heist in Pretoria where two men and women in blue were killed. 'Police at the scene couldn't pursue suspects driving high-performance vehicles in their standard-issue Corollas,' Cele said. He said the TRT served as a buffer between regular police stations and elite units like the National Intervention Unit and the Special Task Force. 'We bought GTIs and BMWs for the unit. We strengthened the force. At the time, we had about 195,000 police officers for a population of 50 million,' Cele said. But after leaving office in 2012, Cele said many of these initiatives were dismantled. 'When I returned in 2018, South Africa had grown to 60 million people, but the police officers had declined to 184,000…We had lost 15,000 officers,' he said. He said after that, he then approached President Cyril Ramaphosa to fund the training of new officers in three cycles of 10,000 every year, which restored the police numbers to 2010 levels. Cele lamented the declining morale in the police force, adding that in a month during his tenure, about 312 officers resigned. 'I called some of them to ask why. One warrant officer told me, 'When my daughter was born, I was a warrant officer. She's a graduate now, and I'm still a warrant officer,'' Cele said. Cele said meaningful crime reduction will require more community engagement. 'I don't care how many police you put on the street, if communities aren't part of safety and security, we won't win,' he said. 'These criminals are sons and husbands of people who live in those communities.' He expressed concern over South Africa's rates of gender-based violence (GBV). 'In just three months, 10,000 women are raped. Half of them are raped in their own homes, by their brothers, stepfathers, or other family members,' Cele said. 'Where are the police when a sibling rapes a sibling?' Cele also blamed undocumented immigrants as a serious concern. 'The worst part is, when they commit crime, they are untraceable and can easily disappear. That poses a major challenge,' he said. He said the entire security cluster needs to be strengthened to address the scale and complexity of South Africa's crime crisis. 'There's still a lot of work to do,' he said. IOL News
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Toyota Corolla FX Edition celebrates the '80s with retro name and look
The Toyota Corolla FX Edition has been revealed in the US, and it's a flashback to the days of big hair and legwarmers. Toyota says the special edition Corolla 'ignites the spirit of the legendary FX16', but don't go expecting any extra performance because tThis is no GR Corolla hot hatch. It employs the same naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine as regular Corollas, delivering 126kW of power and 205Nm of torque to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). And yet despite this, Toyota is playing up the FX16 connection, releasing images of the two hatches side-by-side. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert In any case, don't expect the FX Edition to come here, as it's expected to be exclusive to the US. Just 1600 examples will be produced. For the record, the FX Edition rides on gloss white alloy wheels, which is perhaps the most 1980s-inspired touch on the vehicle, though at 18 inches these are considerably larger than the FX16's wheels. You can also get the FX Edition in Ice Cap paint, giving the car a particularly '80s monochromatic look. Other exterior finishes comprise Inferno (the bright orange hue seen here) and Blue Crush Metallic. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Toyota finishes off the FX Edition with a rear wing and a 'heritage-inspired rear badge'. Inside, there are black 'Sport Touring Seats' with suede inserts and orange stitching, which can also be found on the door panels, steering wheel and at the base of the shifter. Confusingly, Toyota already offers an FX version of the Corolla stateside, which slots in under the sporty looking XSE and is also said to be inspired by the Corolla FX16. Corolla FX sedan Credit: CarExpert This FX is offered exclusively as a sedan in the US, and uses the same powertrain as the FX Edition. It rides on 18-inch satin-black alloy wheels and features a black roof. Mechanical changes include lowered suspension and retuned electric power steering, neither of which are listed as upgrades for the FX Edition hatch. The FX nameplate hasn't always historically denoted a sporty Corolla variant, with regular hatchback versions of the E80 Corolla wearing the badge in some markets. Supplied Credit: CarExpert But the E80 FX16 is what Toyota in the US is nodding at with this latest Corolla variant. This was powered by a fuel-injected twin-cam, 16-valve 1.6-litre four-cylinder '4A-GE' engine producing 81kW of power, mated with a five-speed manual transmission. It also featured sportier suspension tuning and styling than lesser Corollas. Australia also received the E80 with this engine, in both hatchback and liftback ('Seca') body styles, and wearing the rather anodyne Twin Cam nameplate. In Japan, this hotter Corolla was called the FX-GT. The engine didn't make the FX16/Twin Cam/FX-GT the hottest small car out there, but it's regarded as one of the more exciting Corollas in the long history of the small Toyota, which will celebrate its 60th birthday next year. Toyota Corolla Twin Cam Credit: CarExpert MORE: Everything Toyota Corolla
