Toyota customers across Australia say they’ve been left frustrated, confused and unable to track their new vehicles after a major software upgrade caused disruptions to the car giant’s delivery and logistics systems.
Customers waiting on some of Toyota’s most in-demand models, including the new RAV4 hybrid and LandCruiser 300 Series, have reported shifting delivery dates, dealerships unable to locate vehicles and ongoing uncertainty around when cars will actually arrive.
Toyota Australia confirmed that dealerships temporarily lost visibility of incoming vehicle deliveries during a transition to a new business operating system.
One Melbourne customer, Steve Yucel, said he ordered a 2026 Toyota RAV4 Cruiser in December 2025 after being advised the vehicle would arrive during the “first quarter of 2026”, around March or April.
Mr Yucel said he had already been without a vehicle since November after his previous car was written off and was relying on Toyota’s delivery estimates.
MORE: High-risk Gen Z driving act exposed
“Come mid to late April, the dealer informed me that the vehicle will be delivered 30th of April, give or take a day or two,” he said.
“Two days before the 30th of April, I was informed that the vehicle will not be delivered and they now have no idea when it will.”
Mr Yucel claimed dealership staff told him Toyota had undertaken a software upgrade and had “lost visibility” over where vehicles were within the supply chain.
Text messages appear to show dealership staff discussing major congestion and logistic confusion following the system transition.
“Your car is still at the port due to some complications with Toyota changing operating systems as in the software,” one dealership employee wrote to the customer on April 30.
“So they have 2000 cars backed up and cars still arriving and they can only get out 300 cars per day. So we are still waiting on the car to arrive to the dealership. Big issue for us, as we need the cars.”
In another message, the employee added: “Thousands of dealers are affected, and everyone is figuring out and learning how it all works.”
MORE: Drivers survive ‘miracle’ crash
Toyota Australia has denied claims vehicles were sitting idle at ports for months, but confirmed operational disruptions occurred during a transition to the new system.
“Toyota Motor Corporation Australia is currently undertaking improvements to core business systems to support long-term service and customer experience,” a Toyota spokesperson said.
“During this process, some services and business operations may be impacted.”
Toyota confirmed dealerships experienced “reduced visibility regarding incoming vehicle arrival timings”.
“Vehicles continue to be supplied with minimal disruption, although we are aware that dealers have experienced reduced visibility regarding incoming vehicle arrival timings,” the brand said.
Toyota maintained customer delivery timeframes had not been “significantly impacted” and said processing delays had, “in some circumstances”, been extended by “up to two days”.
“Vehicles continue to be processed with minimal disruption,” the spokesperson said.
“Processing times have in some circumstances been extended by up to two days.”
The company also rejected claims that vehicles were sitting at Australian ports for up to six months.
MORE: Iconic SUV set to wow Aussie drivers
“Vehicle flow has not been significantly impacted, though some dealers are experiencing reduced visibility of vehicle arrivals,” Toyota said.
However, a growing number of Toyota customers online appear to describe similar problems.
In a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series Australia Facebook group, multiple buyers claimed dealerships were struggling to track vehicles due to “software issues”.
“Car is supposed to arrive 31 May, but dealer can’t tell me where it’s at due to software issues,” one customer wrote.
Another customer posted: “They don’t know where it is, though. Now have been told about a week away, but I don’t think they know.”
One individual claiming to work within Toyota’s new vehicle division wrote: “Since the SAP upgrade it’s been a nightmare.”
“It’s a Toyota-wide thing, and the transport and logistics side has had a few bugs,” the post stated.
MORE: Wild off-roader sets a new standard
The reported issues appear to also be impacting Toyota and Lexus dealers, who have struggled to source parts following the SAP transition, with some dealerships allegedly unable to properly process parts orders or access inventory systems.
One alleged Toyota parts manager on Reddit described the rollout as “a nightmare for us and every Toyota dealership in Australia”.
The timing is particularly difficult for Toyota customers already facing long waits on some of Australia’s most popular hybrid vehicles.
Earlier this month, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations John Pappas confirmed new-generation RAV4 wait times were already sitting between three and six months, depending on variant and specification.
“So on average, across our range for RAV4, on average, the lead times will be within three to six months,” Mr Pappas told CarsGuide.
Mr Yucel said that after escalating the issue to Toyota Australia’s public affairs division, he was eventually contacted by dealership management and provided with a revised delivery timeframe.
“At this stage, the vehicle is scheduled to arrive end of May / early June, however, the worst-case scenario would be 10th of June,” a dealership manager wrote to him.
Mr Yucel said he had decided to continue waiting for the vehicle.
“What else can I do,” he said.
“Life is such.”
