Toyota recalls nearly 106K hybrid Land Cruiser SUVs
Dive Brief:
- Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing is recalling nearly 106,000 hybrid Land Cruiser SUVs over resin fuel tubes near the gas tank that may disconnect and leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire if near an ignition source, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The recall includes model year 2024-2027 Land Cruiser SUVs produced between November 2023 and October 2026. Toyota does not know the percentage of recalled vehicles that may be affected, but not all of the suspect vehicles were sold in the U.S., according to the report.
- Dealers will inspect the fuel tube connection, replace the resin tube if necessary and install a supplemental clamp to prevent it from disconnecting. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed beginning Nov. 29.
Dive Insight:
The resin fuel tube in the hybrid-only Land Cruiser connects to the primary, metal tube that delivers fuel from the tank to the engine. The problem concerns the connection between the two tubes, per the report. If the retaining clip at this connection is lifted, the parts can disconnect, which may allow fuel to leak until the gasoline engine in the hybrid system shuts down.
Toyota first received reports of fuel leaks in Land Cruiser SUVs in July 2024, after dealer service technicians found that the retaining clip at the tube connection was lifted or missing on some vehicles.
Toyota subsequently began investigating its vehicle production process, including a review of post tube assembly CCTV footage for some of the field report vehicles. But its investigators found no issues with the seating of the retaining clip.
All of the recalled Land Cruiser models were built in Japan and exported to the U.S.
Toyota’s suppliers also confirmed that the parts it manufactured met proper dimensional specifications. However, one supplier did observe markings on two resin fuel tubes recovered from an overseas market, per the report. Although the markings on one tube resembled those seen in previous testing, the supplier noted that markings on the other looked as though a tool had been used to separate the connection after vehicle assembly.
The Japan-based supplier of the resin tube is FTS Co. and the metal tube is Usui Co.
Between May and August 2025, Toyota began recovering parts from the U.S. market and reviewed production history, but found no issues at the time. Again, the automaker’s suppliers confirmed that the parts were manufactured to proper specifications and the resin tubes recovered passed pressure resistance testing. The parts also had markings that were consistent with previous testing.
Toyota also inspected 200 in-service vehicles with no fuel leak complaints and found that the fuel tube connections on each were secure. The Land Cruisers inspected were from different geographic regions and included various production dates and mileage.
Between September and October 2025, Toyota performed its own internal tests on the fuel tube connection, putting the part through pull-strength tests, pressure tests and vibration tests, as well as driving tests through standing water. The connection remained secure through all of the additional testing. Toyota found that separating of the fuel tube only occurred if the retaining clip was “intentionally not seated correctly,” per the recall report.
Toyota also scrutinized the risk of fire due to a separated connection near the fuel tank and found that the temperatures of nearby components was lower than what would cause the fuel to ignite. However, its investigators did confirm that a separated tube connection could lead to a multiple gallon fuel leak and any leaks near an ignition source was recognized as a potential fire risk.
Also during this time, Toyota told a non-U.S. government agency that it had not identified a defect, but investigators suspected that the retaining clips were lifted after manufacturing and were incorrectly reinstalled, according to the recall report.
Between May and September of this year, Toyota performed further testing to try and identify the root cause of the problem after receiving additional reports of fuel leaks in some Land Cruiser vehicles. However, its robust physical testing did not unseat the retaining clip, per the report.
Reviews of additional production records also found no discrepancies in the manufacturing process. Toyota also inspected 400 additional in-service vehicles as part of its ongoing probe, identifying just one in which the retaining clip was lifted — yet the fuel tube connection remained secure.
Though it could not establish the root cause of the issue, based on the volume of fuel that could potentially leak and the number of relevant field reports it received, Toyota approved a voluntary recall on Oct. 8.
As of Oct. 6, and based on a thorough review of records, Toyota’s best engineering judgment is that there are 23 field technical reports and 64 warranty claims in the U.S. market that may be related to the issue.