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Bad news for LC300 buyers: Wait times could blow out to FOUR YEARS for LandCruiser 300 Series, with ZX Sahara and GR Sport customers to be waiting the longest - reports

Bad news for LC300 buyers.

The bad news just keeps coming for LC300 Series buyers, with reports out of Japan suggesting wait times for the long-awaited LandCruiser 200 Series replacement could blow out to four years.

The news comes in the wake of Toyota confirming a parts and chip shortage has forced the Japanese giant's global production by 40 per cent in September. And the LandCruiser 300 Series is the worst effected, with its Japanese production facility shuttered for an entire month.

It's unfortunate timing to say the least, with queues already forming for the new off-road icon, and Toyota admit there's no obvious way to make the lost factory time.

And news from Japanese Toyota dealers today suggests our worst-case scenarios for LC300 deliveries could be exceeded, with the media suggesting wait times of up to four years on certain models are on the cards.

According to local reports, Toyota in Japan has been overwhelmed by initial interest in the new LC300, with pre-orders out-stripping domestic production capacity by 400 per cent.

Toyota attracted some 20,000 orders, and had factored in – before the temporary plant closures – deliveries of just 5000 units.

That equation has some dealers warning that wait times for popular models could be two to three years, but with the new closures and the ongoing popularity of the vehicle, Japanese dealers are now suggesting wait times could stretch as long as four years for the ZX and GR Sport trims.

Those two trims alone are responsible for some 90 per cent of orders in Japan.

The news comes as Toyota in Australia has confirmed as yet undefined delays for the LC300 in this market.

In a statement, the brand said it was unclear how long the delays would last, but said a "limited number" of demonstrator models would be touching down in October so people could see and feel the vehicle in the metal.

"Customer deliveries of the highly anticipated Toyota LandCruiser 300 will be delayed. As previously advised, LandCruiser production in Japan has been halted for part of August and most of September due to COVID-19 restrictions in Southeast Asia that have led to parts shortages," the statement reads.

"However, a limited number of vehicles will be in dealerships as demonstrator models nationally from early October, giving our valued customers the opportunity to experience the new LandCruiser first-hand, including through test drives as permitted.

"Toyota Australia is continuing to work closely with our global production team to provide the latest information for dealers and to support our customers.

"Our dealers are contacting customers who have placed orders for the new LandCruiser 300 to update them on developments regarding their vehicle."

CarsGuide continues to understand that, while LC300 queues are growing, the first customer vehicles are still expected to arrive this year, with customers told their orders have been pushed back to December.