Fix revealed for huge Toyota problem

Toyota Australia has responded after Queensland Police alleged an international crime syndicate was targeting its vehicles in the Brisbane region.

Between October 20 and December 2, 60 high-end Toyota vehicles, including LandCruisers and Prados, were stolen with the intent to ship the vehicles to the United Arab Emirates, according to Queensland Police. The vehicles were valued at about $9.0M.

Read more about Toyota

• ‘It’s not quite what we want’: 2026 Toyota LandCruiser Prado Hybrid still no closer to Australia to fight the GWM Tank 500 and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
• Is Toyota cooking up tougher HiLux, Prado?
• Toyota Prado shock! New Toyota three-row electric Kluger and Prado SUVs confirmed for US production to rival the Rivian R1S, Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9: report

Queensland Police have arrested seven men and charged them with more than 300 offences.

Brisbane Detective Acting Inspector Russell Joyce said, “This was an extremely complex operation with a disciplined international syndicate allegedly targeting vehicles for personal gain.

“The QPS is sending a strong message that offences of this nature will not be tolerated, and police will be relentless in their pursuit of any alleged offender,” he said.

Toyota Australia said it has worked closely with the Queensland and Victorian Police to identify the devices used in the thefts.

The company said it had implemented security enhancements to counter their effectiveness.

In a statement Toyota Australia said, “Toyota is committed to continuously improving vehicle security and has progressively introduced advanced protective measures across its range.

“In 2025, Toyota took further steps to enhance security on several models, including the New HiLux, LandCruiser 300 and LandCruiser Prado providing owners with even greater peace of mind,” the statement said.

Toyota is going a step further and developing factory approved genuine accessories, which include an additional immobiliser, to combat the issue.

The Japanese carmaker is also working on a process to prioritise owners affected by theft to receive replacement vehicles as soon as possible.