As a long-time admirer of Toyota, I purchased a Toyota RAV4 (2020) on August 3rd, 2023, from Snow Toyota in the UK. My choice was driven by Toyota’s reputation as one of the most reliable car brands in the world. I took great care of my car, including using a steering wheel lock and disabling the keyless entry system daily to protect against potential key signal cloning.However, my experience with Toyota UK has been deeply disappointing.On March 13th, 2024, Toyota issued a statement acknowledging a security vulnerability in their vehicles, including the RAV4, related to the CAN bus system. Despite the severity of this issue, I was never notified or warned about it.On July 26th, 2024, I completed my car’s MOT at Steven Eagle Toyota. Shockingly, despite the inspection, no mention of this vulnerability was made to me.Unaware of this critical issue, my RAV4 was stolen on October 12th, 2024, using the same security flaw Toyota had publicly disclosed months earlier. Evidence from security camera footage, feedback from property management, and the repair company confirmed the theft method.After recovering the car via GPS tracking, the damage required repairs. However, the insurance company’s repair request for dashboard and steering wheel replacement was met with an exorbitant £10,000 repair estimate from Toyota—nearly half the car’s value (£21,000).Toyota’s response was dismissive. They refused to take responsibility for the incident or offer meaningful support. Their only suggestion was fitting a tracker, which I already had. Based on UK regulations, issues of this magnitude warrant a recall and a solution, yet Toyota provided neither. When I contacted Toyota’s customer service, they confirmed there was no assistance available for victims like me.Ultimately, I lost my car, declared a total loss after two months of delays. While my insurance offered excellent support, my faith in Toyota was shattered.What’s particularly troubling is Toyota UK’s inconsistent communication. While they claim not to store customer details, I still receive marketing advertisements from the dealer I used. They could have used this same communication channel to warn customers about the security vulnerability.In the past six months, I recommended Toyota to two friends, and they made purchases based on my suggestion. However, after this ordeal, I will never recommend Toyota to anyone again. I have also shared this experience with those friends and others, discouraging them from trusting the brand.For reference, here is the link to Toyota UK’s statement where other victims have shared similar experiences: please in google search for toyota-gb-statement-on-vehicle-theftToyota’s lack of accountability and support has left me deeply disappointed. I expected better from a company of this stature.I will never buy another Toyota vehicle.
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