Australia’s roads are about to see a lot more Toyota and Lexus vehicles heading back to dealerships—thanks to a potential fault with the surround-view camera system in over 130,000 cars. But don’t panic just yet. While the issue may sound serious, it’s more of a software glitch than a hardware failure. If you own one of the affected vehicles, here’s what you need to know.
The Issue: A Glitch in the Parking Assist System
The recall involves more than 130,000 vehicles from Toyota and Lexus, spanning models built between 2021 and 2025. The problem lies with the parking assist ECU (Electronic Control Unit), which controls the surround-view camera system. According to the carmakers, the software within the ECU may cause the rear-view image to freeze or fail to display. The issue occurs when the car is switched on and reverse gear is engaged within a specific time window after ignition. It’s not a major safety risk, but it can make reversing or parking a little trickier if the camera fails to display properly.
While the issue sounds like it could be a major inconvenience, Toyota and Lexus have made it clear that it’s a relatively simple fix: a free reprogramming of the affected vehicles’ parking assist ECU. The process is expected to take about an hour at the dealership, although depending on the service schedule, you might need to leave your car with them for a bit longer. The good news is that the fix is totally free of charge.
Which Toyota and Lexus models are affected?
The recall affects a range of popular models from both brands. Toyota is recalling 108,862 vehicles, including the 2023-2025 Toyota bZ4X electric, 2022-2025 Toyota RAV4 hybrid, and 2022-2025 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series diesel, among others. Lexus is recalling 27,490 cars, including the 2022-2025 Lexus ES300h hybrid, 2023-2025 Lexus RX350 hybrid, and 2021-2025 Lexus LX500d diesel, details Drive.
Both Toyota and Lexus owners will be contacted directly to arrange for their vehicles to be reprogrammed. However, even if you haven’t received a call yet, you can always check whether your car is affected by visiting the Toyota or Lexus website and entering your vehicle’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number).
What Is a “Customer Service Exercise”?
Now, here’s an important distinction to make: this is being described as a “customer service exercise,” not a safety recall. A safety recall would usually require the company to report the issue to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. In this case, however, Toyota and Lexus are voluntarily recalling the vehicles to address the software issue, not a critical safety flaw.
So, while it’s not exactly a dire emergency, it’s still a good idea to take care of it sooner rather than later. You might not notice the problem immediately, but if you do rely on the surround-view camera, especially for reversing, it could be a bit frustrating to have it freeze or not display the image.
What’s Next for Affected Owners?
Toyota and Lexus owners affected by the recall will be contacted in writing with instructions on how to proceed. If you don’t hear from the company directly, you can always reach out to the Toyota or Lexus customer service lines for more information. Toyota can be reached at 1800 387 366, and Lexus at 1800 023 009, during business hours.
While recalls are never fun, it’s reassuring that this one doesn’t pose any immediate danger to drivers. It’s really more of an annoyance that can easily be fixed with a quick trip to the dealer. The real takeaway here? If you’re one of the affected owners, don’t ignore the notice when it comes through—getting the issue sorted quickly will save you the headache down the road.
