A family of five and their dog were left stranded in the Australian outback during their quarter lap of the country when their new Toyota LandCruiser broke down.
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On June 26, the Clements family departed from Queensland to Australia for a long holiday. 96 days into their journey, however, their 2023 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser broke down. This vehicle costs up to $92,000. When it broke down, it had only traveled 27,000km (16,777 miles).
When it broke down, they took the car to Carnarvon, a coastal town. There they were told they had to take it to Perth, however, a place 559 miles away. After traveling down, they were hit with a month-long wait.
Toyota Rockingham, where the car was taken to, loaned the family a car while they waited.
Only last week the family updated everyone on social media about the status of the car. "Toyota Rockingham informed us today that Toyota have rejected the warranty on our 2023 300 Series LandCruiser," they posted.
Warranty Denied Potentially Over Modifications
The family then added that they'd always get their car serviced at Toyota, "our last service was 3500km (2,175 miles) ago." So far from home, this was devastating news for the family.
This past month, the family has shared that they've been "in the pits." Their dog has been "injured" and their quarter lap was interrupted and brought to a grinding halt.
They didn't provide any context for why their vehicle was denied its warranty. Considering how new it is, it comes across as a fault on the dealership's side. However, many have pointed out on their social media that their modifications could have been the reason for this.
On TikTok, the family posted a video with the caption, ""Our touring vehicle. 1.5-year process. 1 year wait to get it, 6 months of modifications. No expenses were spared in this build. Worth it."
It's unclear exactly what modifications were used for their vehicle, but any modification will be enough for a dealer to deny a warranty.
In a statement, Toyota Australia has said that they don't wish to comment on their experience, although they confirmed that they looked at the car. They then referred to their warranty policy for modified vehicles. "Warranty advantage does not apply to defects, damage or failures caused by the fitment of non-Toyota-approved parts," they wrote.
The Clements family has not commented on this discussion.
