Toyota Recalls 77 RAV4 Plug-In Hybrids in SA

Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrids built between April and September 2026 may lose power at higher speeds, and owners can have the fault fixed free of charge.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Automotive — General

Toyota Recalls 77 RAV4 Plug-In Hybrids in SA

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The National Consumer Commission has announced a recall of 77 Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid vehicles sold in South Africa. The recall addresses a fault in the motor generator ECU that can cause warning lights to illuminate and the system to switch to fail-safe mode or shut down at higher speeds.

Why it matters

The fault affects the high-speed motor control mode, which means drivers could experience a sudden loss of power when travelling faster. Owners are being asked to take the vehicles to an authorised Toyota dealership for a free software reprogramming.

The recall covers 77 vehicles manufactured between 2 April and 3 September 2026, part of 879 vehicles and trucks in total recalls announced by the Commission. The fault lies in the motor generator ECU's failure to complete motor initialisation correctly.

The players

National Consumer Commission

The National Consumer Commission is South Africa's statutory body that investigates consumer complaints and oversees product safety recalls.

Toyota

Toyota is the Japanese automaker that manufactures the RAV4 plug-in hybrid and is responsible for the recall repair through its authorised dealerships.

The details

The motor generator ECU may not complete motor initialisation properly, which makes the higher-speed motor control mode unavailable. When a vehicle reaches a speed requiring that mode, the plug-in hybrid system either transitions to fail-safe mode or shuts down, and warning lights illuminate.

Vehicles were manufactured between 2 April 2026 and 3 September 2026.
The National Consumer Commission announced the recall on 2 November 2026.

Roadmap

The recall is issued under the National Consumer Commission's authority in the Consumer Protection Act to order and publicise safety recalls. It follows a pattern of regulator-announced recalls covering multiple manufacturers, including Audi, Hyundai and Toyota Hino trucks, in the same announcement.

Owners of affected RAV4 plug-in hybrids should contact an authorised Toyota dealership to book the free MG-ECU reprogramming. Drivers should be aware that the vehicle may lose power at higher speeds until the fix is applied.

The takeaway

Owners of the affected vehicles should book their free reprogramming at a Toyota dealership promptly, especially before driving at higher speeds. Checking the vehicle's manufacturing date against the recall window is the quickest way to confirm eligibility.