New Models
New Models

Toyota dealers in Australia won’t stop buyers selling their LandCruiser 300 Series after they take delivery

Toyota dealers in Australia have scoffed at the suggestion buyers of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series won’t be allowed to sell it in within a year of purchase, and have cast doubt on the reports out of Japan.


Toyota dealers in Australia have cast doubt on reports out of Japan claiming the car giant is trying to stop buyers selling their new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series within 12 months of taking delivery.

A comment by a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series customer in Japan – posted on the social media platform Twitter – claimed he was asked to sign an agreement to not immediately sell the vehicle.

Although the timeframe was not confirmed in writing, overseas reports claim the customer was told by a Toyota dealer in Japan he was expected to own the vehicle for at least 12 months.

The story, originally published by Japanese outlet Creative311, noted Toyota reportedly has 22,000 pre-orders for the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and is concerned about not being able to meet initial demand.

The story about Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series customers in Japan being forbidden from selling their vehicle within the first 12 months quickly gained global media attention.

However, numerous Toyota dealers in Australia told CarAdvice there are no plans for such an agreement locally as it would likely be illegal.

“Based on our understanding of Australian Consumer Law, there is just no way these conditions could be even considered here,” said one major Toyota dealer, speaking on condition of anonymity because dealer staff are not allowed to speak on behalf of Toyota.

“There is no way you could control it,” another dealer told CarAdvice. “Once we sell the car, it’s entirely the customer’s prerogative what they do with it. How would you even enforce something like that?”

According to overseas reports, demand for the 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series – the first all-new model in 14 years – is higher than forecast, with pre-orders likely to take months to fill.

It is unclear if the request for the Japanese customer to not sell the vehicle within the first 12 months was a dealer initiative, a Toyota Japan policy, or a misinterpretation of the conditions.

CarAdvice had the document in the Twitter post translated by two expat Australians living in Japan.

Both said the document appears to be a "pledge" for customers to sign, agreeing to not resell or export the LandCruiser, though there is no mention of a time limit.

"While we could not see a time limit for ownership before reselling it, the contract does stipulate that an owner must sign a contract saying that they will 1) not resell the vehicle on to another buyer after purchase 2) not export the vehicle after purchase," said an expat Australian living in Japan for more than 20 years.

"Apparently the reasoning is that if buyers get involved in these ‘schemes for personal profit,’ and buy up a certain amount of vehicles, then some people who genuinely want to buy a LandCruiser for ‘honest' reasons, may not be able to get the vehicle they want."

Furthermore, our man in Japan said: "There is one other sentence which says 'such activities may infringe on foreign exchange law or jeopardise global safety in export destinations," believed to be a reference to vehicles ending up in the hands of terror organisations.

"It also says that if a buyer is found to have resold their vehicle, then the manufacturer (Toyota) has the right to refuse sale of another vehicle to that customer," said our translator.

However, Toyota dealers in Australia contacted by CarAdvice are adamant such a policy could not be enforced locally.

“It hasn’t even been mentioned, let alone considered,” said a third Toyota dealer representative. “It just doesn’t sound like something Toyota would do.”

Meanwhile, Toyota dealers still have limited information regarding the 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, other than what was released last month at the four-wheel drive's global unveiling.

CarAdvice understands the first shipments are due to arrive in Australia this November or December.

Prices and exact specifications across the model range are yet to be released.

Dealers have told CarAdvice they are anticipating price rises of between $10,000 and $15,000, though this is yet to be confirmed.


MORE:Toyota Showroom
MORE:Toyota News
MORE:Toyota Reviews
MORE:Toyota Landcruiser Showroom
MORE:Toyota Landcruiser News
MORE:Toyota Landcruiser Reviews
MORE:Search Used Toyota Landcruiser Cars for Sale
MORE:Search Used Toyota Cars for Sale
MORE:Toyota Showroom
MORE:Toyota News
MORE:Toyota Reviews
MORE:Toyota Landcruiser Showroom
MORE:Toyota Landcruiser News
MORE:Toyota Landcruiser Reviews
MORE:Search Used Toyota Landcruiser Cars for Sale
MORE:Search Used Toyota Cars for Sale
Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

Read more about Joshua DowlingLinkIcon
Chat with us!







Chat with Agent