Cablegate: Class Action Against Toyota is Now Settled

The class action against Toyota Canada regarding premature and unexpected corrosion of a high-voltage cable on several hybrid models—a case that has become known as “Cablegate”—was solved by a judge in the Superior Court of Quebec last Friday.

Judge Sylvain Lussier approved the terms of the settlement between class action members and the automaker, starting with an extension of the cable warranty to 8 years/160,000 km to match other hybrid system components. The cable was initially covered for 3 years/60,000 km only.

• Also: Cablegate: Toyota Extends Warranty on Select RAV4 Hybrid Models
• Also: Cablegate: Toyota Agrees to Pay for Replacement as Investigation Continues

Crucially, the warranty extension is retroactive, meaning that owners who previously paid for inspections, repairs and car rental as a result of a corroded cable are entitled to a “reimbursement of reasonable expenses” on an individual basis—as opposed to a fixed amount for the entire group—minus a percentage required by Law as a contribution to the Fonds d’aide aux actions collectives (class action aid fund).

The hybrid models included in the class action are the 2019-2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 RAV4 Prime, 2020-2022 Highlander Hybrid, 2019-2022 Prius AWD-e, 2021-2022 Sienna, 2021-2022 Venza and 2022 Lexus NX 350h and NX 450h+.

To be clear, people who own a 2023 or 2024 Toyota or Lexus hybrid are excluded from the settlement. However, they are free to file for another class action, the judge said.

According to Toyota Canada, 96,274 Toyota and Lexus vehicles could be affected nationwide. As of July 2024, the automaker has spent around $16 million to cover cable-related repairs and car rental fees. It expects to spend $40 million overall when all is said and done.