50,983 units of Toyota Alphard and Vellfire recalled, recond models from 2017 onwards affected

A cumulative 50,983 units of the Toyota Alphard and Toyota Vellfire (model years 2017 - 2021) have been recalled in Japan for problems related to the car's auto stop-start feature.

Depending on chassis number, reconditioned Japanese-import vehicles could be affected. We checked with UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT), who confirmed that officially-imported Malaysian-spec cars are not affected.

This is because these officially-imported cars have been adapted for local driving conditions, and as such uses slightly different parts. The reconditioned cars and Malaysian-spec ones are different enough to warrant different vehicle identification number (VIN), or chassis codes.

The problem in question

In affected cars, the control program for the auto start-stop feature is faulty, and there is insufficient battery insulation. These can result in the car's battery depleting much quicker than usual, and the car may not restart after the engine is turned off during auto-stop.

The list of affected models are as below:

For owners of affected models, there is no clear recourse. UMWT isn't legally obligated to do anything for these recond cars, as Toyota Motor Corporation didn't intend for these cars to be sold outside of Japan.

Also read: A recond Toyota Alphard/Vellfire is nearly RM 44k cheaper than UMW Toyota's official import, should you buy the recond?