Thousands of Australian ute drivers have been urged to take their vehicle back to the manufacturer after the discovery of a potentially deadly fault that could affect its steering.
The federal transport department issued a recall on Wednesday for 13,390 Toyota HiLux utes produced between August 2025 and February 2026.
The issue has affected utes fitted with a bull or nudge bar including a light, and has the potential to cause an electrical problem.
The recall comes one day after the Toyota HiLux ranked as the second-most popular vehicle in Australia, according to figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
It also comes two weeks after Toyota Australia issued a warning about the issue, and pledged to contact affected owners.
The government notice warned three HiLux models were affected by the recall, including 4x4 and 4x2 utes.
The issue occurs when a Toyota Genuine Bull Bar or Nudge Bar with a light has been incorrectly fitted to the vehicle, causing poor electrical contact that could result in a sudden loss of power steering control.
''A loss of power steering assist whilst driving could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users,'' the notice said.
The manufacturer warned incurring the issue at low speeds could increase the effort required by drivers, and would happen without warning.
HiLux owners are urged to organise an inspection of their vehicle to assess its risk, with repairs provided free of charge.
''Toyota Australia will contact all owners of involved vehicles to provide details of this safety recall campaign,'' the company said in a statement.
''Owners are asked to keep their contact details up to date with Toyota so future communications can be received.''
Toyota sold more than 4100 HiLux utes in Australia during March, making it the second-most popular vehicle behind the Ford Ranger.
