Spike in theft of Toyota Hilux, Fortuners - Moneyweb.co.za
JOHANNESBURG – High levels of theft of Toyota Hilux and Fortuners seem to have resurfaced recently, with cartel activity suspected for the spike in claims. The people who do this are always part of a syndicate, these vehicles are not stolen for transport,” an independent vehicle recovery specialist, who preferred to remain anonymous, tells Moneyweb. That parts such as engines may be interchangeable between different Toyota models and the vehicles are known for being indestructible makes these cars popular across Africa. According to Toyota, perceptions of high theft of these vehicles dates back to April 2010 and are fuelled by the “high number of sales every month over many years of these two models”. While both models have always complied to international and domestic vehicle security standards, Toyota says it has since developed a new anti-theft solution and equipped its local dealer network to fit this to the Hilux and Fortuner models... As of September 2010, various levels of anti-theft systems have been fitted in production at Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Durban. The company is confident that the latest anti-theft system will plug any gaps still remaining,” Toyota tells Moneyweb. Source: www.moneyweb.co.za
