10 years old, a flaw that affected its cars was unveiled by Toyota. It was in April 2023 that the manufacturer discovered that the private data of millions of motorists was freely accessible, such as their geolocation or the videos recorded by their vehicles!
Security vulnerabilities that allow hackers to access private customer data are not uncommon. But the latest that has affected Toyota, which will double the autonomy of its electric cars with new models to come, is all the more spectacular in that it lasted 10 years. It was not until April 2023 that the manufacturer learned of the existence of a flaw which exposed the private data of 2.15 million people.
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Sensitive information such as the geolocation of cars
It is a 10-year-long large-scale fault that was unveiled by Toyota, whose physical batteries arrive for 2025. Since November 2013, the private data of millions of motorists was accessible via a “ cloud configuration error ». This error is human according to the manufacturer and if the French are spared, the case remains embarrassing. Especially since even some customers of Lexus, a subsidiary of Toyota, have been affected.
Among the data exposed, there were email addresses or chassis numbers. But the worst remains free access to geolocation of Toyota cars and recorded videos by vehicles.
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A flaw that will hurt Toyota’s image?
This bad publicity for Toyota adds to other problems in recent years. In 2021, the manufacturer recalled more than 30,000 Yaris due to faulty fuel pumps. The impeller could crack and crack which had the effect of completely shutting down the pump in mid-road. Either stopping the vehicle and possible accidents.
In 2022, thousands of electric cars have been recalled by Toyota. The reason ? 27,000 of its first mass-produced vehicles for the global market saw their wheels come off.
