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Toyota Auris owners – 12 volt flat batteries

By Toyota Blog
2012 Toyota Auris Hybrid

As part of Toyota’s rigorous quality control programme, we have investigated the cause of a 12 volt flat battery issue that has left some Toyota Auris drivers unable to start their cars after only a short period without use, usually a couple of days.

We would like to apologise for any disappointment and inconvenience that may have occurred as a result of this issue. But we can now confirm that the cause has been identified and a permanent solution developed.

The following information only applies to any Toyota Auris (including Hybrid) produced between December 2012 and February 2014. If you have an Auris produced after February 2014 your vehicle is not affected by this issue. No other models are involved.

Toyota Auris Hybrid Flat Battery: What causes the issue?

The issue is caused when the hazard switch is partially depressed for a very short period of time, incorrectly activating the car’s CAN-bus electrical communications system. This draws a constant flow of current that can discharge the 12 volt battery if the car is left unused for several days.

How can I prevent this from occurring?

Toyota has published a Technical Service Bulletin to its dealer network advising them of a permanent solution to this issue. The bulletin contains information and software files that will enable technicians to modify the software of the car’s combination meter. This update will prevent the incorrect activation of the CAN-bus system and prevent any potential flat battery concerns arising from this area of the vehicle.

If you still have concerns regarding the 12 volt battery of your current generation Toyota Auris then we recommend you get in touch with your nearest Toyota dealer for further assistance. http://www.toyota.co.uk/find-a-dealer

456 comments

  1. My Feb ’14 Auris’ battery is now draining continually.

    I am really frustrated with this vehicle. Its catalytic converter was stolen twice and I had to pay to have a catloc fitted.

    Now I can’t trust it to start and have had to buy a battery charger. Now I find that this may be a known problem. I can’t keep.calling out a rescue service (I have had to have more call outs with this vehicle in the last year than I have had with all my other vehicles combined) and I need a working vehicle to care for my elderly mother.

    How, during lockdown do i resolve the battery problem.

    Reply

  2. Hello, I have a January 2013 Auris and this is becoming a real problem, I am constantly worried about the car starting and have already replaced the battery. I am using the car weekly currently but it wouldn’t start Saturday, I only replaced the battery 4 months ago. Please can you help as it is currently at home unable to start.

    Reply

    1. Hi Lisa,

      Thanks for your message. We’re sorry to hear about the issue you’re experiencing with your Auris. In this case we would recommend discussing this with your nearest Toyota centre as they are best equipped to assess the car. We will email you to gain additional details and put the dealer in touch with you directly.

      In the meantime, you can find further advice in your owner’s manual and here: https://mag.toyota.co.uk/coronavirus-toyota-hybrid-car-maintenance

      Thanks.

      Reply

  3. Hi i have a 2012 Toyota auris and have come to experience this fault as i have rarely driven the car during this COVID-19 lockdown. I have already spoken with my dealership and have the car booked in to be looked at but at my own cost of £136. Given this is a known manufacture fault why am i being charged £136 for it to just be looked at? i was told it was due to my car being out of warranty but this isn’t my fault….. my husband has a yaris which was recalled due to a airbag issue and he wasn’t charged. so can you please advise why i am to be charged for a fault that Toyota has known for the past 6 years!!!!

    Reply

  4. Hi – I have been asked by my RAC home side assistance to replace the battery. They came after a dead battery issue & had run my engine for about 4-5 mins. When they started running the engine, the batter output was 4v it seems. Then, they showed me a diagnostics tool to show the voltage was 10.7 after 4-5 mins of running the engine. Their diagnostics said “REPLACE” and asked me to replace the battery. I have no idea, does charging for 5 mins, giving output at 10.7 v means I have no option than replace the battery ? I know its hard to diagnose, any advice welcome..

    Reply

  5. My May’14 Auris’ battery has gone flat after a few days of not being used. It happened first time a month into lockdown when my driving reduced to weekly chores and shopping trips. I have had to buy an expensive battery charger and that got the car started. I was then starting car every few days to keep the battery charged. However, now the battery has again gone dead and the battery charger has failed to charge the battery.

    This vehicle is serviced annually and I am a low mileage driver.

    None of the online sites I have checked provide Start/Stop battery fitting at home. Toyota dealership doesn’t seem to pickup the phone.

    it seems to be a known problem with Toyota battery. How do I get this fixed. I cannot be locked in house without a car during lockdown. I am very frustrated with this situation.

    Regards,
    Rohit

    Reply

    1. Hi Rohit,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We’re really sorry to hear about the battery issue you’re experiencing with your Auris. Your nearest Toyota centre are best placed to help with this. We will email you to gain additional details and put your nearest dealer in touch with you directly.

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. My In Laws in their 80’s have been locked down and of course their 63 reg Auris battery is completely dead. The AA replaced the battery but that also now dead. What a ridiculous thing for a car of tis age to not hold charge for any period of time.

      2. Hi Richard,

        Thanks for getting in touch with us. We’re really sorry to hear about this. We would recommend contacting your nearest Toyota centre for further help. They are best equipped to look over the car in person and make any necessary recommendations. You can find your nearest dealer’s contact details here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms-v2/forms?tab=pane-dealer

        In addition, you can also find some advice on steps to take when your car isn’t being used for a long period of time here: https://mag.toyota.co.uk/coronavirus-toyota-hybrid-car-maintenance

        Finally, if you would like to make a formal complaint or discuss your situation further, we would recommend contacting our customer relations team as they are best placed to provide further support. You can contact them directly here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us

        Thanks.

    2. Hi Rohit,

      Sorry for any inconvenience, but unfortunately we can’t seem to email you using the address associated with your account. Instead, if you could please leave a comment with your email address and name of your nearest dealer, we can then use that to put them in touch with you.

      We will not publish the comment containing your personal details.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  6. Hi Rohit,

    Thanks for sharing your email address with us. As mentioned, we won’t make this comment public.

    We have now passed your details on to your nearest Toyota centre and someone will be in touch with you soon.

    Thanks.

    Reply

  7. We have had similar problems with our 2017 (!) Auris, even though we run it regularly to recharge the battery! This is ridiculous for such a new car! What are we supposed to do?!?

    Reply

    1. Hi Bea,

      Thanks for getting in touch with us. We’re sorry to hear you’re experiencing issues with your Auris. Without knowing more specifics of your situation and being able to assess the car ourselves, we can’t accurately suggest what may be happening. In this case, we would recommend contacting your nearest Toyota centre as they are best equipped to look over the car in person and make any necessary recommendations. You can find your nearest dealer, here: https://mag.toyota.co.uk/coronavirus-toyota-hybrid-car-maintenance

      In addition, you can find further advice on how to maintain your car if you ever leave it for a long period of time, here: https://mag.toyota.co.uk/coronavirus-toyota-hybrid-car-maintenance

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. Hi,

        My Auris ’13 is doing the same, I’ve taken it into the Toyota dealership and they told me it was my battery, however this is a new battery. It seems all they wanted was for me to spend another £170 on a new battery. I proceeded to taking my car to Halfords for a battery test and they have told me my battery is working just fine.

        This is the third battery my car has had in as many years. It’s becoming expensive and frustrating.

      2. Hi Zainul,

        Thanks for getting in touch with us. We are really sorry to hear about this. If you are unhappy with your experience with your Toyota centre, we would recommend contacting our customer relations team to discuss this further. You can find our team’s contact details here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/

        Thanks.

  8. It recently happened to my low mileage Auris 61 reg as well during lockdown, I got shocked when see so many customers had the same issue recently, and also to see that even after buying replacing new battery, it can be an ongoing problem. in addition, paying £138 for diagnosis plus even spending more on reprogramming electrical communications system, known since 2014, at local Toyota centre seems to be the only solution suggested in this blog by Toyota correspondence.

    Based on the article above only some vehicles are affected and recalled. however, from the comments
    it sounds it may also affected to others as well. so why there isn’t a recall with free reprogramming for everyone affected?

    anyway, do you suggest me to take it to local Toyota centre, get it reprogrammed and use my old battery (it was working with no problem until last week), or just buy a new battery and replace it (sinse the article says my car is not amongst the affected one)?

    Reply

    1. Hi Sam,

      Thanks for getting in touch. The blog post above details a specific issue that impacted Auris vehicles produced between December 2012 and February 2014. No other models are involved.

      Recently, during lockdown some owners have been experiencing battery problems. Of course, without being able to assess the cars ourselves we can’t confirm the exact causes for any issues, however we do know that infrequent use combined with short journeys can sometimes not give the 12 volt battery time to fully charge – which can then leave owners unable to start their cars.

      In your case, as we can’t look over your car we recommend contacting your nearest Toyota centre as they are best placed to run a diagnosis and make any necessary recommendations. You can find your nearest dealer, here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms-v2/forms?tab=pane-dealer

      In addition, for future reference if you are leaving your car for a particularly extended time, we do have advice you can follow: https://mag.toyota.co.uk/coronavirus-toyota-hybrid-car-maintenance

      Thanks.

      Reply

  9. I have a 2011 Auris Hybrid low mileage at 30k miles and my battery is also failing to start the engine. I did 60miles on Sunday and it would not start on Wednesday. The dashboard seems to go into melt down with all lights flashing.This has happened several times in the last few months. I replaced the battery in 2017. The Toyota dealer wants £120 to diagnose the problem and then who knows how much to fix it. This is now becoming an embarrassment to Toyota when they know there is a fundamental flaw with the electronics and they are ripping off their customer to get it repaired. Do the right thing Toyota and recall the Auris because the problem is obviously bigger than the years of the model you have identified

    Reply

      1. Hi Terry,
        Thanks for getting back in touch with us.
        We have checked with our customer relations team and can see that an email was sent to you on 07/08/2020 at 16:37 with advice from our team.
        We would recommend checking your spam or junk email folders for this, but if you cannot find it we can ask our team to re-send.
        Thanks.

    3. I have recently taken ownership of a 2014 Auris and an seeking to clarify the position with battery failure as a result of hazard light use. Customer services seem unaware of the problem and have referred me to Toyota dealer. Arnold Clark in Ayr with whom the car has a full service history have acknowledged my inquiry and I await a reply.

      It would be good to know the precise reference for the Technical Service bulletin with regard to this problem and protocol for remedy. It would be good to know exactly the extent if this problem.

      I’ll let you know if there is any progress.

      Hugh Donnelly

      Reply

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