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Frequently Asked Questions

Always check the physical condition of the vehicle for any damage that may have occurred during transit.

Similarly, always check that the vehicle contents have not been tampered with. Spare parts packages should be steel-banded and the anti-theft box (if fitted) should be locked and chained to a fixed part of the vehicle.

Do NOT sign a clean receipt for the vehicle without checking it first.

This is important as once a clean receipt has been given, the chances of a successful claim are minimised.

Full Toyota warranty and after-sales service is included in the price of the vehicles supplied by TGS. The Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) is an essential process in obtaining warranty cover for your vehicles. Ideally the PDI should be carried out before the vehicle is put into operational use. Although alternative arrangements may be made directly with the distributor at destination, it will be up to their discretion.

When the vehicles arrive to their final destination, the consignee should contact the distributor to arrange the PDI and warranty registration. The Toyota distributor at destination would have already received a notification of the sale of the vehicle from Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), who would have informed them of their duties and responsibilities. The PDI and the issuing of the Toyota Warranty Booklet is part of these duties and these will be carried out free of charge.

Please note that some distributors may have several dealerships in the country and our customers may be able to carry out the PDI and warranty registration at a dealership which is located in an area more convenient to them.

Below, are links to examples of the documents we send to the consignee informing them of the above process, together with a sample pre-delivery checklist which the distributor may use. There is also a link to the warranty booklet that would be issued.

The distributor will also carry out a 1,000km service check, free of charge except for lubricants, fluids or filters used, and will arrange the application of warranty if necessary. This will be carried out when the vehicle has been driven for 1,000km, so essentially the vehicle will have to return to the same distributor/dealership to obtain this service.

Please note that non-Toyota equipment fitted as a TGS option is not endorsed by Toyota and consequently shall not benefit from the Toyota warranty and warranty service. This non-Toyota equipment will be separately warranted by TGS who will match the conditions of the warranty of the original manufacturer. For any issues relating to TGS options, our customers should email the After Sales Department.

In the few countries where there is no Toyota distributor, warranty is still provided by TGS (20,000km or one year whichever comes first). The terms of the warranty are identical to the Toyota factory warranty, but arrangements for any necessary warranty matters have to be made through our After Sales Team. TGS also seeks to set-up partnership agreements in these countries to provide good workshop facilities on the ground, however if you suggest another workshop we would be happy for you to use them too. Please also note that non-Toyota equipment fitted as a TGS option is not endorsed by Toyota and consequently shall not benefit from the Toyota warranty and warranty service. This non-Toyota equipment will be separately warranted by TGS who will match the conditions of the warranty of the original manufacturer.

In those countries where there is an official distributor, please note that a free pre-delivery inspection (PDI) and the issue of the Toyota Warranty Booklet will be carried out by the local Toyota Distributor (for example Toyota Zambia). They will also carry out a 1,000 Km service check, free of charge except for lubricants, fluids or filters used, and will arrange the application of warranty if necessary. It is important that the PDI is carried out by the distributor before the vehicle is put into operational use in order to validate your warranty cover.

For those countries where there is no Toyota distributor, TGS will carry out a PDI prior to shipping the vehicle.

Please note that although all arrangements to carry out the PDI and warranty validation have to be handled through the main distributor, the actual inspection and validation may be carried out in one of the official dealerships located in an area closer to you. The same may be applied for any maintenance or servicing of your vehicle.

All countries will have an Official Distributor and some may also own a network of dealerships within the country. For instance, Toyota Tanzania is the official distributor for Tanzania and they are based in Dar es Salaam, however they also have a network of 15 dealerships throughout the country.

Carrying out your own maintenance or servicing of your vehicle, whether doing it yourself or at an unauthorised garage may not necessarily affect the warranty cover as long as you keep a detailed log of the maintenance carried out. The log should state the vehicle’s chassis number, kms on the clock and the maintenance carried out. Any parts that are replaced should also be recorded and genuine Toyota parts should always be used.

We strongly recommend that you follow Toyota’s recommended maintenance schedule which can either be found in the vehicle’s owner’s manual or on our website.

The information is offered as a guideline only and is subject to the driving conditions which prevail in the country of operation and the specific conditions under which each vehicle is being operated. Vehicles which are being deployed in abnormally harsh operating conditions will require more frequent maintenance.

Although the above is normal practice, it is important to note that the Toyota Distributor will have the final say on whether repairs can be carried out under warranty. We would recommend that you contact them directly and inform them that you intend to carry out your own maintenance, as they may require you to record other details.

It is imperative that you keep a detailed log of the maintenance carried out if you wish to carry out your own maintenance, otherwise your warranty cover may be affected. Remember to always use Genuine Toyota Parts.

It is in your interest to continue to visit the same official Toyota distributor for maintenance and servicing of your vehicle even though the warranty period has expired. The Toyota distributor will have a detailed history of your vehicle and the maintenance carried out. Furthermore, continuing to do so will ensure that genuine Toyota parts are used which will in turn ensure that your vehicle runs at optimum efficiency.

Primarily the distributor responsible for the warranty cover for your vehicle will have the final say on whether the repairs can be carried out under warranty or not. However you may also contact our After Sales Department for additional information or guidance.

The standard practice is to issue the warranty booklet once the distributor has completed the pre-delivery inspection, however some distributors will also issue the warranty booklet once the vehicle has been returned to them for its 1,000km service check, which is free of charge except for lubricants, fluids or filters used.

Unfortunately you are unable to extend the Toyota warranty cover for your vehicle; however you may be interested to have a service and maintenance package for your vehicle. Regular maintenance will aid safety, reliability, long vehicle life, good fuel economy and driving enjoyment. If interested, the official Toyota distributor at destination may be able to offer you this package. Any arrangements for this will have to be dealt with the distributor directly by you once the vehicle arrives.

First, please ensure that you inform TGS as quickly as possible so that we can advise you on what steps you should follow.

If the delivery terms of your order carry insurance (CIF/CIP) your vehicle(s) will be covered by our Marine Cargo Open policy, which is held with Lloyds of London. If an insurance claim needs to be submitted, we will send you our insurance claim guidance (available on our website under After Sales – Insurance Claims). It is important that in no circumstances give a “clean receipt” for the vehicle. You should also make sure that any agent acting for you is also aware of this. You should then note any damage on the delivery note itself and keep a copy.

Container shipments

Damage inside a container is unusual, but if it does occur, insurance companies tend to claim that the contents had not been packed properly. They therefore reject the claim, and action has to be taken against the company which stuffed the container. It is therefore essential that an independent surveyor is called in if any damage is noted when the container is opened. In this event, please do NOT remove the vehicle from the container, but close the container, contact the surveyor and request his immediate attendance in order to provide independent evidence, including photographs, to the container stuffing company.

Please contact our After Sales Department or our sales representative who handled the processing of your order. We will investigate the issue and get back to you as soon as possible.

Easily removable items of your vehicle are placed inside the TSB to avoid them from being stolen while en-route to the final destination. These may include items such as AC and heater knobs, the shift lever knob, passenger wiper, seat covers or floor mats. The TSB is also used to safely store TGS accessories which are not installed on your vehicle. For example fire extinguisher, HF and VHF handsets and/or basic safety pack.

A 1,000 Km service check, free of charge except for lubricants, fluids or filters used, is included in the price of the vehicles supplied by TGS. This service check will be carried out by the official Toyota distributor at destination.

The service will include the following checks:

Engine Room:

Power steering system (Belt tension, Fluid level and leakage)

Ignition system (Spark plug, Ignition timing, Distributor cap)

Battery Terminals (Looseness of the terminals)

Engine (Air cleaner element, Oil level and leakage)

Cooling system (Fan belt damage/tension, Water level and leakage)

Interior:

Brake pedal (Freeplay and pedal gap, Brake effectiveness)

Parking brake (Parking brake lever travel, Parking brake effectiveness)

Clutch pedal (Freeplay and pedal gap)

Suspension and Brakes:

Brake master cylinder (Leakage of fluid, System operation)

Wheel (Tyre damage, Looseness of hub nut)

Under the Body:

Transmission and transfer (Oil level and leakage)

Prop, shaft, drive shaft (Looseness, damage)

F/R differential (Oil level and leakage)

Brake hose and pipe (Leakage, damage)

Electrical:

Headlight

Turn signal

Tail light

Wiper Window washer

Fog lamp

Horn

Unfortunately problems arising from the use of poor fuel quality are not covered under warranty and any repair costs will have to be covered by you.

Poor fuel quality can have negative effects on the injection system and upper engine parts, although we recognise that good quality fuel may be difficult to find at times.

In the past we have found that diesel tankers are often buried in the sand to use as bulk tankers and they suffer from heat and condensation problems. This has had a major detrimental effect to vehicles being used by the aid agencies in these areas whatever make of truck or SUV they are using.

First thing of course is to stop pollutants getting into the tank in the first place and then try to clean anything else that gets through. Sometimes there may be petrol stations that have a reputation for always having dirty fuel and if you can find this out then these are best avoided. If you are using Jerry cans and TGS do use them here in Gibraltar, we suggest that you never use the last inch in the bottom of the can. It is also advisable to give the jerry cans a clean with a bit of Diesel on a regular basis.

Toyota has done a lot of work improving filters over the past few years, however as you may be aware, TGS also offer 2nd, 3rd and fuel sedimentary filters which you may want to purchase from us.

During our visits to the field, we have come across people selling fuel at the side of the road (this was in Kosovo) and we bought some and tested the quality. We found all sorts of nasty things, so this is definitely a practice to be avoided.

We currently offer as our extra filter, a product manufactured by Fleet Guard, which is a product that is used extensively in the truck and marine industry. We use the FS1001 unit which acts as a fuel/water separator and filters out dirt particles in the 10 to 25 micron range.

Of course maintenance comes into the equation and the emphasis should be made strongly to those using the vehicle in the field. They must ensure that the filters are changed regularly and that the drivers are aware of the importance of draining the sediment out if the warning lights come on.