Toyota responds to viral Hycross video, says contaminated fuel caused issue
The automaker said it conducted a detailed technical assessment of the vehicle and found fuel contamination to be the cause of the issue. The inspection, according to the company, found no damage to any vehicle component or the fuel system.
- Jul 4, 2026,
- Updated Jul 4, 2026 3:17 PM IST
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has rejected claims linking E20 petrol to issues reported in a Toyota Innova Hycross, saying a technical inspection found that the problem was caused by contaminated fuel and not the use of ethanol-blended petrol.
The clarification comes after a customer video circulated on social media claiming that the vehicle developed issues due to the use of E20 fuel.
“We would like to emphasize that the Toyota Hycross in question is E20-compatible vehicle that is designed, tested and certified for the use of E20 fuel,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor said in an official statement.
The automaker said it conducted a detailed technical assessment of the vehicle and found fuel contamination to be the cause of the issue. The inspection, according to the company, found no damage to any vehicle component or the fuel system.
As part of the service procedure, Toyota said the fuel tank and fuel lines were drained and thoroughly cleaned before the vehicle was refilled with standard E20 petrol. The vehicle was subsequently inspected, found to be functioning normally and delivered back to the customer.
“Therefore, it is clearly apparent that this incident is not related to E20 fuel usage and was solely caused by non-standard and contaminated fuel,” the company said.
Toyota advised customers to refuel their vehicles at authorised and reputed fuel stations to reduce the risk of fuel contamination or adulteration, which it said could adversely affect vehicle performance.
The company also urged customers to rely on credible and science-based information from official sources and approach authorised Toyota dealerships or its customer care team in case of concerns regarding their vehicles.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has rejected claims linking E20 petrol to issues reported in a Toyota Innova Hycross, saying a technical inspection found that the problem was caused by contaminated fuel and not the use of ethanol-blended petrol.
The clarification comes after a customer video circulated on social media claiming that the vehicle developed issues due to the use of E20 fuel.
“We would like to emphasize that the Toyota Hycross in question is E20-compatible vehicle that is designed, tested and certified for the use of E20 fuel,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor said in an official statement.
The automaker said it conducted a detailed technical assessment of the vehicle and found fuel contamination to be the cause of the issue. The inspection, according to the company, found no damage to any vehicle component or the fuel system.
As part of the service procedure, Toyota said the fuel tank and fuel lines were drained and thoroughly cleaned before the vehicle was refilled with standard E20 petrol. The vehicle was subsequently inspected, found to be functioning normally and delivered back to the customer.
“Therefore, it is clearly apparent that this incident is not related to E20 fuel usage and was solely caused by non-standard and contaminated fuel,” the company said.
Toyota advised customers to refuel their vehicles at authorised and reputed fuel stations to reduce the risk of fuel contamination or adulteration, which it said could adversely affect vehicle performance.
The company also urged customers to rely on credible and science-based information from official sources and approach authorised Toyota dealerships or its customer care team in case of concerns regarding their vehicles.