Customers Complain About Toyota Bluetooth Echo When Using Phone System

Some Toyota vehicles are reportedly prone to a Toyota Bluetooth echo heard by call recipients, according to online forum posts.

Numerous consumers have taken to online forums to complain that the Bluetooth system in their vehicles produces an echo during calls which can be heard by the call recipient. On both Toyota Nation and Tacoma World, forum posts from consumers detail the reportedly common Toyota Bluetooth echo problem.

“I wrote a note to Toyota but who knows when/if it will be answered… this is unacceptable,” one consumer wrote on Toyota Nation.

Toyota allegedly recommends in user manuals that consumers keep their Bluetooth on a low volume in order to avoid the echo. Unfortunately, this “fix” allegedly makes it hard for the user to hear the volume on their call.

“No, I am not going to turn down the volume,” a customer wrote on Tacoma World. “Did not spend $40K to fudge this crap!”

Toyota Bluetooth Echo Problems

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that shares data between mobile devices over short distances using radio waves. Bluetooth technology has revolutionized how the speaker and headphone work, essentially eliminating the need for auxiliary cords.

Unfortunately, the Bluetooth systems in some Toyota vehicles allegedly cause an echo to be heard by the call recipient. These Toyota Bluetooth problems have prompted some consumers to take legal action against Toyota.

“The echo defect exists regardless of whether the Toyota driver initiates or receives a phone call, and whether the person on the other end is using a cell phone, a landline, or a hands-free phone system in a vehicle,” the Toyota class action claims.

The July 2019 Toyota class action claims that Toyota was aware of the defect but failed to warn consumers of the risks. The company reportedly released a “Tech Tip” about the issue in March 2018. The tip reportedly acknowledged the “echoing” problem and pinned the issue on the volume being “too low”.

Instead of warning customers before purchasing or simply fixing the defect, Toyota reportedly only provides a weak suggestion to keep the volume low. However, this recommendation was undermined by the company’s “Tech Tip” which said that keeping the volume too low was the source of the problem.

“Despite what Toyota says in this ‘Tech Tip,’ altering the volume on the phone or head unit is not an actual fix of the echo defect, as it does nothing to solve the underlying software and/or hardware problem in the hands-free phone system,” the Toyota class action claims.

The Toyota class action says that the defect may affect the of the following vehicles: 2007 to 2019 4Runner, 2008 to 2019 Avalon/Avalon HV, 2008 to 2019 Highlander HV, 2007 to 2019 Prius, 2012 to 2017 Prius V, 2008 to 2019 Sequoia, 2007 to 2019 Sienna, 2009 to 2019 Tacoma, and 2007 to 2019 Tundra models.

The Toyota Bluetooth Echo Class Action Lawsuit is Freeman, et al. v. Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., et al., Case No. 19SL-CC03022, in the Circuit Court for the County of St. Louis, Missouri.

Join a Free Toyota Bluetooth Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you own a Toyota vehicle that includes a Bluetooth hands-free phone system that produces an echo when using the phone system, you may qualify to join this Toyota Bluetooth class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.