What Toyota and Nissan's US quality warnings mean for WA buyers

There's an odd story playing out in Japan right now — and it has a direct connection to cars on WA roads.

Toyota and Nissan have started selling American-made models in Japan as part of a US-Japan tariff deal struck in late 2025. The three models in question are the Nissan Murano, Toyota Tundra, and Toyota Highlander. None of them were designed for the Japanese market, and the promotional websites for all three openly warn buyers about build quality concerns.

Toyota's own website states: *"The paint finish of this product is designed for overseas markets. You may notice the following conditions, but these do not affect the function or performance, so please use with confidence."* Those conditions include thin paint, uneven colour, polishing marks, and bulging. Nissan goes further, flagging dust in the paint, uneven panel gaps, and misaligned trim.

For a market that holds Japanese manufacturing to an almost obsessive standard, that's a remarkable thing to put in writing.

What this has to do with the Kluger and Tundra you can buy here

Here's where it gets relevant for WA buyers. The Toyota Highlander — sold in Australia as the Kluger — was originally engineered to accommodate right-hand drive, specifically to support Australian sales. That's why it's the only one of the three being shipped to Japan in right-hand drive form.

The Tundra is a different story. It's built in San Antonio, Texas, in left-hand drive only. To sell it in Australia, it gets remanufactured into right-hand drive by Walkinshaw — a conversion process that adds a significant chunk to the purchase price. Japanese buyers are getting it in left-hand drive, which tells you something about how much appetite there is to adapt it further.

If you're shopping for a Kluger or Tundra in Perth, this context matters. These are American-built vehicles, and the quality caveats Toyota is publishing in Japan apply to the same production lines supplying cars globally.

A familiar pattern: trade politics driving questionable product decisions

This isn't new territory. Japanese brands have sold North American product back home before, usually under trade pressure. The most infamous example was the Toyota Cavalier — a lightly restyled Chevrolet Cavalier built by GM in Ohio and sold through Toyota dealers in Japan. It was more expensive than comparable local cars and earned a poor reputation for build quality. Sound familiar?

The current situation has the same DNA. The tariff deal caps Japanese car exports to the US at 15 per cent, and in exchange Japan opened its doors to American-made vehicles with minimal compliance changes — recalibrated headlights, metric instruments, amber rear indicators, and not much else. Features like remote start, panic alarms, and native Japanese-language infotainment don't make the cut.

For WA buyers, the practical takeaway is straightforward. If you're considering a Kluger or Tundra, don't let the Toyota badge automatically reassure you on build quality — ask your dealer specifically about the production origin of your vehicle and do a thorough pre-delivery inspection. Given WA's conditions, whether you're commuting through Perth's northern suburbs or heading out on a regional run to Kalgoorlie, fit and finish matters long-term.

Knowing where your car comes from, and what corners may have been cut to get it there, is exactly the kind of detail that separates a confident purchase from an expensive regret.