Selling a used Toyota HiLux: Gen 8 vs Gen 9, recalls and DPFs

Before you sell a 2021-on HiLux, work out exactly which generation and grade you have, run the VIN for open recalls and service campaigns, and gather the receipts for anything bolted on. A buyer will check the same things, and some will ask about the DPF class action, which covers HiLuxes acquired between October 2015 and April 2020, not later utes.

Which HiLux do you have: Gen 8 or the new Gen 9?

If your HiLux was sold new between late 2020 and late 2025, it’s almost certainly the eighth-generation model in its facelifted form. Toyota put that facelift on sale on 27 August 2020. It brought a tougher front end, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a stronger 2.8-litre turbo-diesel: 150kW, with 500Nm in the auto and 420Nm in the manual. Towing capacity topped out at 3,500kg, depending on the variant. Some lower-grade versions came with a 2.4 turbo-diesel or a 2.7 petrol instead.

The ninth-generation HiLux is all-new, with exterior and interior design led by Toyota Australia. It drops the 2.4 diesel and the 2.7 petrol, leaving the 2.8 diesel as the standard engine, and fits a 48V mild-hybrid system to SR autos and above. There is also a battery-electric HiLux, sold as a dual-motor SR or SR5 dual-cab. Drive reported that the entry price rose by about $6,000 with the new model.

The changeover catches people out. ANCAP’s Gen 9 rating covers utes built from August 2025, while its Gen 8 rating covers builds up to November 2025. So a “2025 HiLux” could be either. Describe yours by generation as well as year.

Grades from WorkMate to Rugged X: why the exact grade matters

The Gen 8 facelift came as WorkMate, SR, SR5, Rogue and Rugged X, and Toyota also sold SR+ and SR5+ versions with extra equipment. In 2023 the GR Sport took over from the Rugged X as the flagship, with the 2.8 diesel lifted to 165kW and 550Nm. The Gen 9 range runs WorkMate, SR, SR5, Rogue and Rugged X.

Grade is only half the description. Cab style (single, extra or dual), cab-chassis or tub, 4x2 or 4x4, and auto or manual all put your ute in front of a different group of buyers. A WorkMate cab-chassis and a Rogue dual-cab are both “a HiLux”, but they’re bought by different people for different jobs.

So when you ask for an offer, give the full description. A made-up example: “2022 HiLux SR5+, 4x4 dual-cab auto, 68,000 km”. If yours is an SR+ or SR5+, keep the original sales invoice handy, because it settles any doubt about what was fitted when the ute was new.

V-Active mild hybrid: what changed in 2024

The 2024 update added Toyota’s V-Active 48V mild-hybrid system to the Gen 8, along with refreshed styling. It was optional on SR dual-cab 4x4 autos and standard on SR5 and Rogue dual-cab 4x4 autos, and Toyota claimed it cut fuel use by up to 10 per cent.

For a seller, V-Active is a line on the spec sheet rather than something to explain away. It isn’t a plug-in, so there’s nothing to charge. Mention it when you describe the ute, because two otherwise identical 2024 SRs can differ here. If you’re not sure whether yours has it, a Toyota dealer can confirm from the VIN.

Which recalls should you check on your VIN?

These are the HiLux recalls and campaigns we know of that can touch a 2021-on ute. The list isn’t complete, so always run your own VIN through the government’s vehicle recall search.

Recall work is done free at a Toyota dealer. The roller-cover job is a customer service exercise rather than a safety recall, so don’t expect it on the government site. GoAuto reported in August 2026 that this is Toyota’s second fix, also free of charge, and that some Rogues done under the July 2024 campaign may be contacted again. Toyota says the utes are safe to drive, but if the cover shows signs of overheating, stop using it and contact a dealer. Ask a Toyota dealer to check your VIN for open campaigns as well as recalls.

Keep the job card when the work is done. Our guide to checking open recalls before you sell explains how to read the search results.

Does the DPF class action touch a 2021-on HiLux?

No. The class action is about HiLux, Prado and Fortuner diesels acquired between 1 October 2015 and 23 April 2020. In 2022 the Federal Court found the diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems in those vehicles defective, and in 2023 the Full Court of the Federal Court upheld the finding that they were not of acceptable quality. A second class action covers some people who later bought those same vehicles second-hand. In October 2026 CarExpert reported that Toyota had agreed to settle for $750 million, subject to Federal Court approval.

The facelifted Gen 8 went on sale in August 2020, after that window closed. A HiLux first sold new in 2021 or later falls outside the class action.

Buyers may still ask, because the case was widely reported. On a diesel they’ll also check the DPF the normal way: any warning light on the dash, how the ute has been driven (DPFs generally clean themselves best on longer runs) and whether the servicing is up to date. If a light is on, read our guide to selling a car with a warning light on before you book an inspection.

Does a Gen 8 still have a five-star ANCAP rating?

Yes, for most variants. ANCAP rated the Gen 8 HiLux five stars with a 2019 datestamp, covering utes built from July 2019 to November 2025. ANCAP’s own rating FAQ says “that safety rating remains with the vehicle for its lifetime”. There are two exceptions. The GR Sport was not covered by that rating, and the Rugged X, built until July 2022, carried an older rating based on 2015 testing.

What has changed is the age of the datestamp. ANCAP ratings are generally valid for six years, so a 2019 rating’s validity period ran to December 2025. That period limits how long a maker can use the rating to promote newly built cars, which is why you may read that the Gen 8’s rating “expired” at the end of 2025. It doesn’t take the stars off a ute that was built while the rating applied.

Buyers ask because ANCAP recommends choosing the highest rating you can, with a tested datestamp no older than six years, and a 2019 datestamp is now older than that. The Gen 9 was rated five stars in 2025, valid to December 2031, for every variant except the Rugged X. If a buyer raises it, the straight answer is that your ute keeps the five stars it earned under ANCAP’s 2019 criteria, while the Gen 9 was tested against newer criteria.

Bull bars, canopies and other accessories

Buyers sort ute accessories into two groups. Tow bars, tub liners and a good canopy are expected on a HiLux and tend to hold or add value. Suspension lifts, aftermarket wheels, engine tuning and heavy or non-compliant modifications narrow the pool of buyers, because each one is something the next owner has to accept. Our guide to accessories, modifications and resale value goes further.

Three HiLux-specific points:

• If a Gen 9 has a Toyota Genuine bull bar or nudge bar with a light bar, confirm REC-006578 has been done.
• On a Gen 8 Rogue, run the powered roller cover fully open and closed before an inspection, and check the campaign status.
• Everything bolted on adds weight, and that weight comes off the payload. Have the fitting invoices ready for a canopy, drawers or a steel bar, plus any paperwork for modifications that needed approval.

What will a buyer or dealer check on your HiLux?

Use this as a checklist before anyone comes to look at the ute.

ABN owners: the 1-tonne tax question

If you bought your HiLux through an ABN or use it for work, that can change what the sale means for tax. We can’t give tax advice, but these are the questions to take to your accountant.

The ATO says your car is exempt from capital gains tax, and it defines a car as a motor vehicle that carries a load of less than 1 tonne and fewer than 9 passengers. Some dual-cab utes, including some HiLux variants, have a payload close to or above a tonne, so they may fall outside that definition. Ask your accountant rather than assume the exemption applies. The ATO’s list of CGT assets and exemptions has the definition.

If the ute is registered to an ABN or was used in a GST-registered business, GST may be included in the sale price, and you may need to give the buyer a tax invoice. If you claimed depreciation on it, the sale price can also affect your income tax for that year, so take your depreciation records to your accountant. Our guide on whether you pay tax when you sell a car covers the private-owner side.

Getting a firm offer on your HiLux

Once you know your generation, grade, recall status and paperwork, you can decide how to sell. A private sale means answering the DPF and ANCAP questions for each new caller, then handling the payment and paperwork yourself. Selling to a licensed dealer means one buyer and one inspection.

Sell Your Car Australia is run by Autohaus Australia Pty Ltd, a NSW licensed motor dealer (MD 077404), with a valuer who has priced cars since 1992. We buy HiLuxes from 2021 or newer with 100,000 km or less. If yours is older or has done more, send it through anyway and we’ll tell you straight away if we can help.

You get a genuine offer by phone, not an online estimate. The deposit is often paid the same day, the inspection happens after you accept, the balance goes into your bank account, and the ute is collected only after you confirm the funds have cleared. If there’s finance owing, we deal with your lender directly to pay out the loan, then pay you any equity. Settlement usually takes 2 to 3 business days, and if the loan payout is more than the offer, that negative equity has to be covered before settlement. We prepare the sale paperwork, help with the transfer of ownership and arrange collection anywhere in Australia. Usually no roadworthy or safety certificate is needed when you sell to us; rules differ by state and we confirm on the call. The valuation is free, there’s no obligation and no fees come out of the offer.

Our page on selling your HiLux has the details, and the same process applies to any ute or 4WD.