Toyota has called a halt to the import of its 2022 Hilux pickup into Vietnam over a lack of diesel supply meeting Euro 5 standards.
Using low-quality diesel could damage the Hilux’s engine, and supply of Euro 5 diesel (DO-V) outside Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi is limited, a spokesperson for the Japanese automaker said.
It is unclear when Toyota plans to sell the vehicle again.
Many dealers have stopped accepting deposits for the truck, while some have scheduled delivery for the beginning of 2023.
In the first five months only 10 units were sold, all 2021 models with engines that only meet Euro 4 standards.
The Hilux is imported from Thailand.
There are around 1,100 gas stations, or only 6.5 percent of the total number, that supply DO-V in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Petroleum Association.
In 2011 the government had instructed that by 2022 all vehicles assembled in and imported into Vietnam must meet the Level 5 emission standards (equivalent to the Euro 5 standards).