LDV T60 rust scandal: ACCC takes action over durability claims

Eight years after the LDV T60 first landed on Aussie shores promising rugged reliability at a bargain price, the shine might well be wearing off – literally.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched Federal Court proceedings against Ateco Automotive (trading as LDV Automotive Australia), alleging the company misled consumers about just how tough and durable both the LDV T60 and G10 really are. According to the ACCC, there’s strong evidence of LDV T60 rust issues developing within just five years of manufacture.

And here’s the kicker: they allegedly kept pushing the “tough as nails” message long after the rust complaints started rolling in.

Marketing spin vs. reality?

Between 2019 and 2024, LDV ran ad campaigns across TV, radio, social media and their own website, showcasing the T60 ute powering along beaches, muddy tracks, and through remote bush terrain. Taglines like…

“The T60 is up to any challenge you care to take on – work or play, on-road or off… It turns the toughest tracks into a walk in the park.”

“Why take a long walk on the beach when you could take a drive in the LDV T60 Ute?”

…painted a picture of a vehicle ready for Aussie adventures. But according to the ACCC, the reality may have been far less durable.

Examples of misleading advertising © ACCC

If you’re wondering whether LDV T60 rust problems are a real concern, the court case seems to suggest exactly that. The watchdog alleges the T60 and G10 were anything but corrosion-resistant, particularly when exposed to the exact environments they were being marketed for, like saltwater beaches and dirt tracks.

Thousands of complaints and a 10-year anti-corrosion warranty?

Here’s where it gets murky. The ACCC claims LDV was well aware rust and corrosion were a common issue as early as 2019. In fact, between 2018 and 2024, the brand reportedly received over 5,000 consumer complaints relating to rust; many of them through dealerships.

And yet, between April 2019 and August 2020, LDV continued to advertise a 10-year anti-corrosion warranty, leading customers to believe they were buying something that would stand the test of time.

According to the ACCC:

“We allege that despite being aware of the propensity for the vehicles to rust, LDV continued to make representations for a number of years that the T60 and G10 vehicles were durable and suitable for use in a variety of terrains.”

“As a result, we allege that LDV’s conduct is likely to have caused harm to affected consumers, including because the propensity for rust or corrosion lowered the value of their vehicles, and because consumers lost the opportunity to make an informed decision that may have involved purchasing an alternative vehicle that did not carry the same risks.”

So, is the LDV T60 the budget blunder some suspected? Was it too good to be true?

The LDV T60 was never pretending to be a Hilux or Ranger, but it’s been a tempting offer for those chasing a new ute without the eye-watering price tag. With over 60,000 T60 and G10 units sold in Australia between 2018 and 2024, and $1.5 billion in revenue generated, it’s clear plenty of buyers took the bait.

But if these LDV T60 rust allegations stack up, those buyers may have ended up with more than they bargained for, and not in a good way.

The ACCC is seeking penalties, consumer redress, and more in its Federal Court action.

Stay tuned. We’ll be following this one closely, because if your beach rig turns into a rust bomb, you’d want to know before you leave the bitumen.