MajorCommonEngine

Toyota Fortuner: 1GD-FTV diesel particulate filter (DPF) blockage

1GD-FTV diesel particulate filter (DPF) blockage is a common engine fault on the Toyota Fortuner on the 2015–2020 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,500 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 21 documented faults on the Toyota Fortuner.

Vehicle: Toyota Fortuner
Engine: 1GD-FTV
Years: 2015–2020
Fuel: diesel
System: Engine

This page covers the Toyota Fortuner as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Fortuner faults21 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Diesel particulate filter yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The 2.8 turbo-diesel's DPF (the filter that traps soot) can clog, especially on short, low-speed trips, causing foul white smoke, repeated DPF warnings, and the need for forced regenerations. This was serious enough to trigger a large Australian class action covering 2015-2020 HiLux, Fortuner and Prado, with the courts finding the after-treatment system defective. Toyota later added a manual burn-off button and revised the engine mid-2020.

What you would notice

Foul-smelling white smoke from the exhaust
Frequent DPF warning light / messages
Loss of power, rising fuel use

How to check it

Where to look. Exhaust DPF / after-treatment system (under the vehicle)

Ask whether the car does mostly short town trips (worst case for DPF) or open-road running.
Check for a history of DPF warnings or forced regens.
On the test drive, look for white smoke and confirm no DPF light is showing.
Ask if it's an Australian-delivered car covered by the class action.

Parts involved: Diesel particulate filter.

What it costs to put right

$1,500 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the DPF ever blocked or been cleaned/replaced?”
“Is this an Australian-market car covered by the DPF class action?”

Now check the Toyota Fortuner you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

CarExpert 'Toyota Australia faces payouts as Federal Court finds DPFs faulty'
Toyota Australia official 'DPF Class Action' policy page

Toyota Fortuner buyer questions

Is 1gd-ftv diesel particulate filter (dpf) blockage serious on a Toyota Fortuner?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Fortuner. The 2.8 turbo-diesel's DPF (the filter that traps soot) can clog, especially on short, low-speed trips, causing foul white smoke, repeated DPF warnings, and the need for forced regenerations. This was serious enough to trigger a large Australian class action covering 2015-2020 HiLux, Fortuner and Prado, with the courts finding the after-treatment system defective. Toyota later added a manual burn-off button and revised the engine mid-2020.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Fortuner?

$1,500 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Fortuner years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2015–2020 Toyota Fortuner. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Ask whether the car does mostly short town trips (worst case for DPF) or open-road running. Check for a history of DPF warnings or forced regens. On the test drive, look for white smoke and confirm no DPF light is showing. Ask if it's an Australian-delivered car covered by the class action. Look here: Exhaust DPF / after-treatment system (under the vehicle)