Toyota's Hydrogen Problem Is Bigger Than Expected

The Japanese automaker is in big trouble as it faces a suit worth billions. Here's what happened.

Author

Bernardo Montes de Oca
November 01, 2025

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Four Wheel Trends Automotive Newsletter
Issue #163

Hello! Toyota is in hot water because of a car that was supposed to change how we drive.

Now, it's being called a criminal organization. We explain why.

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In The Know

Toyota’s Hydrogen Problem Is Worse Than We Thought

When Toyota announced it was launching the Mirai, the automotive world was hyped, as this article shows, even if the Mirai’s design was boring.

I mean, look at it. You’d lose sight of it in a parking lot. 

Aside from the looks, Toyota was launching a commercially viable hydrogen-powered vehicle, which was no small feat. Many criticized the use of hydrogen, including Elon Musk, as highlighted here. 

Therefore, buying a Mirai was an act of courage. It went against the grain, and it translated into a limited number of actual buyers.

Still, Toyota soldiered on. Little did they know that, years down the line, this car would bring them a lot of trouble. 

One of the biggest issues with the Mirai is finding the fuel to drive it, which, if you ask me, is important. At the moment, there are fewer than 60 fueling stations in the country. Most of them are in California, except for one in Hawaii, because why not?

This lack of usability at first was a weird anecdote or the source of funny videos such as this one. 

Soon, however, it translated to a bigger problem. There was no practical use for those cars, except for very short driving. It’s basically a short-haul vehicle with a very expensive price tag, as this review highlights. 

The consequences were clear. First, the Mirai depreciated like crazy. Cars usually depreciate by 20% to 30% per year, but the Mirai was different. It dropped 65% in value in one year, as this article explains.  

So, you’re better off buying a used one, but only if you don’t want to use it. The second, and possibly the biggest, problem with hydrogen cars is that people can’t use them, even in California. Fueling problems are so common that Mirais all over the state are standing still. 

When a car is worth $75,000 when new, that’s not a good thing. People call them a fascinating waste of money; you can read more about them here. 

Now, Toyota might pay a heavy price, and it’s no longer about driveability. A California lawsuit claims that the Mirai poses a serious threat to safety. The group is even calling Toyota a criminal organization and seeks $5.7 billion in damages, as this article explains.

“Toyota and organized crime” is not something we expected to hear in the same sentence. The company’s legal team is surely running to defend itself, for one big reason. 

As this article highlights, the Japanese automaker is still committed to hydrogen. 

Good luck with that, Toyota.