Toyota South Africa Motors sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Automobile Association (AA) this week after the watchdog published a zero-star crash test rating for the Starlet, one of Africa’s most popular entry-level hatchbacks.
The rating was issued by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) as part of its ongoing #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign. Testing was conducted on the outgoing Starlet, fitted with two frontal airbags and no side head protection. The vehicle scored zero stars for adult occupant protection — the lowest possible result.
GNCAP found the bodyshell and footwell area structurally unstable during impact assessments. In side impact testing, both head and chest protection were rated as poor. The side pole test was not conducted at all because side head airbags were absent from the model as standard.
Richard Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Global NCAP, called it “a shocking zero-star result from Toyota.”
Toyota disputed the finding, arguing the assessed vehicle is an obsolete model that is not representative of the Starlet currently available in the South African market. The company said the updated model, introduced locally in September 2025, now carries six airbags across all trim levels and meets both local regulations and Toyota’s global safety standards.
The AA acknowledged the upgrade but raised a separate concern. More than 20,000 South Africans purchased the Starlet before the six-airbag model was introduced, many of whom may be unaware of the safety risk linked to their vehicles. The association also noted that no visible structural changes accompanied the additional airbags in the updated version.
The dispute touches a wider and more systemic problem across Africa. The AA pointed out that safety specification requirements for vehicles sold in Europe and Australia are far higher than those required in South Africa, meaning manufacturers are not obligated to bring the same safety standards to African markets. No mandatory crash test legislation exists across much of the continent, leaving consumers largely unprotected by regulation.
The Toyota Starlet is not the only vehicle to attract scrutiny under the programme. Late last year, the Hyundai Grand i10 sparked controversy for its poor crash test performance, with the fitment of two rather than six airbags also cited as a significant factor. The pattern is raising calls for stronger regional safety policy.
GNCAP has since anonymously purchased updated versions of the six-airbag Starlet and aims to give African consumers the opportunity to compare the safety performance of both versions as soon as results are available.
Owners of the pre-upgrade Starlet are advised to check their vehicle’s roof lining and B-pillar for Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag markings, which indicate whether the newer version is fitted.
