Earlier this week it emerged that the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD patrol cars employed by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) could overheat during extreme driving, and now new concerns have been raised about the vehicle’s limited weight-carrying capacity.
An internal QPS vehicle weight guideline document, detailed by 7News Brisbane, reveals that a RAV4 Hybrid loaded with two officers, their equipment, supplies, and other necessary gear may have insufficient payload capacity remaining to safely transport anything else, such as criminals.
This, combined with concerns over the RAV4’s battery overheating issue, which can lead to a significant reduction in power after overly aggressive driving, has led union representatives to question the vehicle’s suitability for police duties, even if it’s intended for general policing and not pursuits.
Speaking with 7News, Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union organiser Dan Lacey claimed “there are issues with the vehicle that haven’t been addressed”.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.
Toyota yesterday confirmed to CarExpert that the activation of ‘limp mode’ is inbuilt failsafe mechanism to protect the vehicle’s hybrid powertrain.
“Toyota Australia technical teams have inspected the vehicles in question and determined they are functioning as designed,” it said. “In extreme scenarios such as police driver training, the vehicle may intervene to protect the hybrid system.”
In the weight guideline document leaked yesterday, the QPS states that a RAV4 fitted with a driver protection screen behind the front seats should not exceed a total weight of 2230kg.
Without officers or gear, a RAV4 fitted with the screen is estimated to weigh 1889kg. This leaves 341kg of leeway for two vested police officers, plus their kit bags and weapons, typically estimated to weigh around 240kg – leaving just 101kg left over for detainees.
It becomes more complicated if the RAV4 is carrying additional equipment like stop sticks (tyre deflators), a rifle kit, a fire extinguisher, and water, estimated to weigh a total of roughly 26kg, in which case there would only be 75kg of payload remaining before hitting the 2230kg ceiling.
Given the average Australian male is estimated to weigh around 85kg and the average female around 70kg, it’s reasonable to expect that 75kg will easily be exceeded when carrying detainees. The QPS maintains that the RAV4 can still safely transport people without exceeding the weight limit, but Mr Lacey remains skeptical.
“[If exceeded], that raises, obviously, a risk to the officers driving them. It risks increased cost and maintenance,” he told 7News.
7News also reports mechanics tasked with maintaining and installing gear in the RAV4 police cars voiced their concerns over the vehicle’s weight earlier this year, but to no avail. It’s understood the QPS will list payload figures in each of the RAV4s as a reminder to officers.
In response, Mr Lacey outlined that “not everyone’s going to be good at judging how much they weigh, or another person weighs, or what their gear weighs when it goes into a vehicle”.
In January 2025, the QPS purchased 400 new RAV4 Hybrid patrol cars to replace hundreds of Toyota Camry vehicles used by general duties officers across the Sunshine State. It’s understood that around 200 have been rolled out as of October 2025.
Other vehicles in the QPS fleet include the Kia EV6 and Kia Stinger, which are arguably better suited to high-intensity driving than the RAV4, alongside several variations of the Toyota LandCruiser (including the 300 Series and Prado) and Isuzu D-Max with increased weight-carrying capabilities.
