January 17, 2026
Attorney Jason Ingber feels his clients shouldn’t have to make decisions like this while dealing with Mirai, which is already difficult, calling it “just a cherry on top.”
Owners of Toyota’s hydrogen-powered Mirai may be allowed to push a lawsuit on the company amid claims that having the car has been nothing but a “nightmare,” KTLA reports.
Drivers have expressed grievances about owning vehicles made by the popular Japanese company, including a lack of reliable infrastructure to keep the cars fueled. The toughest hurdle owners have had to face is being forced into payment collections after Toyota allegedly told them to pause on payments until the suit is resolved.
Collections can put a damper on people’s credit. Anthony Escobedo proudly boasted about building his impressive credit score to 814 out of 850, which is deemed “exceptional” or “excellent.” However, once Toyota reported him, all that changed, taking a 100-point dip. As a result, he wasn’t approved for an interest-free loan to assist with his wife’s medical care, forcing him to rely on high-interest credit cards.
It’s a similar situation for Julie Doumit, who suffered a 70-point drop in her credit score after she stopped making Mirai car payments amid instructions from Toyota. “Literally, the next month after they make this promise in writing that they will not debt collect … they reported me the very next month,” the car owner, who was making on-time payments for 46 months, said.
“I’m like, really? I mean, I’m just kind of in disbelief on how poorly Toyota has treated their customers.”
Attorney Jason Ingber, who represents some of the plaintiffs, says his clients have written assurances that they promised not to make payments, which was once “a big relief.” “This was a big relief, and then with the uncertainty of it, now some people have gone back to making payments,” he said.
“Some people threw their arms in the air because they already got negative credit reported. This is a fiasco within the fiasco that’s really cruel, in my opinion.”
Some drivers admit their beef with the company was resolved after contacting Toyota, with representatives claiming customer account notes were missed, indicating the bill payment was being paused and that it was not to be reported to collections.
Potential customers have visited Toyota’s massive 12,000-acre Arizona facility called the “Arizona Proving Grounds,” where the company develops and designs hydrogen cars, and serves as a testing hub for Toyota engineers, media, and visitors, according to Super Car Blondie. Despite some backlash, the car brand continues to add to its line with vehicles like the Tacoma H2 Overlander, and a fuel-cell semi-truck with a 400-mile range while pulling 80,000 pounds.
While Toyota continues its journey toward efficiency, Ingber hopes the company will rectify the issue. He feels his clients shouldn’t have to make decisions like this while dealing with the Mirai, which is already difficult, calling it “just a cherry on top.” “It’s one thing if [Toyota] never made this promise at all … That would’ve been fine. We’d try to get our pound of flesh at the end of the day in [court],” the attorney said.
“But then to give you false information and actively hurt you and create more confusion, that is really a dark, twisted thing to do to your own customers. That should not go unnoticed. People should be wary of that. This is a very arrogant corporation with bad intentions.”
