Photo: Toyota
Less than two months after launching their first mass-produced electric vehicle, Toyota is recalling the bZ4X over a rather worrying problem. As the headline implies, the hub bolts may loosen, causing a wheel to detach after low-mileage use. Approximately 2,700 units are recalled worldwide.
Of those, 661 were delivered stateside according to a report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The U.S. population consists of bZ4X and Subaru Solterra vehicles manufactured between Match 30th and June 3rd at the Motomachi plant in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan.
Toyota received a field technical report from Taiwan in May 2022, alleging the separation of the front left wheel from a suspect vehicle. Not long after, Toyota received two additional reports from the U.S. market. One of them indicated loose hub bolts on the front left wheel and the other indicated a separation of the front left wheel from the vehicle. Coincidence?
The Japanese automaker immediately reviewed the production process at the Motomachi plant, but no abnormalities were found. Toyota conducted a driving test using the very same wheels and bolts used in the suspect vehicles, and obviously enough, the hub bolts loosened under “certain severe driving patterns.” Toyota states that the root cause and the driving patterns under which this issue could occur are still under investigation.
Letters notifying owners not to drive the bZ4X have already been sent. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. As for the Solterra, the Subaru-badged twin hasn’t been sold to dealers or retail customers in the U.S. thus far. The U.S. population of suspect vehicles is split between 258 examples of the Toyota bZ4X and 403 units of the Subaru Solterra.
In the meantime, owners are advised to contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Alternatively, owners may contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or use the VIN look-up tool on the safety watchdog's website.
Toyota received a field technical report from Taiwan in May 2022, alleging the separation of the front left wheel from a suspect vehicle. Not long after, Toyota received two additional reports from the U.S. market. One of them indicated loose hub bolts on the front left wheel and the other indicated a separation of the front left wheel from the vehicle. Coincidence?
The Japanese automaker immediately reviewed the production process at the Motomachi plant, but no abnormalities were found. Toyota conducted a driving test using the very same wheels and bolts used in the suspect vehicles, and obviously enough, the hub bolts loosened under “certain severe driving patterns.” Toyota states that the root cause and the driving patterns under which this issue could occur are still under investigation.
Letters notifying owners not to drive the bZ4X have already been sent. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. As for the Solterra, the Subaru-badged twin hasn’t been sold to dealers or retail customers in the U.S. thus far. The U.S. population of suspect vehicles is split between 258 examples of the Toyota bZ4X and 403 units of the Subaru Solterra.
In the meantime, owners are advised to contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Alternatively, owners may contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or use the VIN look-up tool on the safety watchdog's website.
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