Image: Toyota
Toyota is urging owners of its new bZ4X electric SUV to stop driving the car, as part of a worldwide recall, reports the Financial Times.
According to the Japanese automaker, its fleet of 2,700 bZ4X electric SUVs could have their wheels fall off, due to loose bolts. Affected vehicles are 2,200 in Europe, 280 in North America, 110 in Japan and 60 for Asia, according to Toyota. Most of these cars have yet to be delivered to customers.
“We are examining if tightening the bolts will solve the problem, or if any change in components is needed,” said Toyota in a statement, noting it’s investigating the issue and is urging owners to stop driving the EVs until the issue is fixed. No injuries or incidents have been reported yet says Toyota.
The bZ4X launched sales in Japan back in May, available through lease or a subscription only. While Toyota wants to sell 3.5 million battery-powered vehicles per year in 2030, the company continues to argue against going all-electric, citing customers will decide on the matter with their wallets.
Toyota has long advocated for hydrogen-powered cars and its hybrid gas-electric cars. The company claims a full-scale shift to EVs could pollute the environment if electricity is sourced from fossil fuels.
The bZ4X is the first in what will be a long line of battery-electric cars from Toyota. The ‘bZ’ in bZ4X refers to Toyota’s ‘Beyond Zero’ electric strategy, which will see the veteran carmaker launch 15 all-electric vehicles by 2025. The car’s ‘4X’ suffix refers to the fact that it comes with a four-wheel-drive powertrain.
Update: Subaru is also recalling its Solterra EV for the same reason as above, as the latter was jointly-developed with Toyota. Subaru says it is recalling 2,600 Solterra cars worldwide, according to Automotive News.
Update 2: A Toyota Canada spokesperson told Tesla North the following statement in an email: “We are aware of the recall involving the bZ4X in other markets. We have not yet delivered any to our Canadian dealers and will not release any in our market until the investigation is completed and a remedy is in place.”
