Toyota has recalled 661 units of the 2023 bZ4X, its first electric SUV, in the United States.
The stated cause is that, following low-mileage use, the vehicle’s wheel hub bolts can “loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle,” according to the recall report filed by the manufacturer to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Subaru’s Solterra SUV that shares the bZ4X’s underpinnings has also been recalled for the same issue, but Subaru confirmed that none of these models have made their way into dealers’ or customers’ hands yet.
“Toyota is unable to estimate the percentage of the involved vehicles to contain the defect,” states the recall report. “The cause of this issue is still under investigation.”
Toyota is now contacting the owners of bZ4X vehicles and aims to get in touch with them all before 22 August 2022.
These individuals will also be asked not to drive the SUV until further notice.
“As the owner notification letters will be mailed out well within the active period of the Toyota New Vehicle Limited Warranty, all involved vehicle owners for this recall would have been provided a repair at no cost under Toyota’s Warranty,” said the recall report.
bZ4X in South Africa
Toyota South Africa recently confirmed that the bZ4X is “under study for local introduction”, and it’s expected to be shown off at next year’s State of the Motoring Industry address in January.
As such, the South African specifications of the bZ4X have not yet been revealed.
In other markets, the SUV is sold in front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) derivatives, both sporting a 71.4kWh battery pack beneath the floorboard.
The FWD model is driven by a single 150kW electric motor turning the front wheels, achieving a maximum driving range of 500km and a 0-100km/h time of 8.4 seconds.
The AWD specification then gets two 80kW units to drive all four wheels, with maximum range coming in at 460km and acceleration at 7.7 seconds.
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