The Toyota BZ4X recall just got a lot more serious.
Toyota’s first fully self-developed full EV, the Toyota BZ4X, has only been officially on sale for a few weeks. The car was recalled recently for a serious issue, the hub bolts could loosen, and cause the wheels to fall off. It affects all 2,700 or so BZ4X’s sold, and Toyota informed BZ4X owners to not drive their vehicles until a remedy is found.
That was back in mid-June. Now in August, Toyota still has not found a remedy. Now, reportedly, owners are getting letters from Toyota, outlining a few solutions. Toyota has not found a remedy, but they’re offering a buyback for fed-up owners who are not willing to wait any longer. If a BZ4X owner chooses to wait, they can take advantage of free loaners, reimbursed fuel costs, complimentary charging, or even cash payment assistance against a loan or lease of their BZ4X. This recall also affects the Subaru Solterra, but thus far, no Solterra has been delivered to any customer’s hands.
This certainly isn’t a great start to Toyota’s first serious EV. Coupled with the federal tax credit step-down process expected to start in October, the BZ4X is facing a severely uphill battle in the ever-competitive EV crossover space. Volkswagen has introduced a cheaper ID.4, the Nissan Ariya is about to go on sale, and GM just revealed deets on its forthcoming Blazer EV. Toyota really needs to get the BZ4X on sale, before it’s just a footnote in the market. Also, customers who do accept a BZ4X buyback, face limited replacement options. Many EVs are supply-chain constrained, with deliveries taking weeks or months after order or purchase.
Hopefully, Toyota finds a remedy soon.
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