A few months ago, Toyota released its first all-electric vehicle, the bZ4X EV, then quickly announced a recall over the wheels potentially falling off. And while the problem sounds easily fixable, with the hub bolts loosening over time, they’ve yet to offer a solution.
Toyota announced the recall in June, instructing that all owners stop driving the new bZ4X electric vehicle immediately. Thankfully the car is still relatively new, and the problem only affects around 2,700 vehicles on the road.
The electric motors, battery cells, and everything else electric is fine. This isn’t some weird problem with new technology. Instead, this is a wheel issue. We expected a quick fix from one of the biggest auto manufacturers on the planet, but that’s not the case.
Now, Toyota is offering owners just about everything but a fix. The automaker recently started sending out letters to bZ4X owners that include a wide array of remedies but not a solution. Toyota is going above and beyond to help, but we’re still confused as to why they haven’t come out with a fix.
In the letter, Toyota corporate offers EV owners a free loaner vehicle, reimbursement for fuel costs, allowing owners to park and store the bZ4X at dealerships for free, a $5,000 credit for those that paid in full, or even a complete vehicle buyback. Yes, Toyota will buy the EV back from those that can’t drive it due to the recall.
In case you didn’t notice, the recall isn’t going very well. Considering only 2,700 vehicles were affected, we all expected a quick and easy fix. And while yes, this is a physical recall where dealers need to replace the hub bolts, not a software update, it’s still amazing that Toyota doesn’t have any answers yet.
Toyota produces millions of vehicles yearly with wheels that don’t fall off. So, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher that its latest EV has this problem. Maybe there’s more to the situation than we know, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Until further notice, Toyota still instructs owners to stop driving the car indefinitely. Furthermore, the company says to contact a Toyota dealership, which will pick it up, transport your vehicle, and store it for free until a fix is available for the recall. In the meantime, Toyota will reach out to each owner to discuss options.
via InsideEVs
