TOYOTA bZ4X EV
After Toyota announced a recall for their bZ4X EV in June it was expected (by customers and the industry at large) that would be the end of the wheel falling off saga.
Sadly, Toyota are now offering to buy cars back as the dramatic problem with the bZ4X continues – Toyota still acknowledging that wheels might detach from the car because of malfunctioning hub bolts and continuing to ask all customers to stop driving the vehicle – suggesting they should be returned to Toyota for safe storage until a remedy to ‘wheel gate’ is found...
Whilst there may only have been 258 bZ4X EVs sold before the recall the issues are a major setback to the bZ4X, Toyota’s EV plans and the mythical status that Toyota has regarding reliability.
Sweeteners from Toyota (while/if a resolution to the wheel separation issue can be found) include free use of a loan car, recompense for all the fuel used in that loan car, a cash payment as an extra ’sorry’ whilst the bZ4X remains off the road. Toyota are also offering to pay for charging fees for the cars once (or if) they can keep the wheels on for a sensible time as well as extending the warranty of the car to cover its dormant phase… If all that isn’t enough the offer to buy back the car (subject to terms to be agreed between Toyota and each customer) has just been announced.
Subaru jointly collaborated with Toyota on this model and may well be regretting it, whilst they have no cars with customers there are 403 units of the 2023 Solterra ready for dispatch to the dealer network. Naturally these are expected to also shed wheels and are thus also not really deemed safe for use anywhere that involves driving…
