Photo: Car Expert
Japanese car manufacturer Toyota is withdrawing 2,700 mass-produced all-electric cars due to concerns over wheels that may fall off.
In an interview with the BBC, a company spokesperson said that the bolts on the bZ4X’s wheels “can loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle” following a “low-mileage use.”
The recall is executed only two months after its release in Japan. Subaru also states the same grounds behind its recall of 403 electric vehicles it built with Toyota.
Toyota has issued a safety recall for 2,700 bZ4X SUVs in the US, Europe, Canada, and Japan.
“If a wheel detaches from the vehicle while driving, it could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing risk of a crash,” said a spokesperson. “No one should drive these vehicles until the remedy is performed.”
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Yet, some bZ4X models are allegedly not included in the recall. The spokesperson didn’t immediately respond when asked for comment on the number of vehicles manufactured by the company.
The carmaker stated that it had tapped Japanese safety regulators about the issue on Thursday and the cause of the defect was “still under investigation.”
It’s been 14 years since Tesla introduced their first electric vehicle. But it wasn’t until recently that Toyota released bZ4X – just last month.
The vehicle was only available on lease “to eliminate customer concerns regarding residual battery performance, maintenance, and residual value,” according to the company in early 2022.
Toyota announced that it is cutting back on car production by 50,000 – 800,000 due to the current shortage of computer chips and supply disruptions because of a pandemic.
While the carmaker now targets to build 9.7 million vehicles globally this year, it has hinted that it may be coerced to decrease the number.
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