Image Source: TT News
Toyota is recalling 2,700 of its first mass-produced all-electric vehicles as a result of worries that the wheels could come off. After Mercedes and Ford, the automotive industry giant, Toyota is now the third automaker to recall one of its models for an engine or other technical issue.
According to the company’s spokesperson, the bZ4X’s wheel bolts “may loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle” after “low-mileage use,” necessitating a recall to address the issues before more widespread distribution and potential casualty issues.
Before the recall was issued, less than two months had passed since Toyota launched its latest cars in Japan. In addition, Subaru, a car manufacturer, recently said that it would recall 403 electric vehicles that it co-developed with Toyota for the same reason.
In a statement on Friday, Toyota announced that 2,700 bZ4X SUVs in the US, Europe, Canada, and Japan had been subject to a safety recall.
The risk of a crash could increase if a wheel separates from the car while it is moving, according to a spokeswoman.
They continued, “No one should use these cars before the solution is carried out.”
An official from Toyota declined to say how many of the bZ4X models the business had produced, despite the fact that some of them have not yet been recalled. Instead, Toyota stated that the issue was “still under investigation,” although it had informed Japanese safety inspectors about it on Thursday.
Read Also: Mercedes Benz recalls almost a million cars from circulation over faulty brakes
Subaru, a second Japanese automaker, recently announced a recall of 403 Solterras, the first all-electric vehicle co-developed with Toyota. The recall was due to potential loose bolt issues. Despite the BBC’s request for comment, the company did not answer immediately.
Compared to rival automakers like Tesla, which introduced its first electric vehicle 14 years ago, Toyota is seen as a relative latecomer to the market for electric vehicles. Last month, it introduced the bZ4X to Japan. According to a statement made by Toyota earlier this year, the vehicle was only offered on lease “to allay customer worries around residual battery performance, maintenance and residual value.”
Read Also: Ford recalls 2.9 million cars due to gear malfunction
In light of a scarcity of computer chips and supply bottlenecks brought on by the epidemic, the business announced this week that it would reduce the number of vehicles it planned to produce next month by 50,000 to 800,000.
Although Toyota has stated that it presently plans to produce 9.7 million vehicles worldwide this year, it has hinted that it may be compelled to reduce that figure.
