Toyota recalls first electric car because wheels fall off

The start of Toyota’s first all-electric car is anything but smooth. Shortly after the start of sales, all Toyota BZ4X EV vehicles sold to date will have to be recalled because the wheel bolts can become loose and there is a risk of life-threatening accidents.

The Toyota BZ4X EV has only recently gone on sale and is the first electric car from the Japanese group that does not rely on other hybrid propulsion technologies, but exclusively on electric propulsion. The small “SUV” has only sold about 2,700 times so far, but early buyers of the car would prefer to leave it alone for safety reasons.

No solution found yet for defective wheel attachment

As Toyota announced in announcing its expanded recall, the Wall Street Journal reported that even if the miles have not been driven, problems with the wheels can occur. According to the manufacturer, the wheel bolts can loosen causing the wheels to come loose enough that they can fall off under certain conditions.

Of course, it becomes dangerous when a wheel comes off the car, with the result that the risk of an accident is significant because the occupants can lose control of the car. Toyota has now launched an extensive investigation into the causes of the problem and expressly warns not to use the Toyota BZ4X EV any further. Owners must temporarily shut down their vehicles until a solution to the problem is found.

The recall affects approximately 2,000 vehicles shipped to Europe, and 260, 110, and 20 vehicles in the US, Japan, and Canada respectively. Japanese automaker Subaru has also launched a recall of approximately 2,600 identical Subaru Solterra EVs made at the same Toyota plant and sold under the Subaru name. They also deal with the problem of possible falling wheels.