Toyota Didn't Sell Any bZ4X Models Last Month Because It Still Hasn't Fixed a Recall
Photo: Toyota
The start of October brings with it plenty of Q3 sales figures for automakers, but one of the most fascinating tidbits from Toyota’s release today is the fact that it sold no bZ4X models in September. None. Nada. Zero. That’s because Toyota still hasn’t found a way to fix the bZ4X’s runaway tires.
The Toyota bZ4X’s twin, the Subaru Solterra, has also been recalled for the same problem. The Solterra hasn’t been officially released in the United States just yet, so that’s why we’re hearing a little less about that one.
You can check out the data on Toyota’s website, or below:
Image: Toyota
The bZ4X is Toyota’s first-ever attempt at building an electric car, and it hasn’t been going all that well. The car hasn’t exactly been a stellar hit, whether you’re considering cost, range, its goofy name, or the fact that Toyota has exhausted its federal EV credits. It also has one massive fatal flaw: its wheels keep falling off.
Toyota issued a recall back in June of this year, advising owners to immediately stop driving their vehicle because, in the company’s words, “after low-mileage use, all of the hub bolts on the wheel can loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle.”
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In Toyota speak, a “hub bolt” is not the bolt that attaches the hub to the steering knuckle; rather, it references the “lug bolts,” which attach the wheel to the hub assembly. Basically, this specific part can easily wear out, resulting in the whole entire wheel falling off.
But when a month passed without any fix, Elektrek reported that bZ4X owners received a buyback notice from Toyota. And now that another month has passed, the stop-sale has continued, and it doesn’t look like there’s an end in sight.
The recall technically only impacted 2,700 cars, which isn’t a ton — but that’s an incredibly unfortunate number when you consider the fact that it was the entire first production run of Toyota’s first-ever electric vehicle. It’s especially unfortunate because you’re probably buying a Toyota more for its reliability than for its stellar driving dynamics, and Toyota has totally beefed it with a part that isn’t even specific to electric vehicles.
So, for the moment, the bZ4X will remain an empty slot in Toyota’s sales figures — and a hazard for drivers.
