The market launch of the new Toyota bZ4X couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. Just two months after the electric SUV went on sale in the US in April, Toyota recalled virtually all units it has built to date (2,700 in total, though mostly undelivered) over an inexplicable issue not with the battery or the electric motors, but with the wheel bolts falling off.
As detailed in an Electrek report, all the bolts on the wheel could loosen even with low-mileage use, potentially causing the wheel to come off. In its rather Captain Obvious recall notice, Toyota said “if a wheel detaches from the vehicle while driving, it could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash,” adding that it was still investigating the source of the issue and the driving patterns that cause it.
You might imagine that something as simple as a wheel nut problem could be replaced relatively quickly. But no – even today, more than a month on, Toyota still doesn’t have a fix. The issue is so dire that in a letter it sent to owners, the company is even offering the buy the vehicle back, in addition to other measures it has taken to appease buyers.
The latter include providing loaner vehicles and fuel reimbursement while the affected bZ4Xs are being stored, a USD5,000 (RM22,300) rebate, an extension of the included complimentary EVgo charging to December 31, 2024, and a warranty extension to take into account the time the car is out of service. Owners are also reportedly negotiating for the carmaker to cover some or all of the steep markups dealers were charging due to the bZ4X’s limited availability.
According to Car and Driver, this fiasco came at a particularly difficult time as the deadline for the USD7,500 (RM33,500) federal tax credit on EVs was September 30, meaning that anyone set to purchase their cars after that date wouldn’t have received the rebate. Toyota, however, can breathe a sigh of relief, as it’s just been reported the US Senate has passed a bill that would extend the tax credit until the end of 2032.
But the problem goes beyond America, as it could also have a knock-on effect on the bZ4X’s already glacial global rollout. The car is currently slated to be launched in Malaysia some time next year, and any delay could prove costly as the government’s EV tax exemption is due to end after 2023.
