Toyota said this week it would restart bZ4X production and had a fix in store for waiting owners.
It’s a crucial time for automakers, as the whole industry continues its seismic shift toward electric vehicles. Toyota has faced a major issue over the past several months, though, when it issued a recall that halted sales of its bZ4X crossover. Back in June, Japan’s largest car manufacturer recalled the 2,700 bZ4Xs it produced globally to address a potential for the cars’ wheels to come off due to loose hub bolts. In early August, it issued a stop-sale on the car until it could remedy the situation and safely deliver cars to owners.
On Thursday, Toyota announced it had indeed developed a fix, and rebooted bZ4X production. In a filing to Japan’s transport ministry, the automaker said it would ensure all affected hub bolts were replaced and secured on customer-bound vehicles and new cars built from this point on, as Reuters reports.
Starting in November, technicians at Toyota dealers will fix customer cars. Those dealers will replace the loose hub bolts with newly designed versions and install newly designed wheels. The automaker also promised some compensation to customers in early August in exchange for the inconvenience. That included the option for a buyback, or a $5,000 credit, extended warranty and free charging at EVgo-operated charging stations through the end of 2024.
Of those 2,700 recalled vehicles, 232 were sold in the U.S, according to Toyota’s latest sales figures. The recall also impacted the jointly developed Subaru Solterra EV. Now that there is a fix in the works, those cars should start making their way out to a greater number of buyers in the coming months.
