Toyota is recalling its electric SUV – because the wheels can fall off Editor’s Note: Toyota announced it would open an electric battery assembly plant in Randolph County in December 2021, and recently announced the leadership team who would operate the plant for the company. By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN Business LIBERTY – Toyota has issued recalls for its first mainstream electric car and one of its full-sized pickup trucks for problems in which nuts or bolts could loosen and wheels or axles can become disconnected. Toyota warned owners of BZ4X electric SUVs to stop driving them because the wheels might fall off. The SUVs only recently went on sale in the United States and the warning and recall announced by Toyota Motor Sales USA on Thursday applies to all approximately 260 BZ4X SUVs that have been delivered to customers so far. BZ4X owners should stop driving the vehicles immediately, according to Toyota’s announcement. Bolts that hold the wheels on can loosen after even a relatively small number of miles on the road, allowing the wheels to detach. Toyota is still investigating why this can happen and under what sorts of conditions. Toyota to build $1.3B battery plant for EVs, hybrids in Triad Resolution unknown Toyota doesn’t know, yet, how to fix the issue, the automaker said. Until a remedy has been figured out, Toyota dealers will pick up customers’ BZ4Xs and bring them to the dealership and provide free loaner vehicles in the meantime, Toyota said. The Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Solterra electric crossovers were developed jointly by the two Japanese automakers. They share most of their engineering and even look very similar. Subaru has not announced a similar recall for the Solterra because none of those have been delivered to customers in the United States yet, Subaru spokesperson Jessica Tullman said in an email. The BZ4X is Toyota’s first fully battery-powered electric vehicle that is not a modified version of a gasoline-powered model. Toyota had previously offered an electric version of the Rav4 SUV in some markets. Nuts in the axle assemblies of some 2022 Toyota Tundra trucks may loosen, according to Toyota. Meet the Toyota executives that will launch the $1.29B battery plant in Randolph County Another Toyota recall Toyota separately announced a recall for approximately 46,000 2022 Toyota Tundra full-size pickups in which nuts on the rear axle assembly can loosen. In some cases, this can cause an axle sub-assembly to become disconnected, affecting the truck’s stability and braking, according to Toyota. The problem with the Tundra is unrelated to the issue affecting the BZ4X, the company added. To fix this problem, Toyota dealers will inspect and retighten the nuts if needed, free of charge, according to Toyota. Some parts may also be replaced if required at no charge, Toyota said in its announcement. Toyota is not warning Tundra owners to immediately stop driving their trucks, however. BZ4X and Tundra owners with questions about the recall can call Toyota customer service at 800-331-4331. The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Toyota recalls hundreds of electric cars over wheel that could come off TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is recalling 2,700 bZ4X crossover vehicles globally for wheel bolts that could become loose, a major setback for the Japanese automaker’s ambitions to roll out electric cars. Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday the cause is still under investigation, but the whole wheel could come off, risking a crash. “Until the remedy is available, no one should drive these vehicles,” the company said in a statement. Among the vehicles subject to the latest recall, about 2,200 were destined for Europe, 270 for North America, 112 for Japan, and 60 for the rest of Asia, according to Toyota. They were produced between March and June. The bZ4X, which went on sale about two months ago, is a key model in Toyota’s plans to strengthen its electric lineup. Toyota is planning to have 30 EV models by 2030, selling 3.5 million electric vehicles globally that year. Toyota is also investing 2 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) in battery research and development to achieve such goals. The “bz” in the recalled model’s name, as well as others in the works, stands for a “beyond zero” series, including sport-utility vehicles of all sizes, pickup trucks and sportscars, according to Toyota. The maker of the Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models has been seen by some critics as a straggler in pushing electric vehicles, partly because it has been so bullish, and successful, in other green technology, such as hybrids and fuel cells, as well as efficient gas engines. Demand for electric cars is expected to continue growing, especially with gas prices soaring recently, amid worries about inflation and the war in Ukraine, and as people around the world become more conscious about climate change and the environment. Close Modal Suggest a Correction Suggest a Correction Toyota Issues Recall as EV, Pickup Wheels May Fall Off www.constructionequipment.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. The service requires full cookie support in order to view this website. Please enable cookies on your browser and try again. www.constructionequipment.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. 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