√Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Solterra twins back in production after wheels fell off
Toyota has resumed production of its new-generation electric car after recalling the first 4000 vehicles because the wheels could fall off.
Production of the Toyota BZ4X – and its rebadged twin the Subaru Solterra – has restarted in Japan after the car giant addressed one of the most embarrassing recalls in the automotive industry.
More than 2700 Toyota BZ4X electric SUVs – and more than 1600 examples of the identical Subaru Solterra – were recalled globally within two months of the vehicles going on sale because the wheels could wriggle loose or detach.
There were two reports of a wheel completely detaching in the US, and one in Taiwan.
Overseas reports say Toyota underestimated the impact the electric vehicle’s extra weight would have on the attachment of the wheels.
“It is embarrassing to say that we had done various assessments but we couldn’t detect this problem because we didn’t conduct the assessments based on a premise that the quality of wheels would be so off in the assessment process,” Toyota Chief Technology Officer, Masahiko Maeda, told respected industry journal Automotive News, which has a bureau in Japan.
“We will respond firmly to regain trust in the safety of Toyota vehicles.”
The Reuters news agency reported the recall notice submitted by Toyota to Japanese authorities in June said “sharp turns and sudden braking could cause a hub bolt to loosen, raising the risk of a wheel coming off the vehicle.”
Toyota assured authorities hub bolts were replaced and properly tightened in future.
Automotive News, which went into detail about the recall, reported: “The defect stemmed from not accounting for the high torque exerted on the wheels by the car’s all-electric drivetrain.
“The wheels are attached with hub bolts, but even in low mileage use, the wheels can come loose due to vigorous driving – such as turning sharply or braking aggressively.
“The problem was exacerbated by the extra weight of the … battery pack,” Automotive News reported, noting that Toyota’s expert said “the original wheel surface was too rough with wide variances in processing quality.”
“The fix involves adding a washer to the hub bolts and improving friction of the wheel surface,” Automotive News reported.
Both the Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Solterra are due in Australian showrooms in 2023, pending any delays.
The Subaru was expected to arrive ahead of the Toyota version of the exact same car, however the pause in production may have changed those plans.
Prices and exact timing for Australia are yet to be disclosed.
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