Electric

Toyota bZ4X, Subaru Solterra Production Resumes After 3-Month Pause

by Guillaume Rivard
All photos
Photo: Toyota

Production of the brand new 2023 Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra electric crossovers, which was suspended in June, has now resumed at Toyota’s Motomachi assembly plant in Japan.

It was previously discovered that the wheel hub bolts could loosen under hard braking and steering manoeuvres, potentially causing a wheel to fall off while driving. It appears that engineers did not properly factor in the weight of the high-voltage battery into their initial calculations.  

So, less than two months after going on sale, some 2,700 Toyota bZ4X and 2,600 Subaru Solterra vehicles were recalled globally—including 12 and 258, respectively, in Canada (more specifically B.C. and Quebec). None of them have been delivered to customers yet.

Photo: Subaru

The stop-sale order and production hiatus lasted until the automakers could investigate the issue and find a remedy.

Toyota and Subaru now say that the hub bolts will be replaced and properly tightened. They will also add a washer to the bolts and improve friction on the wheel surface.

Photo: Toyota

Sales in Japan will resume on October 26, but as far as overseas markets go, including Canada and the U.S., Toyota Chief Technology Officer Masahiko Maeda said "we will resume the sale in a sequential manner."

He also talked about the need to “respond firmly to regain trust in the safety of Toyota vehicles.” Similar measures will be applied to other EVs in the future, starting with the Lexus RZ that’s slated to launch here in the first half of 2023.

Share on Facebook
GalleryNews, reviews, videosSubaru dealersUsed vehiclesSubaru

More on the subject

First Drives2023 Toyota bZ4X: Moderation in All Things
Toyota was one of the automotive industry's pioneers in electrifying its vehicles at the turn of the 21st century with the Prius, and later with an expanded line of hybrid models. That said, the automaker was still slow to unveil a first, full-scale 100% electric model. It is with the …
ElectricToyota Reportedly Planning Major Shift in EV Strategy
Toyota has officially unveiled the new bZ3 compact electric sedan, a model aimed at the Chinese market but likely not North America—even though it shares its platform and several components with the bZ4X crossover. At the same time, Reuters is reporting that the Japanese automaker, which was slow to embrace …
NewsToyota to Substantially Raise Prices to Offset Financial Losses
Toyota had some bad news for car shoppers this week when it discussed its Q3 results, which included an operating loss in the North American region. New-vehicle prices are going to increase substantially in the near future, on both sides of the Atlantic, in order to make up for declining …
News2023 Subaru Solterra to Start at $54,295, Get Full EV Rebates
Unveiled about a year ago, the 2023 Subaru Solterra will be delivered to its first customers in Canada real soon, and yet it’s only now that we get pricing details for the brand’s first-ever electric SUV. Remember, the Solterra only comes in AWD configuration whereas the Toyota bZ4X offers more …
NewsToyota to Halt Production of Several Models in December
Parts shortages are catching up with Toyota big time. The Japanese automaker will halt production for a number of Toyota and Lexus models in December as supply chain disruptions continue to hit the auto industry. According to a report by Automotive News , the cuts will affect the Toyota RAV4 …
ElectricReport Shows Toyota, Honda Are Losing Customers to EV Rivals
A new report by S&P Global Mobility shows that consumers moving to electric vehicles in 2022 are largely doing so from Toyota and Honda due to a lack of such options in their respective portfolios. After spending years on improving fuel economy in ICE-powered vehicles, with or without hybrid technology, …
First Drives2023 Subaru Solterra: Tread Lightly
As you probably know by now, the 2023 Subaru Solterra and the Toyota BZ4X share the same platform and were co-developed by the Japanese duo to introduce a first global electric car for both manufacturers. And if you’ve been remotely interested in either one, you know that the waiting lists …
ElectricToyota to Build 3-Row Electric SUV in U.S. by 2026
In his first press conference since taking over as Toyota CEO on April 1, Koji Sato said the Japanese automaker fully intends to catch up to competitors in the battery-electric vehicle segment. It now plans to build 1.5 million BEVs annually by 2026, a huge step up considering it sold …
ElectricSubaru Planning Four New EVs in North America Within Three Years
Subaru has been criticized by many for not doing enough when it comes to electrification. Following the disappointing and nearly invisible Crosstrek PHEV (now discontinued), the brand launched the all-electric Solterra , which doesn’t really stand out from the competition and suffers from extremely limited availability. New Subaru CEO Atsushi …