Toyota suggests buying back its bZ4X electric SUV crossovers after recalling the vehicle in June. The recall, which Toyota administered not even two months after the bZ4X’s release, involves loose hub bolts on the wheel that could drive it to detach while driving.
Toyota initially recommended that bZ4X owners not drive the vehicle and indicated that they notify their local Toyota dealer so they can select up and store the car while they stay on a fix. The company would then provide customers with a complimentary loaner car in return.
Toyota suggests buying back its recalled bZ4X electric SUVs. But a letter to customers was obtained by Electrek. Toyota is also throwing in a few extra freebies for the inconvenience, including an extended warranty, a $5,000 credit, and free charging at EVgo-owned charging stations through the end of 2024. However, if an owner isn’t satisfied with these options, Toyota says it will buy back the $42,000 and up vehicle.
“We comprehend that our clients have many choices when buying a vehicle. We appreciate their loyalty and are sustaining them through this recall,” Toyota said. “However, if a client does not want to proceed with the options, we will offer to repurchase their bZ4X,” Toyota adds that the buyback depends on the owner’s state and circumstances.
Neither its letter nor statement offers any additional context about when the issue will be fixed. The recall affects about 2,700 vehicles, but it’s unclear how many of these have been delivered. In addition, the Subaru Solterra, which is built on the same platform, is also affected by the recall.
The bZ4X marks Toyota’s first attempt at an all-electric vehicle, and it’s off to a bumpy start. However, Toyota will iron out any remaining kinks before it delivers more vehicles and ramp up production to meet its $17 billion goal of releasing 30 new EVs by 2030.
Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese global automotive work headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was launched by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is one of the most extensive automobile manufacturers in the world, building about 10 million vehicles per year.
The company was founded as a spinoff of Toyota Industries, a machine maker devised by Sakichi Toyoda, Kiichiro’s father. Both organizations are now part of the Toyota Group, one of the giant conglomerates in the world. While still a unit of Toyota Industries, the company designed its first product in 1934, the Type A engine, and its foremost passenger car in 1936, the Toyota AA.
After World War II, Toyota aided Japan’s alliance with the United States to know from American automakers and other companies, which would give rise to The Toyota Way, management philosophy, and the Toyota Production System that would alter the small company into a leader in the industry. In addition, it would be the subject of many academic studies.
The Toyota bZ4X is an electric battery compact crossover SUV fabricated by Toyota. The auto debuted in April 2021 as the “bZ4X Concept”. It is the first vehicle based on the e-TNGA platform co-developed by Toyota and Subaru. In addition, it is the brand’s first model to be part of their Toyota bZ (“beyond Zero”) series of zero-emissions vehicles.
Worldwide sales of the bZ4X will initiate in mid-2022, with products designed in Japan and China. Sales in the United States will also begin in 2022. Toyota has also stated that seven “bZ” models will be launched globally by 2025.
The significance of the “bZ4X” nameplate breaks down into two purposes: “bZ,” representing the essence of a battery-electric vehicle by going “beyond Zero” emissions; and “4X,” depicting it as a compact crossover SUV, where its numerical digit is sourced from the equivalent-sized RAV4.
The layout of the bZ4X was previewed by images of a series of electric concept vehicles unleashed by Toyota in June 2019. The company emphasized the plan to free six electric cars between 2020 and 2025, employing the e-TNGA platform. Subaru also previewed the car, building the vehicle with Toyota as a concept mockup showcasing a comparable design in January 2020.
The bZ4X Concept was revealed on April 19, 2021, and was presented at Auto Shanghai on the same day. While it was announced as a concept vehicle, the vehicle seemed to be nearly production-ready. The bZ4X is comparable in size to the RAV4 but stands lower with sharper styling and a longer wheelbase that matches the larger Highlanders. The vehicle has been conceived in conjunction with Subaru, which is said to have had input into the car’s all-wheel drive system.
The overall size, at 4,690 mm total length, is comparable to a RAV4 (XA50), but the wheelbase of 2,850 mm is similar to that of the Land Cruiser (J300), giving the bZ4X ample interior space. The e-TNGA platform was jointly designed by Toyota and Subaru, with Toyota receiving credit for battery and eAxle development and Subaru for all-wheel-drive control and collision safety.
Some models also embrace a steer-by-wire system. The steer-by-wire system was designed for the Chinese market and will be available with a yoke instead of a traditional steering wheel. Toyota stated that the coupling provides a more open interior combined with the low instrument panel.