Toyota’s Recall of the bZ4X Now Includes a Buyback Offer

The recall involves wheels potentially falling off

Toyota bZ4X
Toyota bZ4X.
Toyota

Earlier this summer, Toyota announced a recall that applied to the 2023 bZ4X, the automaker’s foray into the world of electric SUVs. The reason for the recall was particularly alarming, especially for anyone who’s remotely nervous when driving a vehicle. Its wording was relatively unambiguous about what’s gone wrong: “After low-mileage use, all of the hub bolts on the wheel can loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle.”

Do you want one of your wheels to fall off while you’re driving? We’re going to guess that the answer there is an emphatic “no.”

According to a report from The Verge, however, a significant number of bZ4X drivers have yet to take advantage of the recall. It’s not entirely clear why — but the automaker has upped the incentives to get people to bring their SUVs in for service.

These incentives include an extended warranty, free charging and $5,000 in credit. And if a customer remains unsatisfied, Toyota will flat-out buy back the SUV. “[I]f a customer does not want to proceed with the provided options, we will offer to repurchase their bZ4X,” a Toyota representative told The Verge — adding that the customer’s location might have a bearing on this.

As the article notes, this recall also affects the Subaru Solterra. For the sake of drivers and anyone sharing a road with the affected vehicles, let’s hope this gets resolved quickly.

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