The all-electric Toyota bZ4X 2023 SUV is on display during the 2021 LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, USA, November 17, 2021. REUTERS / Mike Blake
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TOKYO, June 23 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday it would withdraw 2,700 of its first mass-produced electric vehicles (EVs) for the world market due to the risk that the wheels could come loose.
The world’s largest carmaker for sales filed the withdrawal of the bZ4X SUVs from Japan’s transportation ministry. Of the 2,700 vehicles, 2,200 were destined for Europe, 260 for the United States, 10 for Canada and 110 for Japan, the company said.
Subaru Corp (7270.T) also said Thursday that it was withdrawing some 2,600 units worldwide from the Solterra, its first all-electric vehicle developed in conjunction with Toyota, for the same reason.
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The Japan safety regulator said sharp turns and sudden braking could cause a bucket screw to loosen, increasing the risk of a wheel coming out of the vehicle. He said he was unaware of any accident caused by the defect.
The regulator advised drivers to stop using the vehicle until a more “permanent” repair measure is established.
All of the cars recalled in Japan had not yet been delivered to customers as they were intended for driving and display tests, spokesmen for automakers said.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you,” Toyota said on its website. “We should have repaired it as soon as possible, but we are investigating the details.”
A Toyota spokesman said not all models were subject to the recall, but declined to say how many have been built in total.
For Subaru, most of the vehicles were for dealerships and none were delivered to U.S. customers, a Subaru spokesman said.
The withdrawal comes less than two months after Toyota, relatively recent in the electric vehicle market, launched the electric SUV, bZ4X, in the domestic market, albeit as a lease-only option.
The Toyota unit offering the leases, KINTO, has canceled the promotional driving test events scheduled in three Japanese cities for safety measures.
Some investors and environmental organizations have criticized Toyota for not acting quickly enough to eliminate gasoline cars and adopt electric vehicles.
The company has repeatedly rejected criticism, arguing the need to offer a variety of engines to suit different markets and customers.
Hybrid gasoline and electric models remain much more popular in Toyota’s domestic market than electric vehicles, which accounted for only 1% of passenger cars sold in Japan last year, according to industry data.
Still, the market is growing rapidly and foreign carmakers, such as Tesla Inc. (TSLA.O), are making visible forays into the streets of cities like Tokyo.
(This story corrects the number of vehicles for a withdrawal in Canada in the second paragraph to 10, not 20, after Toyota corrects the figure)
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Report by Satoshi Sugiyama and Maki Shiraki Edited by Jane Merriman and Bernadette Baum
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