Presumably in an effort to quell customer backlash, Toyota has announced that it is offering full refunds (and incentives) for the bZ4X SUV – at least, in the US. For those unfamiliar, the bZ4X is the automaker’s first all-electric vehicle, which has garnered a great deal of attention admits recall notices shortly after it began its worldwide deliveries. The recall came into effect due to concerns over the wheels of the SUV falling off, and now, about 2,700 vehicles have been ordered to be taken off the road.
“We recently advised you of a safety recall that involves your 2023 Toyota bZ4X and continue to ask that you not allow the vehicle to be driven until a remedy is available,” reads the email Toyota recently sent to American customers. “We are working diligently on a remedy and will notify you in the future when it becomes available. At Toyota, your safety is a top priority. If you have not already done so, please contact any authorized Toyota Dealer and they will arrange to pick up and store your vehicle, at no cost, until the remedy is available. We will also provide a loaner vehicle at no cost to you.”
2023 Toyota bZ4X / Neil Vorano, The Charge
According to the letter, Toyota is offering affected owners the following until the remedy is available:
• Continue to provide a loaner vehicle, and store the vehicle, at no cost
• Reimburse fuelling costs incurred while operating the provided loaner vehicle
• Provide customers with a total credit of US$5,000 toward payments of their loan/lease or purchase price if the vehicle was paid in full
• Provide additional time for complimentary charging at all EVgo-owned and operated public stations nationwide, through December 31, 2024
• Provide an extension to the customer’s vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty based on the period of time that their vehicle is not able to be driven due to the recall (from the recall announcement date of June 23, 2022 through a date in the future when the remedy is announced)
2023 Toyota bZ4X / Neil Vorano, The Charge
If customers do not wish to opt-in to any of these incentives, Toyota will offer to repurchase their vehicle.
Notably, Toyota Canada has not announced similar plans here, for good reason. “We haven’t announced anything similar because we have not yet delivered any bZ4X to our Canadian dealers and will not release any in our market until the investigation is completed and a remedy is in place,” Michael Bouliane, a spokesperson for Toyota Canada, told The Globe and Mail.
The timeline for the aforementioned investigation into the 2023 bZ4X, which first went on sale in Canada last spring with a starting price of $44,990, has not yet been made clear. According to Toyota, the SUV’s battery and electric motor are working fine and not affected by the recall.
The Subaru Solterra, Subaru’s first fully electric vehicle which shares the same platform as the bZ4X, is also impacted by this recall, and is reportedly “unable to estimate the percentage of vehicles affected by this recall as the cause of the issue is still under investigation.”
