Toyota and Subaru have both had to recall thousands of their bZ4X and Solterra EVs, respectively. As both vehicles share similar platform aspects, they are both affected by a mechanical malfunction resulting in wheels potentially disconnecting from the vehicle and falling off completely. Toyota has been hit especially hard, given that the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage and supply chain disruptions have already impacted production and caused the company to decrease its expected July production output, and this is hardly the first set of recalls Toyota has issued in recent years.

Read on to discover more about Toyota and Subaru recalling thousands of EVs over a potentially severe mechanical error.

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The Wheels Won't Stay On The bZ4x

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As unusual an issue as this is, several Toyota and Subaru vehicles have wheels that simply will not stay on. At the end of April, Toyota launched its first wave of first mass-made all-electric cars, but now it has to recall quite a few of them. The company aimed to electrify its model range, but the recalls have given that initiative a significant setback. As of now, roughly 2,700 bZ4X crossovers around the world have been recalled due to the wheel issue, with Toyota telling owners to park their bZ4X models for the time being.

Sadly, Subaru has also been impacted, as its Solterra EV, a first for the company, shares a lot of parts and aspects of the bZ4X crossovers as a result of the Solterra and the bZ4X being developed jointly. Subaru announced that 2,600 units of the Solterra are also being recalled. Many customers had just received their new EVs mere weeks before the recalls were announced.

How Did This Happen?

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What are the exact circumstances that cause the wheels to just fall off the vehicle? The answer lies in the braking. When drivers take sharp turns and slam on the brakes, hub bolts may come loose, resulting in higher chances of wheels becoming disconnected and falling off the vehicle. Luckily, at least this fix is predicted to not be too costly, as the root of the problem is still a simple mechanical malfunction. That said, the problem was discovered when multiple American drivers reported it, though the issue still has yet to affect a majority of drivers.

Very few cars have actually experienced a disconnected wheel, and Toyota noted that a lot of these affected units were at risk, citing rough handling from the drivers beforehand. While Toyota and Subaru have acknowledged not every car of this model was subject to the recall, exact figures of both affected models and overall models have not been publicly shared.

As a result, consumer confidence in both companies has slipped. Toyota had just begun an EV initiative, after it had been heavily criticized for relying too heavily on gasoline and not joining the EV movement soon enough.

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Toyota Planned To Cut Production

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Earlier this year, Toyota had mentioned the news of cutting their production plan for July by 50,000 vehicles, citing the semiconductor chip shortage as the cause. Further, the company is still struggling with supply disruptions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which is massively affecting Toyota's overall output. That said, Toyota still plans to manufacture 800,000 vehicles for July, despite the decrease in production planned. The company also issued a statement that forecasting future months would be increasingly difficult “due to the shortage of semiconductors and the spread of COVID-19.“

While the chip shortage is not unique to Toyota, this is the effect it's had on the company, struggling to keep production as minimally affected as possible. And the recall regarding the hub bolts and the wheels and the subsequent repairs aren't making the production happen any faster. As of now, Toyota still aims to produce 9.7 million vehicles, though the company warns that continuing supply chain disruptions and chip shortages could eventually necessitate another production cut.

Sources: Reuters