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Both the Subaru Solterra and its counterpart, the Toyota bZ4X, encountered delays last year as manufacturers rushed to rectify concerns about wheels potentially detaching. In the United States, 258 Toyotas were subject to recall for this issue, with some owners being offered buyback options, while Subaru took preventative measures before any Solterras were distributed. However, repairs to 1,182 of these vehicles were found inadequate, resulting in persisting concerns of wheel detachment, prompting the automaker to issue a recall alongside a cautionary advisory.
Subaru has advised owners against operating the affected vehicles, a subset of those delivered to the United States. To ensure driving safety, the “hub bolts” must be re-tightened. Owners will receive notifications via mail, and they can also verify their VIN numbers on the NHTSA’s website.
Subaru
The root cause seems straightforward. It appears that the contracted personnel responsible for installing new hub bolts on the affected Solterras may not have adequately tightened them. The recall process confirms this finding. The directive is clear: “Subaru dealers will inspect the hub bolts of all potentially impacted vehicles and, if necessary, retighten to the specified torque range without any cost to the customer.” That’s the resolution.
This development casts a negative light on both Toyota and Subaru. The bZ4X and the Solterra stand as the sole all-electric vehicle offerings from either manufacturer in the United States. Toyota seems to grasp the potential harm this situation poses to its reputation, as evidenced by its initial offer to repurchase all 258 bZ4Xs from their owners. Subaru’s proactive approach in addressing the issue signals a strong commitment from the brand to ensure a smooth launch of its debut BEV. Nevertheless, this recall may present another obstacle in their journey.
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