FAW Toyota has issued a second major recall for its bZ3 electric vehicle (EV), just eight months after its initial launch, citing concerns over safety and performance issues affecting foreign-market models. The corporation’s latest submission concerns the construction of over 25,000 electric sedans in the past year, however, it has come to light that some of these vehicles possess inaccurate estimates of their remaining battery capacity, and in some cases, they have been known to lose all power without warning.
FAW-Toyota, a joint venture founded in 2000, has been working together to design and produce Toyota-branded vehicles exclusively for the Chinese market since its inception. With regard to electrification, the joint venture currently manufactures two electric vehicles beneath Toyota’s “Past Zero” (Bz) brand portfolio: the bZ4X crossover utility vehicle and the bZ3 sedan.
Toyota’s initial bZ electric vehicle model encountered its own recall issues, prompting a revamped approach with the collaboration of experienced Chinese manufacturer BYD for the subsequent bZ3 model.
The BZ3 premiered in October 2022, preceding its Chinese production start in early March 2023. By April, FAW-Toyota initiated preliminary retail sales abroad, but by July, it had to face its initial recall of the electric vehicles.
More than 12,000 BZ3 electric vehicles have been impacted by a recall related to defective door handles installed on the models. Since then, the number of Toyota sedans on Chinese roads has more than doubled, prompting this expanded recall to cover a significantly larger population of potentially affected electric vehicles.
Toyota issues second recall for its bZ3 electric vehicle in just five months.
According to a recent announcement on the official website of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), FAW-Toyota has undertaken a voluntary recall affecting approximately 25,815 units of its bZ3 electric vehicles, which was implemented swiftly and efficiently.
The recall attributes a faulty programming of the electric vehicle’s battery management controller to potential errors in estimating the remaining range in certain models.
This disparity notably affects Toyota’s electric vehicles, which have not undergone full charging over consecutive periods and are driven at high speeds.
The automotive’s displays inaccurately forecast remaining battery life, while Toyota’s documentation reveals that the electric vehicle often drains its power completely without prior low-charge warnings in numerous situations.
FAW-Toyota announces its plan to enhance the battery management system on all recalled bZ3 electric vehicles via a secure, wireless over-the-air update, ensuring a swift and efficient resolution of the issue. Freed from cost, in fact.
