Toyota Motor Corp. announced on Thursday that it would resume manufacture of the bZ4X, its first electric car, following the resolution of any potential safety issues that had caused the new battery-powered model’s sales to be suspended for more than three months.
In June, the world’s largest manufacturer, a laggard in the EV industry, recalled 2,700 bZ4Xs after learning that there was a possibility that the wheels of the vehicle may come away.
The associated Solterra model, which Subaru Corp. and Toyota jointly developed, also had to be recalled. Subaru Corp. owns a fifth of Toyota.
Sharp bends and quick braking might cause a hub bolt to come free, increasing the risk of a wheel breaking off the vehicle, according to a recall notice Toyota sent to Japan’s transport ministry in June.
The automaker stated in a filing to the government on Thursday that it would ensure that hub bolts were changed and correctly tightened in new models of the bZ4X.
Toyota further stated that it had found and resolved a potential issue with the car’s airbags. Due to the positioning of a strap inside the airbag assembly, some airbags had been incorrectly installed at the manufacturer and posed a risk of malfunction or injury.
