Toyota Motor said it will restart production of its first electric vehicle, the bZ4X, on Thursday after fixing potential safety issues that had halted sales of the new battery-powered model for more than three months.
Japan’s biggest automaker recalled 2,700 bZ4Xs globally in June after discovering there was a risk of the car’s wheels coming loose.
Subaru Corp, one-fifth owned by Toyota, also had to withdraw units of the related Solterra model, which it developed together with Toyota.
A recall notice submitted to Japan’s transport ministry by Toyota in June said sharp turns and sudden braking could cause the center bolt to loosen, increasing the risk of a wheel coming off the vehicle.
The automaker said in a filing to the ministry on Thursday that it would ensure the center bolts are replaced and properly tightened on new versions of the bZ4X.
In addition, Toyota said it had identified and fixed a potential problem with the car’s airbags. Some air bags were improperly installed at the factory and risked failure or injury due to a strap being placed inside the air bag assembly.
