• Subaru is again recalling some of its Solterra EVs for a problem with wheels that can come off.
• Some units of the all-electric crossover were repaired incorrectly following the first recall.
• For the moment, we are told by Subaru Canada that only U.S. models are affected.
Recall that in March 2020, the launch of the Toyota bZ4X, the new electric SUV offered by Toyota, was followed in short order by a delay of deliveries to customers due to a problem discovered with the wheels. The problem involved wheels that could come off the vehicle in specific situations, such as heavy braking.
Before too many bZ4X EVs were sold (258 at the time), Toyota launched a recall campaign. Subaru, maker of the bZ4X's cousin the Solterra, followed suit. At that time, no Solterra EVs had yet been delivered to customers.
The problem has been fixed, except that in a few cases, the fix wasn’t quite correct. The company has just issued a recall for 1,182 2023 Solterras to address the same loose-wheel issue.
The reason is this: the two manufacturers developed a repair that involves replacing the wheels and the hub bolts that hold them in place with other parts. Late last week, Subaru announced that the repair work on some of its Solterras had not been done properly.
Subaru says it doesn't know exactly how many models were repaired incorrectly, and so it is recalling all of the 1,182 vehicles that were repaired last time around.
Subaru explains that Solterras that did not have the original hub bolt problem and vehicles repaired at locations other than where the repair may have been performed incorrectly are not affected. As of the end of January, Subaru had sold about 1,500 of its new electric crossover.
Until the repair is properly completed, Subaru has asked that owners not drive their vehicles. The risk remains that the wheels could come off.
Solterra owners are advised to contact their dealer to have their vehicle towed and inspected and, if necessary, to have the hub bolts tightened to the correct specifications. All of this, of course, is covered by the manufacturer.
In the first recall, 258 Canadian owners were affected. We contacted Subaru Canada to find out how many models were affected in Canada this time. For the moment, we are being told only U.S. models are affected.