Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru have issued a recall covering nearly 100,000 EVs the trio of OEMs have developed together: the Toyota bZ, the Subaru Solterra, and the Lexus RZ. The issue stems from something relatively minor, thankfully, but it has resulted in a stop-sale order while the Japanese carmakers work to remedy it: a bug in the climate control system that could keep the defroster and defogger from working.
Three EVs Recalled
Subaru
The recall covers the 2023-2025 Toyota bZ4X, as well as the 2023-2025 Subaru Solterra and the 2023-2025 Lexus RZ. The bZ4X makes up the bulk of the recall, with 41,499 units impacted. According to the filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a bug means that the EV’s HVAC systems can enter into a “failsafe mode that suspends the heater operation … and affects defroster function.”
Toyota
NHTSA Flags Defrost Failure Risk in Cold Weather
Luckily for owners, it may only occur under certain conditions, though it seems they may not be ones under an owner’s control, such as the “specific failure mode of the electrical compressor.” If it happens in cold temperatures, as it will with the seasons turning, the system may not be able to adequately remove frost, ice, or fog from the windshield. Of course, the NHTSA is concerned because limited visibility as a result could lead to an accident.
Lexus
An internal Toyota investigation started with testing in cold conditions, which then led to another investigation that eventually unearthed the compressor failure that can lead to the system entering safe mode. Owner notification kicks off in November.
