Chinese joint venture FAW Toyota is issuing its second major recall of the bZ3 EV in eight months since its introduction to the global market. According to published information, the company is recalling the Toyota bZ3 model due to a faulty programmed battery management system. Here are the details…
Toyota bZ3 recalled due to battery management system
Some of the more than 25,000 electric sedans produced this year offer inaccurate estimates of remaining battery capacity, with some even losing all power without warning. Regarding electrification, the joint venture currently brings together two electric vehicles under Toyota’s “Beyond Zero” (Bz) series: the bZ4X SUV and the bZ3 sedan.
Launched in October 2022, the bZ3 started production in China in early March 2023. As of April, FAW-Toyota began initial sales in the market, but as of July, its EVs faced the first recall.
More than 12,000 bZ3s are affected by the recall regarding faulty door handles fitted to electric vehicles. The number of Toyota sedans on roads in China has more than doubled since then, so this second recall potentially covers a larger group of affected EVs.
According to a notice on the website of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), FAW-Toyota has effectively recalled 25,815 bZ3 EVs immediately. The recall cites improper programming of the vehicle’s battery management controller, which can cause remaining power estimates in some electric vehicles to deviate excessively from the actual remaining range.
This drift particularly affects Toyota EVs that have not been fully charged and driven at high speeds more than once in a row. In addition to the erroneous remaining battery estimates on the vehicle’s displays, Toyota’s file states that the electric model will completely lose power in situations such as extreme temperature drops/rises, without any low charge warning.