Subaru is recalling more than 1,000 2023 Solterra EVs over an issue that could cause vehicles’ wheels to fall off, the car manufacturer and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced last week.
According to the NHTSA’s Thursday recall alert, “improperly tightened hub bolts” on certain 2023 Solterras can loosen and cause the wheels to detach. Some 1,182 of the cars are affected.
“Wheel detachment while driving can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash,” NHTSA said last week.
The impacted cars were also the subject of an earlier recall announced in June. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing recalled select 2023 Subaru Solterra and 2023 Toyota bZ4X cars due to the same issue of hub bolts possibly loosening after low-mileage use, according to the NHTSA.
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At the time of the June recall, owners of the impacted 2023 Solterras and bZ4Xs were advised not to drive their vehicles. Subaru and Toyota would “replace the hub bolts and wheels, free of charge,” NHTSA noted.
In its Friday news release, Subaru said teams “did not properly complete the repair procedure,” resulting in the possibility of improperly tightened hub bolts.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Subaru is recalling all vehicles repaired at all port locations supported by the third-party contractor. Vehicles without the original hub bolt concern and vehicles repaired at other facilities are not affected,” Subaru said.
The manufacturer added that Subaru retailers will inspect the hub bolts of all other “potentially affected vehicles” and, if needed, retorque at no cost.
“Until the inspection/remedy is completed, please do not drive the vehicle,” Subaru wrote on Friday.
2023 Solterra owners impacted by the recall will be contacted by mail. The letters are expected to be mailed on March 1, the NHSTA said.
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In an October update, Toyota confirmed that hub bolts would be replaced at no cost for impacted customers in the United States. As of the time of the update, Toyota said remedy parts were being prepared, aiming to offer them to customers by November.
USA TODAY reached out to Toyota to confirm the current status of the remedy parts.
Car owners can visit Toyota, Subaru and the NHSTA‘s recall pages to find out if their car is impacted using their Vehicle Identification Number or license plate information.
Story Credit: usatoday.com