Subaru has issued another recall for its battery electric Solterra crossover due to concerns that hub bolts on the wheels may loosen and cause it to detach.
Subaru said the issue affects 1,182 model year 2023 Subaru Solterra vehicles.
The 2023 Subaru Solterra EV and 2023 Toyota bZ4x — the products of a partnership between Toyota and Subaru to jointly develop a platform dedicated to EVs — were recalled last June for the same issue.
Apparently, the company is worried that the fix didn’t stick.
The vehicles were repaired at two port locations prior to being delivered to customers. Subaru said it discovered the third-party contractor didn’t properly complete the repair procedure, resulting in the potential for significantly under-torqued bolts.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Subaru is recalling all vehicles repaired at all port locations supported by the third-party contractor,” the company said in its announcement. “Vehicles without the original hub bolt concern and vehicles repaired at other facilities are not affected.”
Subaru warned customers to not drive the vehicle. The company will cover the cost of towing the vehicle to a local dealership, where it can be inspected. If necessary, the hub bolts will be retorqued.
The recall is the latest mark on the rocky launch of the Solterra and the Toyota bZ4x. The initial June 2022 recall came just two months after the Toyota bZ4x went on sale.
Toyota engineers struggled to identify what was causing the loose hub bolt issue. Production of the two vehicles restarted in October.
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Kirsten Korosec