Toyota has re-opened orders for the all-electric bZ4X crossover in Japan following a recall that forced it to halt sales just two months after the EV was launched.
Those in Japan can only pick up the keys to the bZ4X through a lease. When Toyota’s electric SUV was first introduced, Toyota requested a one-time application fee of 770,000 yen ($5,175) in addition to a 107,800 yen ($727) monthly lease for the first four years or a 10-year contract. These prices have been cut.
Read: Toyota’s bZ4X Is Priced Below Subaru Solterra But Could Cost You A Lot More
Speaking with Reuters, president of KINTO, the Toyota unit offering the leases, Shinya Kotera, said the application fee has been cut to 385,000 yen ($2,596) while the monthly lease is now 1,100 yen ($7.42) cheaper. Kotera acknowledged that the discount is “painful” and won’t generate a significant surge in sales but confirmed that KINTO will continue to turn a profit on the vehicle.
“In retrospect, we felt the price was a little too high and customers also pointed this out,” he said.
Toyota first submitted a recall to Japan’s transportation ministry regarding the bZ4X in late June, revealing that a hub bolt could loosen during sharp cornering and under sudden braking. This could cause the wheel to fall off and immediately prompted Japanese authorities to suggest owners park their vehicles until a fix was found. The recall also impacted 2,600 Solterra EVs globally.
It took Toyota more than two months to find a fix for the hub bolt issue and production of the crossover only resumed on October 6.
The car manufacturer has not made mention of any plans to cut prices in other markets. In the United States, prices for the bZ4X start at $42,000 while the Solterra is available from $44,995.
