- GAC Toyota is recalling 121,260 locally made EVs, reflecting quality-control fallout as joint-venture models face intense retail competition and pressure to scale rapidly in China’s EV market.
- Hard specs include targeted recalls of 100,175 bZ3X units (Feb 27, 2025–Mar 26, 2026) for front stabilizer nut defects, and 21,085 bZ7 units across two production windows with software faults fixed free of charge.
- The bZ3X and bZ7 directly challenge mainstream Chinese EVs, but repeated recalls, reliance on OTA fixes, and rapid production growth risk reputational damage, regulatory scrutiny, and service-capacity strain.
GAC Toyota has filed a recall plan with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), covering a total of 121,260 locally produced vehicles.
The recall affects certain Toyota bZ3X and Toyota bZ7 electric vehicles manufactured by the joint venture.
Specifically, the recall covers three groups:
- 100,175 Toyota bZ3X vehicles manufactured between February 27, 2025, and March 26, 2026.
- 18,130 Toyota bZ7 vehicles produced between October 28, 2025, and August 3, 2026.
- 2,955 Toyota bZ7 vehicles manufactured between March 10 and May 15, 2026.
The defects fall into two categories: hardware and software.
For the 100,175 Toyota bZ3X vehicles, the nuts securing the front suspension stabilizer links may not generate sufficient clamping force due to a design issue. Continued use could cause the nuts to loosen and produce abnormal noises.
In extreme cases, the nuts could detach, potentially affecting vehicle stability and creating a safety risk. GAC Toyota will replace the affected nuts with improved versions free of charge.
The first Toyota bZ7 recall covers 18,130 vehicles. Its comfort parking function has a software control issue that could limit braking force under certain conditions when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds. This could increase stopping distances and the risk of a collision. GAC Toyota will update the software controlling the function free of charge.
The second Toyota bZ7 recall affects 2,955 vehicles. An issue with the front recognition camera’s software could cause abnormalities during over-the-air (OTA) updates.
The defect could also cause unintended steering wheel movements when the integrated cruise assist function is activated, posing a safety risk. GAC Toyota will provide a free software upgrade for the front recognition camera.
This marks the Toyota bZ7’s second recall this year.
On July 31, GAC Toyota filed two separate recall plans covering 39,552 Toyota bZ7 vehicles. Both involved software control issues affecting the intelligent Bluetooth module and thermal management controller. The problems were primarily addressed through remote OTA updates.
Both the Toyota bZ3X and bZ7 are key models in GAC Toyota’s expanding EV lineup in China.
From January to September 2026, they were Toyota’s two best-selling all-electric models in China. The Toyota bZ3X recorded 69,599 retail sales, while the Toyota bZ7 reached 16,649 units.
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