Toyota recalls 100,175 bZ3X in China, up to two-thirds of the EVs delivered

GAC Toyota, Toyota's (NYSE: TM) joint venture with GAC Group (HKEX: 2238), is recalling 121,260 electric cars in China, according to three filings that China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published on November 4, 2026. The largest covers 100,175 bZ3X SUVs built between February 27, 2025 and March 26, 2026, whose front suspension nuts may come loose. The other two cover 21,085 bZ7 sedans with software faults in their braking and camera systems.

The bZ3X recall reaches deep into the model's short history. GAC Toyota said on November 1 that cumulative bZ3X deliveries had passed 150,000, which means the recall covers up to two-thirds of the bZ3X SUVs delivered so far. The SUV went on sale in China in March 2025, so the affected cars were built in roughly its first year of production.

According to the SAMR notice, the nuts that secure the bZ3X's front stabilizer bar links were not designed with enough margin and may lack sufficient axial clamping force. They can loosen while driving and cause abnormal noise, and in extreme cases fall off, which could affect the car's handling. GAC Toyota will replace them with improved nuts free of charge.

The bZ7 recalls are both about software. The first covers 18,130 bZ7 sedans built between October 28, 2025 and August 3, 2026. With the car's comfort stop function switched on, the software may limit braking force at low speed under certain conditions, lengthening braking distance and raising the risk of a collision.

The second covers 2,955 bZ7 sedans built between March 10 and May 15, 2026. A fault can occur when the front recognition camera receives an over-the-air update, and if the driver then uses Integrated Cruise Assist, the steering wheel may turn unexpectedly. GAC Toyota will fix both bZ7 problems with free software upgrades, and all three recalls start immediately.

GAC Toyota is recalling 21,085 bZ7 sedans in two software campaigns, covering its comfort stop braking and front camera updates (official GAC Toyota image)

It is not the bZ7's first recall. In July 2026, a campaign covered about 24,000 bZ7 sedans over software faults in the smart Bluetooth module and thermal management controller. The sedan launched in China in March 2026, when it took 3,100 orders in its first hour.

The recalls land as GAC Toyota leans on its electric and hybrid cars. It sold 53,022 vehicles in October, with new energy and hybrid models making up more than 75% of sales, and said the bZ7 and bZ3X will get a major over-the-air upgrade in November. The 150,000th bZ3X, a Nebula limited edition, was delivered on October 11 and carries a limited-time price from 117,800 CNY (c. $17,700).

Toyota's other China ventures filed recalls the same day, for a different reason. FAW Toyota is recalling 47,347 China-built Land Cruiser Prado hybrids made between July 15, 2024 and October 6, 2026, and Toyota China is recalling 8,130 imported Lexus GX 550h hybrids made between February 28, 2024 and October 1, 2026.

On both models, the retainer on a fuel-line quick connector may be lifted by an unexpected external force, and under an impact the fuel line could come apart and leak fuel. Dealers will inspect the connectors for free, add a fixing cover plate, and replace the fuel-line assembly if they find a problem. Unlike GAC Toyota's EV recalls, these two were carried out after the SAMR opened a defect investigation.

Together, Toyota's five China filings cover 176,737 vehicles. The fuel-line problem has also reached North America, where Land Cruiser hybrid fuel-system campaigns cover about 106,000 vehicles in the United States and 6,721 in Canada.

Toyota was not the biggest name on the SAMR's list. Its notices on November 4 covered more than 800,000 vehicles from brands including Audi, Volkswagen, MINI, Lotus and Jeep. The largest single campaign is FAW-Volkswagen's recall of 388,258 Audi Q3 SUVs built between June 20, 2018 and September 15, 2025, over subframe and steering gear bolts that may rust and break. That recall, like the SAIC Volkswagen and imported Volkswagen campaigns on the list, does not start until January 15, 2027.

For bZ3X owners, the fix is a nut swap at the dealer rather than an over-the-air patch. With more than 100,000 cars to inspect, the bigger test for GAC Toyota will be how quickly its dealers can work through them while it rolls out November's software upgrade to the same cars.

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