Toyota, Lexus and Subaru recall nearly 21,000 cars due to risk of sudden loss of propulsion

Toyota has initiated a recall of 20,991 electric vehicles in the United States due to a software flaw that can turn off the traction system while driving. The campaign involves models sold by the Toyota, Lexus and Subaru brands.

The recall includes 11,495 units of the Toyota bZ, 4,739 of the Lexus RZ and 4,757 of the Subaru Solterra. All affected vehicles are from the 2026 model year and were produced between April 2025 and April 2026, sharing the same platform and most of the components — rebadges, in practice.

According to documentation sent to NHTSA, the United States road safety agency, the problem is in the electric motor’s electronic control unit, known as the ECU. The component is supplied by Denso and manages the powertrain’s electrical supply.

The failure occurs under certain conditions of operation of the plant. Two integrated circuits can attempt to write data to the same memory area at the same time. When this happens, the system identifies an inconsistency and can go into protection mode, turning off the electric propulsion.

Before the loss of traction, the driver receives an alert on the dashboard of “EV System Failure”. If the condition persists, the traction system may be disrupted. Toyota says that the power steering and brakes continue to work normally, but the loss of driving power in motion increases the risk of an accident, especially at higher speeds.

According to the automaker, the defect can occur at any speed and also affect other electronic systems in the vehicle, such as stability control and the pre-collision system. The failure was associated with specific situations, such as low battery charge and higher ECU processing demand.

The investigation began after an analysis of remote diagnostic data done in April 2026. The review indicated that the logic of the software could allow the overlay of information in the center’s memory. So far, Toyota claims to have received only one warranty claim related to the problem and there are no reports of accidents or injuries.

The solution will be a free update of the battery ECU software at dealerships. Toyota said owners of the vehicles involved would be notified by mid-August in the United States.

The manufacturer says that the vehicles can continue to be used until the repair is carried out. Still, the recommendation for owners of affected units is to schedule the service as soon as they are notified by the brand or confirm the involvement of the vehicle through official recall channels.