2026 Toyota BZ

The defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2026 Toyota BZ, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra battery electric vehicles. The electronic control unit (ECU) that controls the high voltage battery may experience a fault, resulting in a loss of drive power.

The risk

An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

The remedy

Dealers will update the battery ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 3, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26LA07 and 26TA11. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG26.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 20,991 vehicles across all model years covered

The 12 volt battery exhibits a consistent parasitic drain. This is intermittent, but results in the vehicle failing to start. The failure to start is an issue because it is happening frequently and could endanger individuals who live in rural areas or areas with cold or hot climate. This issue has happened to us multiple times and Toyota has not recalled or provided guidance to its dealer service network. Many effected owners have a diagnostic data backed theory that links the drain on the 12 volt battery to Toyota digital communication module. That diagnostic can be found here. Toyota should be forced to investigate and fix this as it is a big safety concern for those who are in rural …

NHTSA complaint 11756337, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

There is a foul smell emanating from the window areas of the vehicle after rain. The more rain, the more pronounced the odor. It smells similar to cat urine. I have been able to reproduce it many times, after it rains. I was reading online that the smell is caused by mold/mildew which is a huge safety concern. I had also read that this is somewhat of a common issue caused by the type of weatherstripping in use on the vehicle. When I called the dealership they were unaware of any issues concerning an odor around the windows after rain. I will continue to work with the dealership, but this should at least be a Technical Service Bulletin.

NHTSA complaint 11755648. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

The vehicle suffers from an overnight parasitic 12V battery drain caused by a continuous cloud activation/software communication loop involving the Data Communication Module (DCM) and telematics system. The vehicle has gone completely dead and required jumping on three separate occasions. The issue was inspected and documented on a service invoice by an authorized dealership, which confirmed the battery itself tested good and recommended disconnecting the mobile application link due to the DCM cloud activation causing battery depletion. The recurring dead 12V battery creates a safety hazard by leaving the vehicle completely inoperable and stranded without warning.

NHTSA complaint 11755120. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Vehicle experienced a catastrophic, terminal 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain that flatlines the system to 0% while parked, creating a severe safety risk by stripping hazard lights and motive power. This is the 3rd identical electrical collapse within 4 weeks; a late June 12V battery replacement failed. The vehicle was in active daily use, not stored.Held out of service at Kings Toyota since July 6, 2026 (26+ days down). Technicians dismantled the cabin and placed the dashboard in the trunk to trace loops. Management confirmed hardware nonconformities in the Data Communication Module (DCM) and Body Control Module (BCM), which fail to enter sleep mode. Observable proof includes …

NHTSA complaint 11752772, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Vehicle purchased late March. Since then, the 12V gets completely drained to 0% over the weekend. This is a biweekly problem. Vehicle taken to dealership, they were not able to replicate problem. Dealership claims battery and vehicle perfectly fine. 12V battery continues to get discharged. This issue puts the customer at risk of being stranded on trips. No warning lamps or symptoms before battery dies making vehicle completely inoperable. Research online and owner forums clearly show a large number of owners having the same issue with this defect with this vehicle. Contacted toyota and they denied vehicle glitch or resolution. Toyota instructed me to take car back to dealership for them to …

NHTSA complaint 11751814, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

I am writing to formally report an unsafe design feature regarding the automatic headlight cleaner/washer system on the 2026 Toyota bZ.The vehicle is programmed to automatically spray windshield washer fluid onto the headlights when the headlights are active and the windshield washer lever is pulled. As a night-shift worker, I frequently operate this vehicle in complete darkness. When the high-pressure fluid sprays over the active headlight lenses, it immediately diffuses the light beam. This causes the forward headlights to dim drastically, rendering them almost completely unusable for several seconds until the water clears.This sudden, unprompted loss of forward visibility at highway …

NHTSA complaint 11751216, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.