06:35 29-01-2026

Toyota recalls bZ4X taillight parts over safety concerns in US

Toyota has issued a recall related to the bZ4X electric crossover, but the campaign formally targets not the vehicles themselves, but service parts that may have been installed during repairs. As journalists from SPEEDME.RU discovered, the issue involves rear combination taillights designed for the South Korean market, which were mistakenly sold and installed in the United States.

The problem concerns genuine Toyota rear taillights for the left and right sides with part numbers 81561-42290 and 81551-42290. These components were developed for the Korean version of the Toyota bZ4X and are structurally different from North American ones. Instead of a side marker light, they feature only a reflector, meaning such taillights do not meet the requirements of the FMVSS No. 108 safety standard in effect in the U.S. In dark conditions, this could reduce the vehicle's side visibility and increase the risk of an accident.

According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), potentially 79 parts are affected, which may have been sold as spare parts and installed on vehicles after repairs. The error stemmed from incorrect information in the electronic catalog: Korean taillights were marked "USA," leading American dealers to order them.

Toyota began an investigation in the fall of 2025 after a similar case was identified in Canada. In January 2026, the company decided to conduct an official recall. All bZ4X owners who previously had their rear taillights replaced will receive notifications offering to visit a dealer for inspection. If "incorrect" taillights are found, they will be replaced with correct versions for the U.S. market at no cost. Dealers are also instructed to remove the erroneous parts from their inventories and stop selling them.

Owner notifications will begin to be sent out in March 2026. Meanwhile, the series production of Toyota bZ4X vehicles is not subject to the recall—this concerns only service components that may have been installed after the car was sold.