Toyota Recalls 20,991 bZ, Lexus RZ and Subaru Solterra EVs Over Battery ECU Software Defect

Toyota issued a safety recall on 18 June 2026 covering 20,991 electric vehicles across three brands: 11,495 Toyota bZ, 4,739 Lexus RZ and 4,757 Subaru Solterra units, all from the 2026 model year in the North American market. The root cause is a software defect in the battery electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU contains two integrated circuits — a battery control IC and a monitoring IC — that share a portion of the same memory address space. Under specific conditions, the monitoring IC can repeatedly overwrite data that the battery control IC has just written to the shared address, causing the memory to fail an operational check. When this occurs, the system shuts down the electric drive, producing an abrupt loss of propulsive power while the vehicle is moving. Power steering and power-assisted braking continue to operate normally during the fault. The fix cannot be delivered via an over-the-air update; affected owners must visit an authorised dealer to have the battery ECU software reflashed, free of charge. Toyota plans to notify affected owners between 3 and 17 August 2026.