Buy a used Toyota bZ4X if you mostly drive around town and the price on the lot in mid October 2026 reflects its short highway range, and make it a front-drive XLE, which has the most range and the faster charging. Before you buy any 2023, confirm by VIN that the wheel hub bolt recall (NHTSA 22V444) was done, and on 2023-2025 cars check the newer defroster and rearview camera recalls too.
The bZ4X sold from 2023 through 2025 and then became the "bZ" for 2026. Early cars have lost a lot of value, and Toyota itself made big price cuts on the 2025 XLE and Limited, per Car and Driver's bZ4X review. Cheap can be fine. You just need to know which parts of the bad press still apply.
Front-drive or all-wheel drive
Pick front-drive unless you really need AWD, since the gap is bigger than on most EVs. According to C/D's 2023 bZ4X review, the single-motor car has a 63.4-kWh pack and EPA estimates of 252 miles for the XLE and 242 for the Limited. The dual-motor AWD gets about a 65.5-kWh pack but only 228 and 222 miles. Charging favors front-drive too: Toyota quoted a 150-kW peak for front-drive cars and 100 kW for AWD, with a 6.6-kW onboard charger that needs about 9 hours on Level 2.
Now the honest part. C/D's dual-motor test car covered only 160 miles on their 75-mph highway loop, which they say tied for the lowest highway result among the EVs they had tested. If you road-trip, that number matters more than the sticker. Cargo is 26 to 28 cubic feet with no frunk, against 38 in a RAV4, so a gas or hybrid used Toyota RAV4 still hauls more. The Subaru Solterra is the bZ4X's twin and shared most of its recalls, so the checks below apply to it as well.
The hub bolt recall and the buyback
This is the story everyone remembers, and it only touches early 2023 cars. On June 23, 2022, Toyota told NHTSA that the hub bolts on a wheel could loosen after low-mileage use until the wheel came off, and owners were told not to drive. Toyota's remedy notice for 22V444, dated November 2, 2022, says affected cars were built from late March to late April 2022 and get new hub bolts with washers plus improved wheels.
While owners waited, Toyota offered a loaner with fuel paid, a $5,000 credit, a warranty extension, and free EVgo charging, or a repurchase, with terms varying by state, according to CNN and Engadget. So some early cars went back to Toyota. If a 2023 shows a gap in ownership or a manufacturer buyback note on the report, ask about it, and check our Toyota recall check by VIN steps to confirm the hub work is closed.
Other recalls we found
We pulled the NHTSA recalls API for each model year on October 15, 2026. The 2023 bZ4X returned four campaigns: the hub bolts, a load-label recall (24V548) that only applies to cars with Gulf States Toyota accessories, and two that matter more. 25V577 covers 2023-2025 cars where certain HVAC faults, such as an electric compressor failure, can leave the defroster and defogger dead. Dealers update the HVAC software and inspect, and replace if needed, the compressor. 25V744 is a software fix for a rearview camera that can freeze or go blank in reverse on cars with the Panoramic View Monitor, and owner letters went out in January 2026.
The 2024 and 2025 years returned the same newer pair, minus the hub bolt recall. If you are stretching to a 2026 bZ, look it up under "BZ" rather than "BZ4X" in NHTSA's tools: it has 26V393, a battery control unit fault that can cause loss of drive power, fixed with a software update. That one is recent enough that cars on lots right now may still have it open.
Is the 2026 bZ worth the extra money
For a lot of people, yes. Toyota's 2026 bZ announcement lists a 74.7-kWh battery on most trims with up to 314 miles of estimated range, a 57.7-kWh base pack, a NACS charging port, an 11-kW onboard charger, and about 30 minutes for 10 to 80 percent under ideal conditions. Those were the weak spots of the 2023-2025 car. If the price gap on your local lots is small, the newer car is probably the smarter buy.
Battery and charging checks
C/D lists Toyota's EV component coverage at eight years or 100,000 miles. Ask a Toyota dealer to confirm what you inherit as the next owner. On the test drive, look at the range estimate at a known charge level and, if you can, try a DC fast charger and watch the kilowatts, remembering AWD cars top out lower. Our EV battery health on CARFAX post explains what a report can and cannot show, and our Toyota VIN decoder guide helps confirm FWD versus AWD, which ads often get wrong.
Pull a fresh report
A seller's PDF from 2024 will not show the 2025 defroster recall or a later repurchase. Buying direct from CARFAX usually runs $39.99 to $44.99; we sell the same report for around $5.50 without an account, about $4.50 for members, or roughly $6.75 with AutoCheck bundled in (prices move, so check the total at checkout). We resell CARFAX and AutoCheck under license and have no affiliation with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian.
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