The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2025–2026
GAC Toyota's bZ7: a Bluetooth module that can shift the car into N at speed
Faulty Bluetooth software could send rogue commands and drop the car from D to N mid-drive. 39,552 EVs recalled; the fix is an OTA update.
GAC Toyota · 2026-08-01
What happened
The bZ7 is GAC Toyota's pure-electric sedan for China. Units built between October 28, 2025 and mid-2026 carried two software defects, and on August 1, 2026, GAC Toyota began recalling 39,552 of them under two plans filed with the State Administration for Market Regulation.
In 15,266 cars (plan S2026M0083V), the smart Bluetooth module's software could, under specific conditions, send abnormal commands to the vehicle control module — the car shifts itself from D to N while driving, and power cuts out mid-road. In 24,286 more (S2026M0084V), the thermal-management controller's strategy was incomplete: after power-on, the A/C compressor and water heater could stop, and in extreme cases defrost and defog performance drops, blinding the driver through the windshield.
The remedy is software: a free over-the-air upgrade first, and a dealer visit for the cars OTA cannot reach. No crashes reported — the cost is 39,552 cars whose drivetrain listened to a Bluetooth module.
Why it happened
- The Bluetooth module's software could send abnormal commands to the vehicle control module — the car drops from D to N and loses drive power mid-road; 15,266 units, plan S2026M0083V
- A second defect in 24,286 units: the thermal controller could stop the compressor and water heater after power-on, killing defrost and defog in extreme cases
- Recall began Aug 1, 2026 with an OTA fix — the cars that cannot take the update go to a dealer; 39,552 vehicles built Oct 2025–Jul 2026, four months on sale
The lesson
The infotainment stack now touches the drivetrain — a Bluetooth module's bad command became a coasting car. Software recall logic applies: the bug ships to every customer.
Sources
spotted an error? The club wants to know.
More like this
EX30's battery: dendrites that made Volvo cap the charge at 70%
Chery's best-selling sedan topped China's 315 complaint list for quality defects
WM Motor's EX5: cheap cells, three fires, and a recall that began the slide to bankruptcy
Somewhere, someone solved the problem this company failed at. 2nd Opinion →
Comments · 0
Sign in to join the comments.