Subaru & Toyota Have To Fix This Battery Issue Leaving bZ4X & Solterra Dead - It Happened To Me! 

I got my Subaru Solterra in late December 2022. In early July it would not start, called dealer, said it was probably the 12-volt batter. We jump-started it, then left the charger on until fully charged. OK until early August it happened again. Took it to dealer, they tested the 12-volt and found it was not holding a charge, and will replace the battery (that was yesterday, waiting for the battery to arrive and be installed). Other than that, I love my Solterra and get lots of compliments (it's red, very sharp looking). We do not pay for electricity to charge it as we have an oversized solar panel system for our house, which also provides enough power to charge the Solterra, and also some left-over to sell back to the power company - this is the only way to go for EV owners to the grid is not over-taxed by EV owners.

If only there was a massive battery in the car that could be used to recharge the 12V battery when the voltage gets low.

"the pricing is a bit too high". UNDERSTATEMENT

Majority of the 12v issues were with the first cars that were delivered because they sat for months waiting the recall. My daily driver (Solterra) has been perfectly fine. Longest I left it for was a week when I went on vacation (twice) and there was no issues when I returned either time.

Goes to show, just because you make hybrids doesnt mean you can make EVs. This effort from Toyota is embarrassing.

Great to hear the type of issues a car might have when it's new. They'll get it fix. Looking forward for the video. And great to see you getting better on your health. Cheers.

One hour for RU-vid left to process. Already late in the day so wanted to get this up! What do you guys think? Carry as 12 volt jump box with you or hope it doesn’t happen too often?

Yep, the OBD2 dongle should have very low power draw (a few milliamps at most I reckon). But it is possible that the dongle was keeping some other systems in the vehicle awake that normally are not. Not probable, but possible.

Always great info. You are an asset to the community!!

Dead 12v batteries is also a common problem on Focus Electrics. Back when I considered buying one, it was pretty sad and funny how all their service histories consisted of around 2 or 3 tow truck rides to the dealer before being sold.

Thanks for sharing your experience and advocating for a resolution!😊

love the time you spend educations us, love out of spec Dave

I"ve been driving a Hyundai Kona for 2.5 years and my Ioniq 5 now for about 1.5 years. Both cars always had an OBD2 reader plugged in 24/7/365 and I never had the 12V battery die. Both cars were/are also signed up on the recurrent website which queries the cars (typically) once a day for battery state. Again, never any issues on both of my cars.

And here I thought upgrading from my 13 year old Prius would mean I wouldn't necessarily need to keep a jumpstarter in my car for a long time... Glad to know this from Out of Spec and not finding out the hard way. Thanks!

I have a 2022 Hyundai Ioniq EV(one of the last cars produced) and I can confirm that they fixed this 12V battery issue. The DC DC inverter is coming on by itself and charges the 12V. I have the car from August 2022 and no dead battery until now. I had the car sitting for a few days and had no problems.

Think I will just keep my Model 3LR/FSD.

As the former owner of a Model S, 12v battery failure was a constant issue.

Veepeak dongles always stay on, which not only keeps many modules awake, but a live diagnostic port might prevent the auto-recharge of the 12V battery in some car brands - to avoid risk of electric shock from the HV system to the service personnel working on vehicle. A long hybrid experience...

Thanks. OBD2 plugin has a record of draining the 12v in some UK EVs but usually over 24hours+.

Very interesting because, we own our 4th Prius. At times we will come out to the Prius and the main power battery will be down to one bar out of 5 bars. It has always started but this sounds similar to your issue? Hope you have very little pain! Love the videos.

I hope you feel better!!!

In IONIQ 5 loads of owners have had same issue, related to Bluelink, I believe. However my understanding is that ~ no one has a problem as long as they keep the car from sitting for extended periods of time under 30% SoC. I’ve never once had the issue.

that 12v jump starter is handy regardless of car you drive 👍 ( compact , rechargeable tire inflator as well 😊)

I always have my trusty jump starters in my vehicles at all times. I have used them a few times for myself but often times when I see someone struggling at a store, or on and off ferries here in WA. I can quickly attach and press the button and they're off. I use a 3000mah matco tools jumper. I spent the last few weeks in a Soltera as my Ascent was repaired and no real issues (range could be better and at 6'4 the roof is a bit short for me) but had my jumper still. I am going to ask my significant other who works for Subaru and see if they have a fix. I actually am considering trading my Ascent and getting a Soltera so now I'm wanting more info

I had a similar issue with my e-Golf as I left the OBD dongle plugged in. It kept many control-devices powered on and didn’t let them go to sleep. After unplugging it, it had no problem at all. So really possible it’s the OBD dongle, not by itself but by the effects it has on the car.

It’s an issue on the BYD Atto 3 too. They released a software update fix, which has helped, but people are still experiencing it.

My 2020 RAV4 hybrid did this to me regularly. To the point where I always carried a jump pack with me, which saved me from being stranded several times.

I had the same on my VW 2023 ID.4 Pro-awd with the obd2 adapter plugged in, I recall when the battery registed as being low it came up with a choice to have the high voltage battery maintain a charge level. I clicked yes, but it was too long ago to precisely recall what it said, but it seemed to make sense at the time. I wonder if keeping the adapter plugged in but not turning off the app keeps some monitors running and as such draining the 12V battery.......not sure but turning the app off after use and haven't seen the issue again but admit I do remove the adapter more frequently now.

Kyle, I have been hearing the Kia EV6 is also been having a 12V problem. I hope Kia gets their’s fixed soon because I have one on order. Question: did you ever do a full review of the 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV (that you “promised” a year ago)? I haven’t been able to find it. The Prestige version is on my wish list for our travel car. It will replace a 2015 Lexus RX350.

Oh heck, my old 2012 Leaf drains the 12-volt if I leave the charge cable attached for any period. Found that out the hard way. I'm sure Toyota will get it sorted.

These 12v issues on EVs remind me of how RC cars used to be before they devised how to power everything off the 'big' battery. The BEC (battery eliminator circuit) would negate the need to lug another cluster of AA's in your car like back in the 80's (or a Nitro vehicle), when you already have a 6 or 7 cell NiCad or NiMH. Now everything runs off one big battery pack through the ESC. Why haven't the big car manufacturers figured this out yet?

Had mine 3 weeks and my 12v died! Had to have it replaced… I blamed it on sitting at port for 8 months!

Just because the OBD reader uses a low amount of energy, it could be keeping other modules alive, draining the battery. The DCDCs should still kick in though.

My Kia Niro EV 2019, after three years ownership, its 12v battery just died overnight... Had to recharge it to full and hopefully it will maintain decent charge for foreseeable future. (Took it to my dealer and they tested it and said battery was good, go figure).

Toyota had the same issue on the latest Sienna (2021) during the early release, "VAMPIRE ISSUE" . They were able to correct the problem the following year.

Apparently "it's probably the 12v" is a universal EV problem. It was a notorious issue with the BMW i3 community after 3-5 years of ownership or a harsh winter.

My 2022 Kia NIro EV had this issue and it drained the battery so many times I ended up having to replace the 12v because it got to a point where it could no longer hold a charge.

Dang. I just got a powerful local pain killer injection when I got my wisdom teeth removed. A lot of crunching sounds, micro buzz saw sounds.

Thank you for a great explanation.

Have you done an update on the Bz4X since the latest software update? Seeing other reviews say that many of the earlier issues have been addressed.

The same thing happen to my ICE rav4 , it’s their telematics / always connected services. It’s always hunting for connections and created a battery drain. Looks like them starting to create the subscription service model is impacting their reliability cred.

Dude, do you ever slow down? You have a cold and have just come out of surgery. The energy is pretty impressive.

Early etrons drained the 12V battery for several situations like leaving the L2 plug in for too long after charging ended.

Toyota wants people to have reasons not to buy EVs - wheels falling off, poor charging performance, dead 12 V battery. Expect more problems very soon.

Had this problem with Kona at just over two years. Put a new different 12V batt in, has not happened again. Tip, carry the 12V backup lithium as suggested, but don't buy cheep. £70 minimum cost for a quality one.

You know what, my new tesla model 3 did this to me on week 1 also. Now the car is at service center

The BMW i3 got the 12V top up feature only later in life by software update.

When are you going to test the Iconiq 5 on the 10% challenge?

One time the battery was drained in our RX450h, I think it was because that the cover of the mirror on the sun visor was not closed.

I understand that the IONIQ 5 was due to persistent polling of the vehicle remotely while parked. The use of the 12VDC battery to support this communication was over the top and Hyundai restricted that. I have found my 12VDC charging while the vehicle had been idle for some time so my guess is the latest update to the 2023 vehicle (a month ago) has tightened up that behind the scenes charging. Those early days rush to market issues I’m so thankful to have missed. I understand the need to get the IONIQ 5 in S Korea before the Tesla’s were unloaded at the port but here is the residual historical blemish that is no longer affecting any updated units. 💯

Model X Plaid 2022. Went on a long vacation. Left car at hotel and with sentry mode enabled the car 16v battery died. Then when I jump started it, I stayed in the car for an hour to allow it to charge. Came back the next day. Died again... I did not have access to a wall charger to keep things flowing but the SoC was 60%.

Hi I have the same obd 2 diagnostic dongle in my 2015 VW e Golf with the original AGM battery and I have never had a problem and I never lost a wheel 😂 at least the BZ4X is reliable oups! I just forgot the recall and the dead battery.

Could by any chance a buyer from MENA region have an update of the car to run car play on it as well having the screen all English?

Well...we have the same issue with our Toyota Highlander Hybrid, so not holding up hope that Toyota will address it anytime soon. And discovered that people are afraid to help jump the car, so we keep a portable jumper in the car. It's been an issue for close to 15 years. We had the problem in our 2009 Highlander Hybrid and in the newer 2022 Highlander Hybrid. The first time it happened I "jumped" it with an old computer PSU. It just needed enough power to initialize the computer to engage the high voltage to 12v converter.

Kyle, I live in the UK. My Mum had a Yaris hybrid and this happened to her car no less than three times. She has now got rid of her Yaris hybrid and gone back to petrol engined car.

Funny, I watched this video last night. Today I went out to try to start my Prius Prime and suffered the same problem; I had not been doing anything which should have drained the battery and the car is only three months old.

I wonder if a previous reviewer let the 12V battery go totally dead somehow , thus killing the 12V battery. Once that happens, they will charge up again but barely have any capacity.

Picking up the Lexus Monday or Tuesday 😬

I had same issue with my BZ4x, why is it not charging if you drive it? Is one day of parking going to drain the battery? I parked the car for 3 days, I tried to start the car and a lot weird things like flickering and light flashing, when you push brake, it was kicking your feet back randomly. I got malfunction error after 10 minutes driving outside the dealership on the same day I bought it.

Did the wheels fall off too? They were last year.

I got a Gooloo 2000A after watching Project Farm testing. Half the price of this Egwo. Works great as a power bank for camping.

I have never experienced this with my 2012 Nissan LEAF. I swapped the 12v battery at 9 years as it failed the test when being serviced.

BZ4X where I come from costs around 42500 USD and am still buying one.

Geez. From all the negative reviews and the fact that Toyota has been clearly anti - ev, is there any chance they made a bad ev on purpose? I know people exaggerate issues for clicks but this seems like a class action lawsuit waiting to happen based on all the negative media coverage.

Sounds a lot like the ioniq 5 issue a lot of people are having. I have an ioniq 5 but haven’t experienced it yet

I have a 2018 Kia Niro hybrid and it doesn't have a 12v battery, instead a section of the 48v battery for the hybrid drive train is sectioned off for the 12v system and in the event that it is depleted there is a 12v reset button that will use the main battery to recharge it. Why don't all the EV makers do this?

This was happening to me with my RAV4 plug-in when it went back to the dealer for investigation they said the rear window was down ever so slightly triggering the immobiliser, thus draining the 12v battery I’ve had no problems ever since.

I drive a Nissan Leaf which I replaced the 12v lead acid battery with a battle born lithium 12v battery never had this problem since then. They are trying to save a few dollars to keep using that old lead acid technology. The new Tesla's now have a very small lithium battery but they must have software to charge the 12v even if the car is "off".

I own a Mini SE and over the last couple weeks I have been seeing a lot of dead battery posts in our forums. Not sure why but a bunch of owners are having batteries replaced within the first year of ownership...

Yup our solterra 12v battery died, they replaced it. Edited: we did not have any accessory like OBD2.reader or anything. Also, this is after the 'patch'. When you mention the AWD system- and in many other reviews i dont see it mentioned either- the AWD system that actually works really well in eneven road conditions actually is *always* useful in inclement weather, on the road. So this is a safe EV. Arguably one of the safest from that point of view.

I have the Bz4x and its battery was dead and took it in to the six month inspection dealership. Rogers Toyota. Lewiston service rider. Said ok will look into it. I get the car back he didn’t even write it down. So no check on it. Going back today and complain they took my $89 to change my turn signal to five flashes and didn’t tell me that was going to be a charge. Not to happy on two accounts

I wonder why they didn’t throw the solar roof option that is on the prime on this? Wouldn’t it have made more sense ?

I have the Bz4x and its battery was dead and took it in to the six month inspection dealership. Rogers Toyota. Lewiston service rider. Said ok will look into it. I get the car back he didn’t even write it down. So no check on it. Going back today and complain they took my $89 to change my turn signal to five flashes and didn’t tell me that was going to be a charge. Not to happy on two accounts Mine was 6.4v

and to top it off it disabled charging after like 4 full fast charges in a row??

Alot of BYD Atto 3 have premature dead 12v batteries as well

I find it interesting that the bz4x and Id3 both seemed to have the same phantom battery drain, I wonder if it’s the same part share ?

does the lexus 450e have this problem?

Many EV has that issue, the Ioniq 5 is known for having problem with its 12v battery

I haven’t had a dead car in the morning but I have killed the 12v charging my phone w the heated seat on with the car not in READY

I owned (briefly) a 2022 Kona EV that had 12v Battery issues, this is not new with EV's and should not really be a problem anymore, good lord do these manufacturers, you know, plan? Thanks for the videos!

I’ve had my Solterra since the end of last year. Since I travel away from home often, it sometimes sits for 2 weeks without use. I’ve not had any issues with this issue or the car at all. Love the Solterra!

Happened to me last week in my Ariya although by time the tow truck came (luckily I was already at home) the next morning it was good to go and corrected itself I guess. Haven't had any problems so far although I do long drives and going to Idaho in a few weeks for work so I need to know how to access my 12v. I heard all we have to do is unplug for 5 min and plug it back in. It's in the trunk supposedly but have no idea where. If anyone has an Ariya and knows and has some insight please let me know.

15-20% SoC on HV battery seems like too low for these 'legacy auto maker' On ioniq 5, it stop supplying 12V when HV battery at 18% on park, idk with newer software, but that's what happened last year

My ICE Subaru drains quickly too, although not overnight (a few weeks, and not to 0, but enough to need a jump)

I have read that this is built FOR Toyota by BYD? Do you know?

I had the same problem one time. I had left the headlights on. Operator error! Be sure to either put the headlights in auto or off. Not Toyota's problem.

For Hyundai/Kia/Genesis, the 12V accessory battery will recharge if the main traction battery is above 30%. It looks like the same is so for the bz4x. Since you left the car at a low 20% SOC, this make sense why the 12V didn't recharge (because of the % recharge threshold). Not convenient at all, but you might have been the one that killed the battery by not determining what that minimum % SOC should be when you leave that car sitting.

I currently own the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 limited. I’ve had it since November 4. Knock on wood so far so good. I originally reserved the Solterra in February 2022. Had to cancel due to the recall on a potential wheels falling off issue. This would’ve been my 6th Subaru. I’m still a Subaru fan. Subaru and Toyota started late on the EV bandwagon. Both vehicles have a ton of great features, but lacks range and rapid charging time. Till they get their act together, I might reconsider in the future. This has been a total embarrassment. I travel from Baltimore to New York often and these 2 vehicles would’ve been a disaster. Low range and long rapid charging time. I’ve taken the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to to New York and back to Baltimore with no problems. The 12 volt issue I haven’t experienced since it happened on the 2022 model year. I think Hyundai may have fixed the problem on the 2023 models.

VW replaced/ing a lot of 12v batteries in the 1st Ed’s when updating from ID 2.x to 3.0/3.1. Same sort of problem?? Assuming that it is, or why would VW judge the 12v batteries NEEDED replacement with in all of the 2021s being updated for s/w.

Thank you for this review. It is a great help for those considering a purchase. Toyota is really struggling to get into the EV space. For a company known for its quality, they don't appear to be able to deliver an EV that can be trusted. Fortunately, this defect should be easy to fix. Nevertheless, they are slipping on quality control and need to do better. In the near term, Toyota electrics will need to be carefully scrutinized. Thankfully, we have channels like yours that will cut through the hype and put consumers on alert for problems.

I keep that exact same OBD sensor in my ID4 all day every day and it has never drained the 12v

It was a problem with my 2012 Chevy Volt as well.

Battery Zero 4 eXtended downtime

I own a 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL which has been sitting at Hyundai service dept. since Oct. 31, 2022 and is still there. Yup - dead 12v situation. Not that rare if you are on the Hyundai Ioniq forum. I had the car for exactly (to the day) 7 months when the 12v died, and on May 31, it will have been at Hyundai for 7 months. Only had 1,170 miles when battery died. I went the Lemon Law route, and even with a law firm I am still waiting for a settlement, which may come next week. I of course paid a dealer markup ($3,500) along with a dealer fee (Florida) of $900. I will be getting the entire amount I paid for the car which makes me feel really good, as I was mad as hell I had to pay a markup. I had previously purchased 4 Sonata's from this dealer, and also a Genesis G80, but no loyalty from them. They even told me if I didn't want to pay their fees, the guy behind me will, and I'm sure that was true. I have a portable jumper similar to the one Kyle is using which I used to jump my car to bring it to the shop so they didn't have to flatbed it. Without a doubt, everyone with an ev should carry one of these. During the 7 months my LL suit has been running, I've had an ICE loaner from the dealer. I purchased a Tesla in March, as I didn't think this mess would take so long. It's been sitting in my garage since Mar. 21, as I'd rather put miles on the loaner. Anxious to have my claim settle so I can start to drive my Tesla. It is very sad that no one at the dealer is experienced enough to find the cause of the parasitic drain. I think they called some experts in also, but to no avail. As far as I know, not one person on the Hyundai Ioniq forum has had this problem diagnosed, and their cars sit at the dealer just like mine. It shouldn't take 7 months to settle a LL claim, especially when the problem is so well known by Hyundai. Even with my new Tesla, I will be carrying by portable battery jump pack - just in case. The problem with Hyundai is that they use a cheap12v lead acid battery, while Tesla uses a 15 or 16v lithium ion. I bet Toyota uses lead acid also, as it is much cheaper for them.

8:05 I wish EV's were smart enough to engage the Main Pack. My Tesla Model 3's battery just died, andI got locked out, had to jump it, etc. I agree, it seems like the 12volt system should be able to detect dropping voltage and engage the main battery automatically to prevent this, and just give you a warning that 12v needs to be replaced.

Rushed and half-baked platform. Also, 360p Kyle? 🤔

did they fix it?

If I had an electric car, battery temp, individual cell condition, Amp hour left (main battery ),motor temp, 12v battery condition, and ambient temp. Forget all the computer, wifi, and play toys on the screen!

12:52 I want the car to tell me what it is doing. Consumers should have knowledge of how their machine works and what it is doing, if they want to know.

We carry a 12v starter like that in all our cars and trucks. Great little devices. But should be un-necessary in an EV!