BYD apologises for wheel-rim error as China cracks down on car quality issues

BYD has apologised for an assembly error that caused some of its electric cars in China to be fitted with incorrect wheel rims, as Beijing ramps up scrutiny of quality issues in the country’s car industry.

The world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that a supplier had installed the front and rear wheel rims in reverse on some of its Tang model SUVs, offering free replacements to affected owners.

The company said it had conducted safety tests after several owners reported the issue, which found the reversed wheel rims did not compromise vehicle handling or present any driving safety risks.

China’s EV makers have faced a string of embarrassing headlines over vehicle quality issues in recent months, from bent batteries in GAC Group’s Aion S sedan to brake pedal failures in a car made by the Huawei Technologies-backed Maextro during testing in October.

Chinese authorities, led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), have taken several measures to tighten scrutiny over carmakers since August, launching a one-year inspection tour and introducing a new guidance to prevent brands from developing new models too fast.

In mid-October, MIIT and two other ministries set up a joint investigation team to look into Maextro’s brake pedal issue.

“It’s a reasonable shift for China’s EV industry from volume to quality after years of rapid growth,” said Yale Zhang, managing director at the consultancy Automotive Foresight in Shanghai. “If the quality isn’t there, sales of Chinese cars will eventually be compromised down the line.”

Chinese EV makers – from BYD to Geely – are doubling down on exports to offset weakening sales in the domestic market, with overseas deliveries soaring to a record 582,000 in October, nearly 145 per cent higher than a year earlier.

BYD had lifted its overseas sales target again to 1.8 million this year, said Li Yunfei, general manager of BYD’s brand and public relations department, in a recent interview.

The Shenzhen-based carmaker promised any owners affected by the wheel rim error would receive a free vehicle inspection and wheel replacement service, as well as a reset on their vehicle warranties.