Chinese automaker BYD apologized after some of its Great Tang electric SUVs were fitted with front and rear wheel in the wrong positions, blaming the mix-up on a supplier's coding error.
BYD said Wednesday on its Weibo account that an investigation found its wheel-rim supplier, Hubei Biaoyu Industrial, had entered incorrect product codes, causing some vehicles to be fitted with the wrong rims.
The automaker said it had fixed the coding error, while the supplier had introduced additional visual inspections to prevent similar mistakes.
BYD said its own inspections found that the incorrectly installed rims didn't affect vehicle handling or pose a driving safety risk. The company saidit would offer affected owners free inspections and wheel-rim replacements at its service centers.
BYD also said it would restart the full-vehicle warranty period for affected cars, effective immediately.
The problem came to light after owners raised concerns online, with some questioning whether the mix-up could cause uneven tire wear or affect driving safety. BYD didn't disclose how many vehicles were affected or which production batches were involved.
The incident comes as China's automakers face growing scrutiny over vehicle quality and durability.
China's auto sales fell again in October amid weak domestic demand. Retail passenger-car sales dropped 27.1% from a year earlier to 1.64 million units, according to the China Passenger Car Association. China's auto market is entering a "knockout stage," Nomura analysts said in a recent note, adding that further consolidation and industry cooperation is becoming increasingly necessary to restore sentiment.
Comments