"Shocking Quality": Chinese-Made Car Loses Both Rear Wheels on the Road

Chinese automaker Chery Automobile's SUV "Omoda 5"
Malaysian authorities suspend new vehicle registrations

An accident occurred when the rear axle of an Omoda 5 SUV exported to Malaysia by Chinese automaker Chery detached while the vehicle was being driven.

An accident occurred on the 6th in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, near Singapore, when the rear axle and wheels detached from the body of a 2023 Chery Omoda 5 SUV. Facebook screengrab.

According to Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao on October 13, Malaysian Road Transport Department Director-General Eddie Fadli raised concerns about the safety of Chery's Omoda 5 in a statement on October 11.

Earlier, on October 6, the rear axle of a 2023 Omoda 5 detached from the vehicle's body in Johor Bahru, Malaysia's second-largest city, near Singapore, taking both rear wheels with it. No one was injured, but footage of the incident spread online through social media, sparking debate over the vehicle's safety.

In an apology statement on October 11, Chery acknowledged that the welds on the rear axle were not strong enough. It said it would recall 8,878 Omoda 5 vehicles exported to Malaysia and inspect the same vehicles in China and other markets.

This is not the first time a Chery vehicle's axle has detached. In April 2024, just one month after the Omoda 5 went on sale in Malaysia, a rear axle failure was reported. At the time, Malaysian authorities opted not to ban sales, instead recalling 600 vehicles for inspection and ordering the rear axles to be replaced on 60 vehicles fitted with the faulty parts. Now, two and a half years later, the same problem with the same welds has recurred in the same area.

Following the latest incident, Malaysia's Road Transport Department said it would suspend vehicle type approvals (VTA) and new vehicle registrations for the Omoda 5. It also said it would conduct technical audits of production and assembly plants and suppliers of rear-axle parts.

Quality concerns surrounding Chinese cars are not limited to Chery. On October 8, footage emerged showing the brake pedal of Huawei's luxury multipurpose vehicle (MPV), the Maestro V800, breaking during a test drive. On October 12, Zhejiang Propaganda, a social media account run by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party's Zhejiang Provincial Committee, issued a commentary criticizing public opinion that portrayed the incident as an attempt by some people to "smear Chinese-made cars."

China's domestic car market is currently in decline, with retail sales falling amid the exhaustion of subsidies and high fuel prices, leaving automakers increasingly reliant on exports. Chery is also heavily dependent on overseas markets. Its premium brands, Omoda and JAECOO, are sold in 77 countries worldwide. Their cumulative global sales have exceeded 1.3 million vehicles, and exports from January to September this year totaled 1.55 million, up 65.6% from the same period last year. In particular, September exports of 207,800 vehicles set a monthly record for China's auto industry.

Meanwhile, the European Union recently reached an agreement with China's Ministry of Commerce to impose an annual quota of 350,000 units on Chinese-made hybrid vehicles, a move expected to narrow export opportunities. The EU plans to introduce the quota system as early as December 1. China is also set to lower the export VAT rebate rate for new-energy vehicles from 13% to 9% starting in April next year. These developments have led to assessments that China's automotive industry is facing a crisis.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.