BYD apologizes after supplier coding error causes wrong wheel rims on Da Tang EV SUVs

• BYD said a supplier's code entry error caused the incorrect installation and will provide free inspections and wheel rim swaps.
• The company said testing found no impact on handling or driving safety, but has not disclosed the number of affected vehicles.

BYD (HKEX: 1211) has apologized for incorrectly installing front and rear wheel rims on some Da Tang EV SUVs, pledging free fixes and restarting the affected vehicles' full-vehicle warranties effective immediately.

Several owners had reported that the BYD flagship SUV's front and rear wheel rims were installed in the wrong positions, drawing widespread attention on Chinese social media.

The Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) giant said in a statement on Wednesday that its investigation traced the issue to a code entry error by wheel rim subassembly supplier Hubei Boyu Industrial Co Ltd, which led to incorrect installation on some vehicles.

The company said it immediately began inspections and corrected the codes to prevent the issue from recurring in subsequent batches. It also worked with the supplier to introduce visual error prevention systems and other safeguards on the production line.

BYD said dedicated testing showed that the affected vehicles' handling was unaffected and that there were no driving safety risks. The statement did not disclose the number of vehicles or production batches involved.

The company will invite affected owners to local service centers for free vehicle inspections and wheel rim swaps, while providing loaner vehicles or reimbursement for transportation expenses.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this incident has caused owners," BYD said in the statement, pledging a comprehensive review and continued corrective action with its supplier.

Owners who raised complaints said the Da Tang EV version with 20-inch rims uses different rim and tire widths at the front and rear, but some vehicles had their front and rear rims installed in the wrong positions.

According to the owners, the factory specification calls for 8J×20 rims with 255/50R20 tires at the front and 9J×20 rims with 275/45R20 tires at the rear. The affected vehicles had the front and rear rim widths reversed.

The assembly issue comes as the Da Tang EV becomes an important contributor to BYD's sales in the large electric SUV segment.

The Da Tang recorded sales of 14,000 vehicles in October, bringing cumulative sales from June 17 through October 31 to 54,222, according to a poster released earlier this month by Lu Tian, general manager of BYD's Dynasty lineup sales division.

Lu said in a November 3 Weibo post that the Da Tang had sold more than 10,000 vehicles a month for 4 consecutive months, and that the company was increasing production capacity to accelerate deliveries.

The Da Tang EV went on sale in China on June 17 as the first D-segment flagship SUV in BYD's Dynasty lineup, featuring a 7-seat configuration arranged in a 2+2+3 layout.

At launch, the model was offered in 4 variants priced from 239,900 yuan ($35,700) to 309,900 yuan, equipped with second-generation Blade Battery and flash charging technology.