Risk of electrical failure leads BYD to recall 89,000 cars in China
Asian manufacturer BYD, which currently occupies the position of largest producer of electrified vehicles on the planet, issued an official statement to recall 88,981 units of the Qin Plus DM-i plug-in hybrid sedan in the Chinese market. The safety measure was adopted after the identification of a critical vulnerability in lithium battery packs, which could compromise the car’s operation and put occupants in danger. The batch affected by this recall includes examples assembled on the automaker’s production lines between January 2021 and September 2023. This specific model is one of the brand’s sales pillars in its country of origin, competing directly with traditional combustion sedans and being fundamental to the company’s energy transition strategy.
Understand the technical defect affecting the energy management system
The recall process was formalized with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the main government body responsible for monitoring the quality and safety of products sold in China. According to technical reports submitted to the agency, the root of the problem lies in an inconsistency during the manufacturing of the electrical harness responsible for acquiring battery voltage data. This variation in the assembly line causes the cables to experience abnormal mechanical pressure within the high voltage compartment. With the natural vibrations of daily use and the passage of time, the component suffers premature wear, which directly affects the system’s durability.
More on this story: Battery failure forces BYD to recall almost 90,000 units of the Qin Plus sedan in China
The main consequence of this physical degradation is the interruption or distortion of information sent to the Battery Management System (BMS), which acts as the brain of the electrical assembly. When the BMS receives incorrect readings about the state of charge or health of individual cells, the software can make poor decisions to protect the system. In practice, this means that the electric motor can suffer an abrupt power cut, resulting in the vehicle in motion suddenly stopping. In highway or fast-moving traffic scenarios, this loss of traction drastically increases the risk of rear-end collisions. Furthermore, the manufacturer warned that, in extreme situations, failure in thermal and electrical monitoring could trigger overheating events, increasing the danger of fires.
Repair strategy combines remote upgrade and physical parts replacement
To mitigate the risks and resolve the design flaw, the automaker’s engineering team structured an action plan divided into two complementary fronts. The first stage of the repair takes advantage of the connectivity of modern vehicles and will be carried out completely digitally, through a remote software update, known in the automotive sector as Over-The-Air (OTA). The new data package aims to refine the power management system’s algorithms. With this reprogramming, the on-board computer becomes capable of identifying anomalies in the wiring harness reading much more quickly and accurately, issuing visual and audible alerts on the instrument panel before a power cut occurs.
The second phase of the safety protocol requires the manual intervention of specialized mechanics. Owners will need to take their cars to an authorized in-network dealer for a thorough inspection of the high voltage compartment. During the procedure, technicians will evaluate the physical integrity of the wiring harness. If any non-conformity, excessive wear or structural damage to the cables is detected, the component will be replaced at no cost to the consumer. The company has committed to paying all expenses for parts and labor, ensuring that the fleet returns to operating within its original factory standards.
The service schedule and guidelines for drivers follow a strict communication flow to ensure maximum adherence to the safety campaign:
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- Active notification of owners through the brand’s official app and direct messages in the cars’ multimedia systems.
- Availability of an online tool on the manufacturer’s website to check the chassis (VIN), allowing you to confirm whether the vehicle belongs to the defective batch.
- Gradual release of software update downloads, which requires the car to be parked and connected to a stable 4G or 5G network.
- Mandatory prior scheduling for in-person inspections at workshops, avoiding overcrowding in the service network and optimizing repair time.
Recent history points to challenges in large-scale quality control
The recall of the Qin Plus DM-i sedan is not an isolated event on the Asian company’s recent calendar. The rapid gain in scale in global production has exposed the brand to logistical and quality control challenges typical of automakers experiencing exponential growth. Just in October of the previous year, the company had already recalled more than 115 thousand units of Tang DM-i and Yuan Pro sports utility vehicles. At that time, the defect was also concentrated in the battery system and involved a potential risk of fire, requiring a quick response from the technical assistance network.
Learn more: Serious battery failure forces BYD to recall almost 90,000 cars
A month earlier, in September, another security call mobilized owners of Dolphin and Yuan Plus models, totaling more than 96 thousand affected cars. The problem in that campaign was related to a component of the power converter that tended to overheat during prolonged use. Adding together the three recall campaigns carried out within a few months, the volume of brand vehicles that needed to be returned to the workshops exceeds the mark of 300 thousand units. This scenario reflects the complexity of the electric vehicle supply chain and the pressure to maintain mechanical reliability amid aggressive manufacturing targets.
Strict government oversight contrasts with historic sales records
The Chinese automotive market, consolidated as the largest and most competitive in the world in the new energy segment, has come under increasing scrutiny from local authorities. SAMR and other regulatory bodies have intensified audits of production lines following past incidents involving several brands in the sector. The safety of lithium-ion batteries has become a state priority. The government requires industry giants such as BYD, CATL and CALB to maintain standards of excellence in assembly uniformity and control software integrity. Beijing’s objective is to shield the reputation of national technology, ensuring the confidence of domestic consumers and sustaining the country’s leadership in global exports of electric cars.
Despite the significant volume of calls for repairs, the manufacturer’s commercial performance remains unshakable and continues to break successive records. The financial reports for the month of October revealed that the company sold more than 441 thousand vehicles worldwide, consolidating robust growth compared to the same period of the previous year. The driving force behind this impressive commercial result continues to be the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) line, which registered more than 214 thousand registrations, representing a 31% jump in sales.
The 100% electric vehicle (BEV) segment also demonstrated vigor, reaching the mark of 223 thousand units delivered to customers. The massive preference for hybrid models highlights a clear trend among Chinese consumers, who seek the economy and efficiency of electric motors for urban traffic, but still value the safety of the extended autonomy provided by the fuel tank on long journeys. This diversified portfolio strategy has guaranteed the automaker a dominant position in the market, absorbing the negative impacts of recalls through a production volume that dilutes warranty costs and maintains public loyalty.
