BYD recalls 183,000 cars in China over brake pedal issue

BYD is recalling 183,211 electric cars of the Qin and Tang series in China because of a potentially faulty component in the brake pedal. In worst case scenarios, this could cause the brake lights to remain permanently activated. Nio has also been hit with recalls, and has to retrofit several hundred Firefly models due to a problem with the power steering.

The BYD Tang model year 2022 is also affected by the recall.

Image: Johannes Schleicher & Felix Hamer

China’s market regulator, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), said the BYD recall affects vehicles from the Qin and Tang model ranges produced between 2014 and 2022. According to _Reuters_, a manufacturing defect in a batch of brake pedal stop buffers may risk these tearing or detaching over time.

In extreme cases, this could cause the brake lights to remain illuminated even when the brake pedal is not pressed. Other road users might mistakenly assume the vehicle is braking, which is why the authority considers this a safety risk. BYD will replace the affected components free of charge at authorised dealers.

The measure follows just weeks after an exceptionally large wave of recalls in the Chinese automotive market. In August, the SAMR announced actions involving a total of eleven manufacturers. Over four million vehicles were affected by issues related to the visibility or operability of mechanical door emergency releases, including models from Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, and Zeekr. The current BYD recall is not technically related.

After a weaker start to the year, BYD is back on a growth trajectory. In August, the manufacturer sold 440,293 New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) worldwide, including pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids. With 256,230 battery-electric passenger cars, BYD exceeded the milestone of a quarter of a million BEVs in a single month for the first time. While sales in the domestic Chinese market recently fell below the previous year’s level, export business, in particular, saw significant growth.

In parallel with the BYD recall, the SAMR announced another measure affecting Nio. A total of 686 Firefly-branded electric vehicles are impacted by a manufacturing defect in a steering system component, which could, in extreme cases, lead to the failure of the electric power steering assist. Nio will inspect the affected vehicles and, if necessary, replace the faulty wiring harness free of charge.