BYD admits wheel assembly error on its flagship electric SUV

BYD has apologized for an assembly mistake affecting some units of its newly released Great Tang — or Datang, as it's called in China — electric SUV. According to Bloomberg, several owners complained that the wider wheel rims that were supposed to be installed on the rear of the vehicle were installed on the front. Meanwhile, the narrower wheel rims for the front of the car were installed on the back instead.

The Chinese electric automaker has posted its apology on social network Weibo, explaining that it launched an investigation after getting complaints from owners. Apparently, it traced the problem to its Hubei-based wheel mesh assembly supplier. BYD said it has already fixed the issue, and the supplier has also added a visual inspection mechanism on the production line, so that future vehicles will no longer be affected.

BYD didn't say how many vehicles were affected by the assembly error, but it said that there was no safety risk associated with the wheels being installed the wrong way. Even so, it will replace the wheel rims of the those vehicles for free and will also offer their owners a replacement vehicle or compensation for what they will spend on transportation while their Great Tang SUVs are being repaired. In addition, the company will restart their vehicle's warranty period.

The company unveiled the Great Tang SUV in March, with prices starting at around $40,000. It received 150,000 orders in its home country. BYD is planning to release the electric vehicle in European and Asian markets outside China by the end of this year or in early 2027.