BYD Issues Recall On Flagship SUV Because The Wheels Were On Backwards
That seems like a basic thing to get right
BYD has made a great snafu with their Great Tang SUV in China. The company admitted that it had incorrectly installed wheels in the opposite way to how they should have, with some cars leaving the factory with the rear rims on the front, and vice versa.
While there was no safety risk, according to the company, it comes at a time when the Chinese automaker is coming under increased scrutiny as it pushes into new markets and continues to expand its lineup of cars aggressively in overseas regions.
Last month, the BYD Shark 6 faced a recall in Australia over a spare wheel support that could potentially fall off, causing a danger to motorists. Meanwhile, earlier this week, court-appointed bailiffs acting on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover raided BYD's Netherlands offices, highlighting similarities between the BYD Ti7 and the reborn Defender.
A supplier-side issue
BYD hasn't revealed how many Great Tang EVs were affected, but has communicated via its Weibo account that wheels will be replaced by the company, with warranty periods being restarted from 11 November, 2026. There was no effect on safety or handling either, according to the company, which did its own unspecified tests.
BYD attributed the error to an issue in coding, and has since taken steps to rectify the problem, as well as add additional visual inspections to the production line.
The all-electric Great Tang itself is planned for a global rollout soon. Roughly the size of a standard-wheelbase Lincoln Navigator, the Great Tang has already proved a hit within China. Priced at around $37,000, over 100,000 reservations were reported before it went on sale, with 14,000 deliveries already made. It sits at the top of BYD's Dynasty line of cars, which has already seen some models — such as the recently revealed Atto 8 (Tang L in China) — make their way overseas.