BYD Apologises After Great Tang Wheel Rims Fitted Wrongly

Chinese carmaker BYD has apologised after a supplier coding error caused the front and rear wheel rims to be fitted the wrong way around on some of its flagship Great Tang electric SUVs, also known as the Da Tang.

BYD Great Tang Wheel Rim Mix-Up

The error, traced to supplier Hubei Boyu Industrial Co., Ltd, saw the wider rear-wheel rims mounted at the front and the narrower front rims at the back, giving the wheels an unusual look.

A video of a BYD SUV with a wheel sitting at an odd angle has since spread widely on social media, with some posts joking about the footage or raising fears of axle or suspension damage.

BYD issued the apology on Nov 11 and said it immediately launched an investigation and fixed the problem so newly built vehicles will not be affected, Electrek reported. The supplier has added a new visual error-prevention check. BYD did not say how many vehicles were affected.

Free Inspections and Warranty Restart

BYD said internal testing showed the swapped rims did not affect handling or pose a driving safety risk.

Owners can take affected cars to service centres for free inspections and rim replacements, and BYD said the full-vehicle warranty for affected owners will be restarted. Electrek reported the company is also offering a replacement vehicle or compensation for transport costs.

More than 10,000 Great Tang SUVs have been sold since the model went on sale, with over 150,000 preorders, according to Electrek.

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