Who will take care of these safety hazards in the purchased vehicles?

In the past two months, there has been a significant increase in the recall of new energy vehicles.

On October 17th, an announcement from the State Administration for Market Regulation showed that BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd. filed a recall plan involving two models, the 2015 Tang series and the Yuan Pro, with a total of 115,783 vehicles. Among them, the recall number for the Tang series is S2025M0165I, and for the Yuan Pro, it is S2025M0166I.

On September 19th, Xiaomi Auto announced the recall of 117,000 SU7 vehicles. Among them, the recall number S2025M0149I involves the XMA7000MBEVR2 and XMA7000MBEVR2 models, a total of 98,462 vehicles; the recall number S2025M0150I involves the BJ7000MBEVR2 model, a total of 18,425 vehicles.

On September 12th, Zhaoqing XPeng New Energy Investment Co., Ltd. recalled some XPeng P7+ vehicles with potential safety hazards. The recall number for this batch is S2025M0142V, covering some XPeng P7+ vehicles produced between August 20, 2024, and April 27, 2025, with a total of 47,490 vehicles.

Careful consumers may notice that all the above recall numbers start with "S" and end with either "I" or "V". It is reported that "S" indicates a safety defect. A recall number ending with "I" represents a recall implemented under the influence of regulatory investigations, while one ending with "V" means a voluntary recall by the producer.

Behind these letters lies the severity of vehicle safety hazards and the different strategies adopted by enterprises. In fact, even XPeng's "voluntary recall" is closely related to numerous consumer complaints, social media exposures, and special reports by authoritative media.

Recently, data disclosed at the 2025 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference showed that as of September 2025, a total of 3,230 vehicle recalls had been implemented in China, involving 120 million vehicles. Among them, 652 recalls, involving 63.7886 million vehicles, were under the influence of investigations by the State Administration for Market Regulation, accounting for 53.18% of the total recalled vehicles.

In other words, the number of voluntary recalls by car - makers is less than half, making it difficult to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights when purchasing vehicles.

1. Passive Response of Car - makers under Regulatory Pressure

From the recall announcement, the production time span of the two models recalled by BYD is astonishing. The 2015 Tang series can be traced back to production between March 2015 and July 2017, while the Yuan Pro was produced between February 2021 and August 2022. Although the root causes of the problems in these two batches of vehicles are different, they both endanger driving safety.

Due to "problems in the design and selection of components" in the Tang series cars, the active discharge function of the drive motor controller may malfunction. Simply put, it's like a malfunction in the discharge system of household appliances. In extreme cases, it may cause the circuit board to burn out, resulting in the sudden loss of vehicle power. For old cars that have been in use for nearly a decade, the power interruption that may occur at high - speed driving can have unimaginable consequences.

The problem with the Yuan Pro lies in the manufacturing process - the improper installation of the power battery gasket. This is similar to a mobile phone with sub - standard waterproof performance. In the case of an electric vehicle, water may enter the power battery when driving through deep water at high speed, reducing the insulation performance. In severe cases, it may cause an internal short - circuit in the battery, leading to high temperatures or even a fire.

Picture/BYD recalls some Tang and Yuan Pro cars. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

This is BYD's third large - scale recall in the past year.

In September 2024, BYD recalled over 90,000 domestic Dolphin and Yuan PLUS electric vehicles due to potential fire risks.

Picture/BYD recalls some Dolphin and Yuan PLUS electric vehicles. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

At the beginning of 2025, BYD also recalled 6,843 Fangchengbao Leopard 5 vehicles due to the problem of loose bolts in the integrated dual - motor controller.

Picture/BYD recalls some Fangchengbao Leopard 5 vehicles. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

Frequent recalls in a short period expose the serious lack of quality control in the enterprise's rapid expansion process.

It is worth noting that the Dolphin and Yuan series are BYD's best - selling models, accounting for about 26% of its total sales. The fact that such key models have safety defects that require official intervention to solve inevitably raises doubts about BYD's quality management system. Moreover, as the leading enterprise in new energy vehicles and a top - tier power battery manufacturer, BYD's mistakes in basic safety aspects such as gasket installation make people think of the numerous product quality problems of BYD on the Internet.

BYD's case is not an isolated one.

In September 2025, Xiaomi Auto urgently recalled 116,887 standard - version SU7 electric vehicles. The problem lies in the L2 high - speed pilot assist driving function - the recognition, warning, or handling in extremely special scenarios may be insufficient.

Picture/Xiaomi recalls some standard - version SU7 vehicles. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

In the same month, XPeng Auto recalled 47,490 P7+ vehicles. Due to poor contact in the wiring harness of the steering assist motor sensor in these vehicles, the steering fault warning light may illuminate, and the steering assist may fail.

Picture/XPeng recalls some XPeng P7+ vehicles. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

Earlier, in January 2025, Tesla recalled 335,716 electric vehicles. The reverse current when these vehicles are powered on may damage the power components on the vehicle's computer motherboard, causing the rear - view camera to malfunction and affecting the driver's vision when reversing.

Picture/Tesla recalls some imported and domestic electric vehicles. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

How to eliminate the safety hazards for these problems? Xiaomi Auto uses over - the - air (OTA) technology to upgrade the software of the recalled vehicles for free; Tesla combines OTA and hardware replacement to solve the problems; XPeng Auto will replace the improved steering gear assembly for the recalled vehicles for free.

For the problem of potential water ingress in the Yuan Pro's power battery, BYD's solution is to use special sealant to reinforce the power battery casing for the recalled vehicles for free to restore the waterproof function. In fact, it avoids the crucial issues, because the owner's power battery may have been damaged. It is recommended that the car - maker conduct a comprehensive inspection of the owner's battery and replace the power battery for free if it is damaged to completely eliminate the safety hazard.

2. Hidden Dangers beyond Recalls and the Arrogance of Enterprises

Objectively speaking, government departments such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have increased the random inspection of models with high public attention and significant quality and safety hazards, prompting some car - makers to recall batch - problem vehicles. However, the recall system itself still has limitations. Many common quality problems that do not meet the recall standards still trouble consumers and affect vehicle safety.

For example, the abnormal engine start problem of BYD's DM - i (plug - in hybrid) models, which is widely reported by consumers, is a typical example. Many popular DM - i models, such as the Qin PLUS, Song PLUS/PRO, and Han, have received a large number of complaints from owners, reporting that the vehicle's engine starts abnormally under certain circumstances.

Picture/Some cases of "abnormal engine start". Source/Screenshot from Chezhiwang, New Energy View

This problem has a wide - ranging impact but has not been included in the recall scope because it does not meet the mandatory recall standard.

In addition, problems such as body rust and suspension noise commonly reported by BYD owners, although they may not lead to batch recalls, actually affect the vehicle's service life and driving safety. These problems expose the deficiencies of the enterprise in material selection and anti - corrosion technology.

Picture/BYD owners report body rust. Source/Screenshot from Chezhiwang, New Energy View

For consumers, once they purchase a vehicle, they are caught in a "quality game". Some minor problems occur frequently and are difficult to repair; some design defects cannot be reasonably resolved due to the after - sales explanation of "being a normal phenomenon".

If the recall is the "national standard" for solving vehicle product problems, then a responsible enterprise should take a more proactive attitude than the national standard to solve the batch - quality problems faced by consumers.

Worryingly, some enterprises' remedial measures seem perfunctory. BYD's method of applying sealant to the battery box and XPeng's method of applying glue to the steering gear are only temporary solutions that cannot completely eliminate safety hazards. In contrast, XPeng's subsequent direct replacement of the assembly is a responsible act for consumers' safety.

Picture/A worker from a car factory cleaning the glue on a blade battery. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

On the path of rapid expansion, BYD seems to prioritize market share over product quality. This upside - down approach will ultimately damage the enterprise's long - term development.

BYD's declining performance may be the most direct response from the market to these problems. From January to September 2025, BYD's installed capacity of lithium - iron - phosphate batteries decreased by 6.58%. In the 40th week of 2025, BYD's weekly sales plummeted to 57,900 vehicles, dropping from 90,000 to less than 60,000, almost halving compared to its peak. In September 2025, BYD sold less than 400,000 vehicles, more than 50% less than last year. SAIC took the opportunity to overtake, ending BYD's 18 - month championship streak.

Picture/BYD's sales data in September 2025. Source/Screenshot from Internet, New Energy View

Behind these data is the market rule of consumers voting with their feet.

What's even more worrying is that the recent explosion of risks from Shandong suppliers and the "Dilian" issue further expose the fragility of BYD's supply - chain management.

Since April 2025, Shandong Qiancheng Holdings Co., Ltd., BYD's core distributor in Shandong Province, and its 4S stores have faced an operational crisis. At least more than twenty "Qian" - named 4S stores in Jinan, Weifang, Tai'an, Dezhou and other places have successively closed down and suspended business.