BYD Encounters Spike in Customer Grievances Regarding Smart EV Feature Implementation

A Chinese consumer platform documents thousands of complaints as customers voice their dissatisfaction regarding complimentary smart driving capabilities and frequent model updates in a highly competitive market.

BEIJING, February 18, 2025 – More than 4,700 complaints have been filed against BYD on the Chinese auto consumer complaint platform 12365auto.com from February 11 to February 17. This number has sharply risen from about 150 the prior week and roughly 500 in January, with most complaints centered around the company's decision to provide free smart driving features across a majority of its vehicle range.

The grievances include reports from customers who own various BYD models, including those from the top-selling Ocean and Dynasty series, which rank among the top ten for complaint volume on the platform.

One complaint from a Seal 06 DM-i plug-in hybrid sedan owner noted that the buyer had asked about the release of a newer model before purchasing, only to discover that a significantly upgraded model was launched within two weeks at the same price.

The customer sought free upgrades and compensation, an issue that BYD acknowledged had been forwarded to the relevant internal departments.

BYD has not provided any additional comments on the situation.

This rise in complaints coincides with a period of fierce competition in the Chinese automotive sector, marked by an ongoing price war, aggressive pricing tactics, and the rapid rollout of new models.

A similar scenario was witnessed two years ago when U.S. automaker Tesla faced a comparable situation in China after announcing a price cut, which led to a surge of customer requests for rebates and credits.