BEIJING, February 18, 2025 – Between February 11 and February 17, over 4,700 complaints against BYD have been submitted on the Chinese auto consumer complaints platform 12365auto.com. This marks a significant rise from about 150 the previous week and approximately 500 in January, with the complaints mainly centered around the company's strategy to provide free smart driving features across a majority of its vehicle range.

The issues raised involve customers from various BYD models, including those from the top-selling Ocean and Dynasty series, which rank among the top ten models for complaint numbers on the platform.

One submission from the owner of a Seal 06 DM-i plug-in hybrid sedan highlighted that the buyer had inquired about the launch of a newer model before making the purchase, only to find a significantly upgraded version released at the same price within two weeks.

The customer sought free upgrades and compensation, a concern that BYD confirmed has been directed to the relevant internal departments.

BYD has not provided any additional comments regarding the situation.

This increase in complaints occurs amid a period of fierce competition in the Chinese automotive sector, characterized by a sustained price war, aggressive pricing approaches, and swift new model rollouts.

Similar trends were noted two years ago when Tesla, the U.S. automaker, faced a similar scenario in China after implementing a price reduction that led to a flood of customer requests for rebates and credits.