BYD is apologizing after a supplier error left some owners of its new full-size flagship SUV with the wrong wheels.
BYD apologizes for Great Tang wheel mix-up
The Great Tang, or Da Tang as it’s called in China, is the first flagship D-segment SUV under its Dynasty series, the largest and most luxurious SUV from the lineup.
After opening preorders at the Beijing Auto Show in April, BYD said the high-end SUV secured over 30,000 preorders in 24 hours. Two weeks later, preorders reached over 100,000.
By the time it went on sale in mid-June, over 150,000 buyers had preordered the Great Tang, marking a new record for a single BYD model.
While it has been the top-selling pure electric large SUV for two months, with more than 10,000 sold since it hit the market, BYD issued an apology on November 11 for fitting the wrong front and rear wheel rims on some Great Tang models.
The apology comes after several owners complained that the wheels were improperly installed on their vehicles.
BYD said the issue stemmed from a coding error by the wheel mesh assembly supplier, which led to incorrect assembly on some Great Tang vehicles.
The company said it “immediately” launched an investigation and corrected the issue so newly built vehicles will not be affected. In addition, the supplier introduced a new visual error-prevention mechanism to limit issues like this going forward.
BYD said the issue does not affect the vehicle’s handling or pose a safety risk during driving.
The company said owners can take affected vehicles to their local service center for a free inspection and professional wheel rim replacement. It’s also offering a replacement vehicle or compensation for transportation expenses.
Effective immediately, BYD said, the warranty on affected Great Tang vehicles will also be restarted.
The Great Tang is on sale in China in pure electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains. The cheapest Premium EV variant starts at 239,900 yuan ($35,500).
All versions use BYD’s second-generation Blade Batteries. While the base Premium model uses a 105.79 kWh battery, the Flagship EV trim uses a larger 130.15 kWh battery that delivers up to 590 miles (950 km) of CLTC range. It starts at 269,900 yuan ($40,000).
The Great Tang is huge, measuring 5,263 mm long, 1,999 mm wide, and 1,800 mm high, with a wheelbase of 3,130 mm.
In comparison, that’s bigger than the Hyundai IONIQ 9 and Kia EV9. It’s closer in size to the Li Auto L9.
Based on a 1,000V architecture with BYD’s Flash Charging tech, the electric SUV can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes. For a full recharge, or to go from 10% to 97%, it takes just nine minutes.
After launching in China, BYD executive vice president Stella Li said the flagship SUV will go on sale in Europe and other overseas markets by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
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