BYD Offers Free Inspections After Supplier Coding Slip Left Some Tang SUVs With Wheels Fitted in the Wrong Positions

BYD has moved to reassure owners after confirming that front and rear wheels were mounted in the wrong positions on a batch of its Tang SUVs — a mix-up the company blamed on a coding error at a supplier. The disclosure came as the Chinese electric-vehicle maker's stock continued to slide in a soft session for the sector, with the shares down 2.1% at €7.79.

The company has apologised for the fault and is offering affected customers free inspections and replacement of the wheels. It is also covering vehicle transport or travel costs and restoring warranties on the vehicles concerned. According to BYD, its own testing found no impact on handling or driving safety.

The issue, first reported by Reuters and later taken up by Caixin Global, traces back to a supplier's encoding mistake that caused the vehicles to leave the line with the incorrect wheels fitted.

October Sales Pass 490,000 as Overseas Volume Doubles

The wheel episode has done little to alter a robust sales trajectory. In an investor call on Tuesday, BYD said it sold more than 490,000 vehicles in October, taking cumulative volume for January through October past 3.62 million units.

Exports are the standout. BYD shipped almost 170,000 passenger cars and pick-ups abroad last month, a gain of 103% on the same month a year earlier. For the first ten months of the year, overseas sales reached 1.51 million vehicles.

The sales update follows a production landmark: on Monday the 19-millionth New Energy Vehicle rolled off the line at BYD's Xi'an plant. The milestone car was a Fang Cheng Bao Tai 9.

BlackRock Cuts Long Position to 6.92%

Institutional ownership also shifted. A Hong Kong regulatory filing dated 5 November disclosed that BlackRock sold 11.54 million BYD shares off-exchange, trimming its disclosed long position from 7.24% to 6.92%.

The stock's retreat has unfolded against a broader pullback in Chinese EV names in Hong Kong, with Li Auto, XPeng, Leapmotor and Nio all trading lower. BYD shares had already shed 1.7% in the prior session to close at €7.96.