BYD blames supplier coding error for swapped Da Tang rims, restarts warranties

BYD (HKG: 1211) has apologized for fitting some of its Da Tang full-size electric SUVs with their front and rear rims swapped, blaming a coding error at a parts supplier. It will swap the rims free of charge and restart the full-vehicle warranty on every affected car from November 11, 2026, the day it responded.

The statement, which BYD Auto posted on Weibo at midday on November 11, named the rim sub-assembly supplier as Hubei Boyu Industrial and said a coding entry error there led to some cars being fitted with the wrong rims. BYD said it had checked and corrected the coding so later batches would not repeat the problem, and that the supplier had added vision-based error-proofing to its production line.

BYD said special testing showed the affected cars' handling was unaffected and that they posed no driving safety risk. Owners will be invited to local service outlets for a free inspection and a professional rim swap, with a loaner car or transport compensation while the work is done. "We deeply apologize for the trouble this has caused owners," BYD said, adding that it would review the case in full with the supplier.

The statement did not say which rims went where. Owner complaints and Chinese reports identify the affected cars as the 2026 Da Tang EV 950 km (590 miles) RWD version, which is designed with 20x8J front rims on 255/50 R20 tires and 9J rear rims on 275/45 R20 tires. Those complaints describe the reverse: 9J rims at the front carrying the 255 mm tires and 8J rims at the rear carrying the 275 mm tires. The two rims differ in width by 25.4 mm (1 inch), look almost identical and can be told apart only by markings on their inner side.

One of the Da Tang wheel designs in BYD launch imagery; 8J and 9J rims look alike from the outside (BYD)

Owners said they had received no notice from BYD and found the problem only after taking their cars to dealers. Multiple complaints about the swapped rims were lodged on a Chinese vehicle-quality complaint platform before BYD responded. The company has not disclosed how many vehicles or which production batches are affected.

BYD's safety assurance has not settled the debate. One Chinese report, citing industry fitment standards, said an 8J rim suits tires up to 255 mm and that a 275 mm tire's standard rim is 9.5J, which would leave the wider rear tires on rims narrower than that guidance allows. An industry source quoted in Chinese media said a reversed staggered setup can cause pulling, higher energy use and tire noise, and in the worst case a high-speed blowout or loss of control, along with faster wear on suspension parts, wheel bearings and tie-rod ends.

The Da Tang is the flagship full-size SUV of BYD's Dynasty series. It went on sale on June 17, 2026 at a launch event at Yongning Gate in Xi'an, with four versions priced from 239,900 CNY (c. $35,704) to 309,900 CNY (c. $46,122). The 950 km RWD flagship at the center of the rim complaints costs 269,900 CNY (c. $40,169). By launch day, BYD said presale orders had passed 150,000.

The seven-seat SUV is 5,263 mm long with a 3,130 mm wheelbase and rear-wheel steering of up to 7 degrees. It is all-electric, with CLTC range of up to 950 km (590 miles), and BYD quotes a 10% to 97% charge in 9 minutes on its flash chargers. Buyers can choose 20-inch wheels with 255/50 R20 front and 275/45 R20 rear tires, or 21-inch wheels with 265/45 R21 tires at all four corners.

The lineup runs from the 800 km RWD entry version through the 950 km RWD and 850 km AWD flagships to the top Shengshi Edition. Rear-drive versions use a single motor rated at 300 kW or 370 kW, while the dual-motor AWD version produces 585 kW and reaches 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. A plug-in hybrid version is due to follow.

Supply was tight when the SUV arrived. At launch, Lu Tian, general manager of BYD's Dynasty Network sales division, promised that buyers of non-commercial cars still waiting more than 30 days after locking their order would get one free day of flash charging for each extra day, and BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu had told the company's June 10 shareholder meeting that second-generation Blade battery output could not keep up with orders. Every Da Tang uses that second-generation pack.

Demand has kept climbing since launch. The Da Tang's retail sales rose to 11,658 in October from 10,997 in September, up 6.0%. Shipments to dealers reached 14,000 in October, up from 13,010 in September, the same October figure that Lu gave in a November 3 post saying the SUV had topped 10,000 for a fourth straight month. In the same post he said BYD staff were still stationed at the factory to speed up deliveries.

The Da Tang went on sale in June 2026 and topped 10,000 dealer shipments in each month from July to October (BYD)

In October, shipments ran 2,342 units ahead of retail sales. From June to October, BYD shipped 54,222 Da Tangs to dealers, matching the cumulative figure Lu gave for sales since June 17.

Retail sales of the SUV passed 10,000 in September, after 7,796 in August, and owners began flagging the swapped rims in early November. With BYD yet to say how many cars need new rims, the size of the swap program will show how far the supplier's coding error reached into the 54,222 Da Tangs shipped so far.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 6.7191 CNY as of November 11, 2026.