AUTONEWS

Chinese car banned from sale after losing its rear axle

Malaysia’s Road Transport Department—known as *Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan* (JPJ), which is tasked with ensuring that no vehicle available to the public poses a safety risk—has suspended the sales authorization for a model from the Chinese manufacturer Chery, following incidents in which the entire rear axle—including the suspension and wheels—detached from the vehicle. The model in question is the Omoda 5.

Chery is a manufacturer majority-controlled by the Chinese government, and Omoda is one of several brands under which it markets its vehicles—including in Malaysia and Portugal, albeit in slightly different configurations. After the JPJ announced the sales ban, Chery remained silent, even as images of Omoda 5 vehicles missing their rear axles—with some left stranded on the roadside—circulated widely on social media.

Recall...Chery Auto is recalling 8,878 Omoda 5 SUVs in Malaysia over potentially defective rear axle welds, after an axle detached from a vehicle while it was being driven, prompting the local regulator to suspend new registrations of the model.

The incident involved a 2023 Omoda 5 in Malaysia and caused no injuries, Chery said in a statement on Sunday.

The company said it immediately launched an investigation and has been in close contact with regulators, including Malaysia's Road Transport Department (JPJ).

The investigation found that some welds on the rear axle trailing arms of vehicles in the affected batch may lack sufficient strength, creating a risk of weld rupture under extreme conditions. Chery said models using this design had already been discontinued.

Chery's Malaysian subsidiary has launched a recall in coordination with JPJ to inspect the components and replace them free of charge where necessary.

Chery also said it had launched precautionary checks on Omoda 5 vehicles from the same production batch in China and other relevant markets. The company said it would disclose the findings promptly.

A Chery Omoda 5 experienced a rear wheel detachment while driving in Malaysia on October 6. Image from Weibo.

An Omoda 5 lost its rear axle and wheels while being driven in Johor Bahru, in the Malaysian state of Johor, on October 6, raising concerns about the model's safety, according to local media reports.

JPJ announced on October 11 that it was immediately suspending the Omoda 5's Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) and new registrations until a technical investigation is completed and the safety risks are confirmed to have been adequately addressed.

JPJ instructed Chery Malaysia to identify all potentially affected vehicles using part numbers, production batches and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). The agency will also conduct technical audits of the Omoda 5's production and assembly line and rear axle component supplier.

Chery Malaysia said the recall covers the C and H variants of the Omoda 5, but did not specify the production years of the affected vehicles.

The company stressed that the recall does not affect models currently on sale. The Omoda 5 has been discontinued in Malaysia and was replaced by the Chery O5 in September 2025. The older Omoda 5 used a torsion beam rear suspension, while the O5 uses a multi-link independent rear suspension.

This is the Omoda 5's second recall in Malaysia over rear axle problems. In April 2024, an Omoda 5's rear axle suddenly detached while the vehicle was being driven, prompting Chery to recall 600 vehicles for inspection.

The investigation at the time attributed the problem to improperly calibrated rear axle welding equipment. It ultimately identified 60 vehicles produced on August 15, 2023, that required rear axle replacement. Chery Malaysia has yet to say whether the latest incident involves the same defect.

The Omoda 5 went on sale in China in 2022, but sales were weak, with monthly volumes failing to exceed 1,000 vehicles from 2023 onward. It was subsequently withdrawn from the domestic market and is now primarily sold overseas.

Chery established Omoda in 2021 as an overseas brand targeting young consumers globally. Together with Jaecoo, launched in 2022, it forms the O&J brands. The 2 brands announced in April this year that their combined cumulative global sales had surpassed 1 million vehicles.

Chery is considering bringing Omoda and Jaecoo to China to bolster its domestic sales, which remain under pressure, Chinese technology news outlet Leiphone reported last month.

Overseas markets are the main driver of Chery's growth. Chery Group sold 292,308 vehicles in September, up 4.2% from a year earlier, according to data compiled by CnEVPost. Exports accounted for 207,814 vehicles, setting a monthly record for a Chinese automaker.

According to local media, the Chinese manufacturer responded six days later, urging all Omoda 5 owners to visit an authorized service center to have their vehicles inspected and determine whether they are among the affected units. Chery further stated that the vehicles already identified as having a manufacturing defect are those equipped with semi-rigid (torsion-beam) rear axles. However, this clarification is unlikely to alleviate concerns among owners of versions equipped with a multilink rear suspension. China Observer recounts the events in detail (see the video below)

Interestingly, Chery’s issues with rear axles did not just begin; back in 2024, the JPJ was informed that a defect similar to the current one was affecting 600 Omoda 5 units. At that time, Chery issued a voluntary recall, bringing all affected vehicles into the workshop—unlike what has happened now.

In October 2026, Malaysia temporarily suspended sales and the registration of new models of the Chinese SUV, the Chery Omoda 5, following an incident in which the rear axle and wheels detached from the vehicle while it was in motion.

Key details:

• Vehicle involved: Chery Omoda 5 (versions C and H).

• The issue: A structural failure in the welds of the rear axle arms (torsion beam rear suspension), which can break and cause the wheel assembly to detach from the vehicle.

• Government action: The JPJ (Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan / Road Transport Department of Malaysia) suspended the vehicle’s type approval, halting new sales and registrations until its safety can be verified.

• The recall: Chery has issued a recall for 8,878 units of the model in the country for inspection and component replacement.

• Background: A similar issue occurred previously in Malaysia in 2024, affecting approximately 600 units at that time.