Chery Malaysia has issued yet another statement on the Omoda 5 rear axle case. This is the company’s third public statement after the case exploded on social media on April 28. The initial statement was released the day after, acknowledging the issue, with a second one following soon after on April 30, officially issuing a recall on 600 units of the Omoda 5.
The third statement – released today, May 4 – offers a few interesting insights on the issue. Chery Malaysia says it is “working closely with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to ensure the rectification of all affected vehicles to the highest standards of safety.” It voluntarily arranged a meeting with the MoT to brief them on the matter, according to Lee Wen Hsiang, Chery Auto Malaysia Vice President.
The root cause of the issue has also been identified following a thorough investigation. “Following a comprehensive investigation, the vendor reported that the issue was due to a facility upgrade during which a worn-out tip of the automated welding machine was replaced by a new welding tip. The replacement of the new welding tip resulted in a miscalibration of the equipment,” said Lee.
A total of 60 units of the Omoda 5 in Malaysia has been identified to be using the affected parts, produced on August 15, 2023. Chery Malaysia then decided to cast a wider net and recall vehicles with parts made between August 14 and 17, totalling 600 units. As of yesterday (May 3), Chery Malaysia has contacted 32 of the initial 60 affected owners.
A new website has also been created for owners to confirm whether or not their car is affected by the recall. Chery Malaysia also pledges to release a weekly update to the public on this matter to provide ongoing information about the status of the recall programme.
Statement by Chery Malaysia in full:
Chery Auto Malaysia mobilises precautionary measures to uphold customer safety
Automaker takes responsibility, ensures accountability and transparency in managing the campaign
Kuala Lumpur, 4 May 2024 – Chery Auto Malaysia is striving to keep customers informed about the recent incident involving the axle of an OMODA 5 vehicle. Following a detailed internal investigation, the automaker has recalled a batch of 600 Omoda 5 vehicles and is working closely with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to ensure the rectification of all affected vehicles to the highest standards of safety.
“Chery Auto Malaysia is committed to providing safe and reliable transportation solutions, and we are dedicated to ensuring that all our vehicles meet the highest safety standards. In line with this commitment, Chery Auto Malaysia voluntarily arranged a meeting to brief the Ministry of Transport (MOT) on the current product inspection status and the root cause involving the Omoda 5 axle incident,” Chery Auto Malaysia Vice President, Lee Wen Hsiang, explained.
The automaker conducted a thorough investigation into the isolated case and reached out to the parts vendor for further clarification. “Following a comprehensive investigation, the vendor reported that the issue was due to a facility upgrade during which a worn-out tip of the automated welding machine was replaced by a new welding tip. The replacement of the new welding tip resulted in a miscalibration of the equipment,” said Lee.
As a direct result, the automaker says that there are a total of 60 units of Omoda 5 vehicles with the affected parts in Malaysia, produced on 15 August 2023. Chery Auto Malaysia has since taken additional precautionary measures by casting a wider net by implementing a special service campaign to call in and inspect OMODA 5 vehicles with rear axles produced between 14 to 17 August 2023, totalling 600 units.
“Chery Auto Malaysia views this matter most seriously as customer safety is our utmost priority. We are in the process of reaching out to customers of the affected Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) to request them to bring their vehicle to our authorised service centres for a detailed inspection.
“We have also set up a website for Omoda 5 users to confirm their vehicles are not affected which can be done by simply keying in their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Our authorised service centres and technicians are well prepared to serve our customers
potentially affected by this,” Lee concluded.
Chery Auto Malaysia has confirmed that no other vehicles by the brand are affected.
Owners of Omoda 5 can check if their vehicles are affected by keying in their VIN number at https://www.chery.my/chery-product-update
As of 3 May 2024, Chery Auto Malaysia has contacted more than 53% (32/60) of the affected owners.
To ensure Chery customers are well informed, a weekly update will be publicly shared to provide ongoing information about the status of the recall programme.
Chery Auto Malaysia thanks all our customers for their patience, understanding and cooperation, and the Ministry of Transport for its advice and guidance in this matter.
For queries kindly contact the Chery Malaysia Customer Careline at +603 – 2771 7070 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm).
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