Rahul Somvanshi
BYD Apologizes for Putting Da Tang Flagship SUV Wheel Rims on Backwards — ETRTO Standards Contradict “No Safety Risk” Claim as Warranty Resets
BYD apologized November 11 for installing front and rear wheel rims in reverse on some flagship Da Tang (Great Tang) 7-seat electric SUVs, traced to a barcode entry error by wheel rim subassembly supplier Hubei Boyu Industrial Co Ltd. The spec requires staggered 20-inch rims: 8J×20 front rims with 255/50R20 tyres and 9J×20 rear rims with 275/45R20 tyres. BYD claims testing found “no impact on handling or driving safety” and is offering free inspections, rim swaps, loaner cars, and restarting the full-vehicle warranty from zero.
If you drive a BYD in Australia, the UK, or Europe — such as the Atto 3, Seal, or Shark 6 — your vehicle is not affected by this assembly mix-up, which is currently limited to Chinese-market Da Tang SUVs with staggered 20-inch rims. However, with BYD preparing the Great Tang for overseas launch by early 2027, affected domestic owners receive free rim swaps, loaner cars, and a full warranty reset.
ETRTO Tyre-Pinching Physics and 1,000V Blade Battery Specs
Owner complaints on 3YC User Report regarding highway tracking on the 950km RWD trim prompted the discovery. European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO) standards show pinching a 275mm rear tyre onto an 8-inch rim alters the contact patch and caused the unstable highway tracking that prompted owners to complain. The Da Tang’s 1,000V second-generation Blade Battery (105.79 kWh and 130.15 kWh packs charging 10–70% in 5 minutes) underscores the EV scaling pace meeting supplier automation quality hurdles. General headlines say “wheels put on backwards” (implying directional spokes), when the actual defect was mounting identical-looking 9-inch rear rims onto 255mm front tyres and 8-inch front rims onto 275mm rear tyres. The SUV sold 14,000 units in October and 54,222 since June 17, priced from 239,900–309,900 yuan (~$35,700 USD/~$52,500 AUD).
BYD’s statement insists “there were no driving safety risks” — yet simultaneously restarts the full bumper-to-bumper vehicle warranty from day one for every affected owner. Restarting a full factory warranty on a $35,700+ flagship SUV is an extraordinary concession designed to pre-empt a formal state recall ahead of the Great Tang’s European and overseas rollout.
How did BYD put the Da Tang SUV’s wheels on the wrong way? A barcode entry error by wheel subassembly supplier Hubei Boyu Industrial caused assembly line workers to swap the staggered 20-inch alloy rims on BYD’s flagship Da Tang EV. Because both rims share the same visual design, wider 9-inch (9J×20) rear rims were mounted on the front axle while narrower 8-inch (8J×20) front rims were fitted to the rear.
