What’s new: More than 8.7 million vehicles were recalled in 2021, up 28.8%, the country’s market watchdog said in a statement on Friday.
Of all the cars recalled last year, nearly 10% were new-energy vehicles (NEVs), said the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). NEVs include electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.
About 84% of the vehicles were recalled due to issues with their engines and electronic components, SAMR added.
The regulator pledged to tighten its oversight of remote software upgrade services that NEV-makers often use to fix defects.
The background: During an industry forum held in September 2021, auto-parts supplier Ningbo Joyson Electronics Corp.’s Vice President Guo Jishun criticized some carmakers for bringing defective vehicles to the market first and then improving them via remote software upgrade services.
Guo’s criticism came three months after the SAMR issued a document that asked automakers to submit a safety assessment report before performing remote software upgrades.
In February this year, Tesla Inc. recalled 26,047 cars in China due to heat pump problems that interfere with their ability to defrost their windshields, which the carmaker said it would fix via remote software upgrade.
Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)
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