Danger Stop: Omoda 5 experiencing strange issues in Malaysia

Quality issues with Chery's trendy sub-brand Omoda?

For years now, Chery’s operations in the Philippines with distributor partner UAAGI has been consistently doing well. The brand has been uplifted from its difficulties in the past, and now stands as a good option for those looking for a good vehicle with a great warranty and ownership experience.

In Malaysia, however, there seems to be quite a few problems happening for Chery, specifically for their sub-brand aimed at younger and more tech-inclined customers: Omoda. 

About a month ago, a video was posted on Facebook by a very upset Chery Omoda 5 owner where she recounts her experience when her vehicle -just fresh out of a service center for a brake issue- supposedly lost its brakes while on the highway. Chery Auto Malaysia has since released a statement that they are resolving the issue, but it seems they may have filed a case against her for defamation.

Now there is a new issue also with an Omoda 5. In another post on social media by a different customer in Malaysia, it seems the left rear trailing arm of the suspension snapped clean off of the bushing mount while driving. It appears to be a weld-related failure of the suspension arm. Dashcam footage showed the vehicle suddenly come to an abrupt and un-commanded halt as the now-loose rear left tire wedged itself onto the bumper.

Chery Auto Malaysia was quick to respond with a statement that “they are committed to providing safe and reliable transportation solutions” and that they are working to make sure that their “vehicles meet the highest safety standards”.

They say that they are already speaking with the customer on the matter (which she has since updated on her original post). Moreover, they are reaching out to other owners of potentially affected vehicles for an inspection.

The Omoda 5 was launched in Malaysia on July 6, 2023. They touted the Omoda 5 as a global model “developed based on market research from thousands of surveys conducted in numerous countries worldwide”. The Omoda 5 is packed with a lot of features particularly with intelligent driving and safety, and has earned 5 stars from EuroNCAP though these tests do not typically account for long-term quality factors with the vehicle (e.g. suspension).  

Chery officially entered the Malaysian market in July 6, 2023 not as a distributor but as a national sales company. In the Philippines, Chery Automobile has multiple partners depending on the brand. For the flagship Chery brand, UAAGI has been the distributor, and they have done well. The Jetour brand is managed by JAPI and they are also doing quite well (particularly with the T2 and Dashing).

But there will be a third company that will specifically be handling models like the Omoda 5, and it is being set up as a Chery International subsidiary. They have not started sales operations yet because it seems they are encountering some unique challenges, but that will be for another article later on.