BYD Seagull (called Atto 1 in Indonesia) lost its rear-right wheel in West Jakarta, on November 2, after reportedly striking a concrete road divider. The driver said the vehicle continued for another one to two kilometres before the rear axle broke and the wheel detached.
Footage of the incident circulated on Indonesian social media under the caption “Kualitas EV China merata” (“Chinese EV quality is consistent across the board”), drawing attention to the vehicle’s failure and broader questions about the quality of Chinese-made electric vehicles.
Driver continued after hitting road divider
The incident occurred at around 04:00 WIB on Jalan Ring Road Raya, near the Kapuk-Kamal toll exit in Cengkareng. The driver reportedly heard several loud metallic noises before the wheel separated, after warning indicators appeared on the dashboard.
Eleven transportation officials and municipal police helped evacuate the vehicle, moving it from the traffic lane to a nearby workshop.
Sold as the BYD Seagull in China and Dolphin Mini in several Latin American markets, the Atto 1 is a front-wheel-drive electric hatchback based on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0. Its Indonesian specifications list MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion-beam rear setup. The Dynamic version weighs 1,225 kg, while the Premium weighs 1,280 kg. Both use BYD’s Blade battery.
Local reports described the damage as a broken rear axle shaft. However, the exact component that failed and whether the impact caused all the reported damage remain unconfirmed.
BYD arranging vehicle inspection
PT BYD Motor Indonesia said its aftersales team was coordinating with the vehicle owner to arrange a full inspection. Luther Panjaitan, Head of Public and Government Relations at BYD Motor Indonesia, told Kompas Otomotif that the initial information the company received indicated a heavy impact against a road divider or curb.
Panjaitan also explained that BYD’s vehicle warranty covers failures related to component quality. In this case, however, the owner reportedly expected the company’s insurance to handle the repair. BYD has not released inspection findings or confirmed which component failed.
Jaecoo J5 also loses a wheel in Jakarta
A Jaecoo J5 EV lost its front-right wheel assembly in Central Jakarta on November 4. Following a technical inspection, Jaecoo Indonesia said the vehicle had struck a curb and roadside barrier before the wheel detached. The company reported damage to the front-right bumper, fender and passenger door, but said it found no indication that a product defect caused the incident.
The two Jakarta cases involve different vehicles and manufacturers, and neither establishes a common technical cause. They have nevertheless revived comparisons with Chery’s 2024 Omoda 5 rear-axle recall in Malaysia, which covered 8,878 vehicles over concerns about rear-axle welding. That campaign addressed a reported manufacturing-process issue, whereas the two Jakarta incidents involved reported impacts with roadside infrastructure.
The incidents come as BYD expands its manufacturing presence in Indonesia. Its Subang plant in West Java was inaugurated on September 3, 2026, following a reported investment of Rp 11.6 trillion (approximately 700 million USD). The facility has an announced annual production capacity of up to 150,000 vehicles.
