A Chinese national broadcaster reported that a new-energy vehicle owner lost the car’s lifetime warranty after a dealership found a 3mm scratch underneath the vehicle during routine servicing. The owner said they did not know when the mark appeared. When asked to show the written provision that justified canceling the coverage, the dealership reportedly could not provide one.
The potential cost is substantial: a future battery replacement was estimated at 70,000–80,000 yuan, or about 272 million–311 million Vietnamese dong. The report says lifetime-warranty offers commonly come with conditions that may limit eligibility to the first owner and exclude vehicles used for commercial transport. Other possible restrictions concern mileage, servicing at authorized workshops, repairs after an accident and battery-health thresholds set by the automaker.
China’s stated legal minimum for key components, including traction batteries and electric motors, is eight years or 120,000 km, whichever comes first. The article distinguishes that statutory floor from additional lifetime coverage, whose terms are set by the manufacturer. It also notes that a document issued on June 23, 2026, by nine Chinese regulatory agencies bars automakers from restricting consumers’ choice of service provider or using that choice alone to reject statutory warranty obligations. The report advises buyers to examine the full written terms, including exclusions, before relying on a lifetime-warranty promise.