Spain’s Red Operativa de Desguaces Españoles (RO-DES) is receiving more Chinese-brand vehicles that are just two or three years old, according to its director, Esteban Alabajos. He says their arrival at dismantlers is not evidence that the cars are inherently poor quality; instead, getting them repaired can be difficult and costly.
One obstacle is the wait for original replacement parts. After a collision or a major fault, delays in sourcing components can leave a vehicle unrepaired for an extended period. Repair costs can also climb beyond the car’s market value, leading insurers to write off vehicles that have seen relatively little use.
Alabajos says the growing complexity of modern cars adds to the expense. High-voltage batteries in electric and plug-in hybrid models are one factor, alongside screens, sensors, electronic systems and the design of some components. Models RO-DES commonly encounters include the MG ZS in petrol and hybrid forms, the electric MG4, plug-in hybrid MG HS, BYD Atto 3 (also known as Yuan Plus) and Omoda 5. The article says it would be unusual for a month to pass without at least one of these vehicles arriving.
The issue is becoming more visible in Europe, but the report notes that repair delays and high costs are not necessarily limited to the region. Mexico has no database that would establish how often this happens there, so the article says a similar pattern is possible but unconfirmed.