South African Omoda C5 models unaffected by Malaysian axle snap issue

The South African handlers of Chinese brand Omoda announced its local C5 units are not affected by an axle issue affecting models in the Malaysian market.

Omoda is a division of Chery Auto and in certain regions abroad, the C5 is dubbed the 5.

Late in April an owner of the model shared about their misfortunes on social media involving a snapped rear axle.

The incident went viral and prompted an investigation by Chery Auto Malaysia, which confirmed 600 vehicles were affected as a result of a production lapse during a facility upgrade exercise.

The manufacturer posted official statements on its website and noted that the relevant components would be replaced.

Locally, Omoda said it acknowledged the matter, but confirmed vehicles in our country are unaffected.

“We understand this may have raised concerns among our valued customers, and we want to assure that we are investigating this matter with the highest level of diligence and care. We would like to reassure that preliminary analysis suggests the incidents do not affect the South African market,” said Shannon Gahagan, national brand and marketing manager.

“The incident came to our attention in April 2024 via a social media platform. From the post it appears the vehicle's rear axle dislodged. We immediately escalated the matter, and our global experts in our aftersales department are investigating,” she said.

“We assure our valued customers that we take any safety critical matters seriously and will continue to monitor the local and global markets, keep close communication with the factory in China and issue any notice necessitated by the situation.”

Gahagan said if customers sought further assurance, they should make contact with their preferred dealer, contact customercare@omoda.co.za or call 010-448-5388.