Chery Omoda 5 Rear Axle Recall Affects the Türkiye Market

Chery has recalled 8,878 units of the Omoda 5 sold in Malaysia over suspicions of insufficient weld strength in the rear axle; the country's Road Transport Department has also temporarily suspended the model's Type Approval while the technical investigation continues. For the same model, which is widely sold in Türkiye, there is no official recall announcement yet; what Turkish owners should wait for is the outcome of the investigation that the company has announced it has launched for the same production batch in other markets.

Why Did the Incident Trigger a Recall?

Recall decisions in the automotive industry usually begin not with officials reviewing files, but with an incident in the field becoming visible. That is exactly how it played out in Malaysia: in the city of Johor Bahru, the rear axle of a 2023 model Chery Omoda 5 moving in traffic completely separated from the vehicle along with both wheels. The footage quickly found a wide resonance on social media. Company officials announced that no injuries occurred in the incident; that was the only consolation. Because the breaking of a rear axle is not the same thing as a car breaking down on the road; it is a fault that directly affects the driver's steering and braking capability while in motion and must be evaluated in the safety category.

Following the incident, Chery Auto Malaysia announced a recall covering 8,878 Omoda 5 units belonging to the C and H variants in the country. The list of affected vehicles was identified, and the company stated that each vehicle owner would be contacted proactively. This is the second campaign for the model: a small-scale recall of 600 vehicles had already been carried out in 2024.

Nature of the Fault: Insufficient Strength at Weld Points

According to the company's statement, the problem is insufficient strength at some weld points of the rear axle control arms in the affected production batch. Under extreme conditions, these welds can carry a risk of breaking. To approach the technical term without fear: the rear axle is a structure that connects the wheels to the chassis and is critical in terms of road holding. If the weld points where the control arms attach to the chassis are weak, this connection can fail on rough roads or under lateral loading. The incident in Malaysia appeared to be the most extreme version of exactly this scenario.

There are assessments about how the fault originated on the workshop side: In the 2026 incident, it is thought that a robot temporarily secured the axle with only spot welding before shipment, when the process should actually have also included the permanent welding stage. However, an important distinction needs to be clarified at this point: there is no official confirmation that the 2026 incident stems from the same technical cause as the 2024 campaign. It is also being considered that the incident may have occurred after a side impact; the Johor police have made no official statement. Presenting these two incidents as if they came from the same source would rely too heavily on the available information.

What Remains From the 2024 Campaign?

The rationale in the 2024 recall was more specific: a welding head alignment error in the automated welding machine at the supplier. This error affected the parts in 60 vehicles produced on August 15, 2023, and the campaign covered 600 Omoda 5 units produced between August 14-17, 2023. In other words, the brand had warning signs in the past regarding welding quality on this model as well. Still, the scope and technical rationale of the two campaigns are different; they should not be confused with each other.

How Does the Recall Process and Registration Suspension Work?

The operation of the campaign in Malaysia follows the usual template for recalls: inspection at the authorized service center and free replacement of the parts deemed necessary. The first spare parts batch has been dispatched, and delivery is ongoing in stages. No fee is expected from the owner who takes their vehicle to the service center; this is already the fundamental rule of recall campaigns - the cost of a safety fault is not passed on to the customer.

The harsher step came on the registration side. Malaysia's Road Transport Department (JPJ) temporarily suspended the Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) of the Omoda 5 until the technical inspection is completed. In practice, this means the restriction of new vehicle registrations for the model. Additionally, the company halted production of models with the design in question; it announced that models in current production were not affected by the campaign. The recalled model is no longer in production and has been replaced by the new Omoda O5 . The arrival of such a decision toward the end of a model's life can be considered a coincidence that keeps the commercial damage relatively limited.

What Should Omoda 5 Owners in Türkiye Expect?

The essence of the matter is this: The Omoda 5 is also sold in Türkiye and has reached a significant sales volume, but there is no official recall announcement for Türkiye. The company's statement does not mean that the Malaysia campaign covers vehicles sold in Türkiye. This is not a situation that requires panic; it is also a waiting period that requires transparency.

The company announced that it has launched inspections for vehicles in the same production group in other markets as well. The official announcement channels that Turkish owners will follow depend on the outcome of this inspection. A scenario resembling the following is expected in practice:

1. Chery or the Türkiye distributor announces the affected production range on a model and date basis.
2. Owners can query whether their vehicle is included in the campaign via the vehicle identification number (VIN); this method was used in the 2024 campaign and a similar method is expected.
3. Vehicles covered by the campaign are inspected free of charge at authorized service centers, and the swing arm or axle components are replaced if necessary.

The 2024 experience showed that this process can be carried out. The fault definition points to a risk of breakage "under extreme conditions"; there is no official information in Türkiye requiring panic in everyday use. Still, before VIN queries become widespread, an owner who notices an unusual sound, vibration, or difference in road holding should contact an authorized service center rather than wait - the most reasonable of thirty-year-old habits.

What Does This Mean in the Context of Chery's Position in the Türkiye Market?

Reading this development purely as a technical news item would fall short. Chery has raised its market share in Türkiye to 3.70 percent; in December 2025 it sold 1,916 vehicles, and in January 2026 2,257 vehicles. In other words, the Omoda 5 is one of the pillars of the brand's volume in Türkiye. A safety agenda concerning a model behind tens of thousands of sales concerns not just a few thousand owners, but the brand's overall image as well.

The overall picture is twofold. On a global scale, Chery Group increased its sales by 10.8 percent between January and August 2026, reaching 1,914,481 units, and sold 292,308 vehicles in September 2026. In Türkiye, however, the picture is different: sales of Chinese-origin brands in the first half of 2026 fell by 39.6 percent to 28,602 units, and market share dropped to 5.1 percent. In a segment with diminished tolerance for image loss in a challenging market, the company's proactive and swift communication with owners in Türkiye is the least costly path for both sides. In the past, recalls were concealed for weeks; now the news lands on the phone of an owner at the other end of the world the same day. This speed is a gain in terms of corporate governance; but completing that gain depends on clearly stating which markets the announcement extends to.

Frequently Asked Questions About This Recall

Will Omoda 5 vehicles in Türkiye be recalled?

For now, there is no official announcement. The company stated that it has launched an inspection in other markets for vehicles in the same production group; whether the inspection will cover Türkiye will become clear with the official communication to be released.

How do I query whether I am covered by the recall?

In the 2024 campaign, a check could be performed via the vehicle identification number (VIN). If a new campaign is announced, a similar VIN query method is expected to be offered.

Is there a fee for the service procedure?

In the campaign in Malaysia, the inspection and replacement of necessary parts are free of charge. By the nature of recall campaigns, the cost of the procedure arising from a safety fault is not passed on to the owner.

Can I continue using my Omoda 5?

The fault description points to a risk of the sources breaking under extreme conditions. There is no official information in Türkiye that warrants panic. Still, it would be sensible for owners who notice a difference in the vehicle's road holding, sound, or behavior to consult an authorized service center.

Assessment: The Real Test of the Recall Lies in Communication

Setting the technical side aside, the real lesson of this event concerns companies' crisis communication. Chery acted quickly in Malaysia: it announced the campaign, started shipping parts, halted production, and communicated that it had launched an investigation in other markets. The suspension of registration shows that the authorities are taking the matter seriously. Now it comes down to transparently explaining which production groups and which markets this investigation covers. For owners in Türkiye, today's position is clear: there is no official campaign, a VIN-based check is awaited, and for now there is no warning beyond normal use. As someone who has been through the wringer on this, let me add: recalls do not destroy brands; concealed or belatedly announced recalls do.

Sources

• Approximately 9,000 Omoda 5 vehicles officially recalled due to a rear axle fault – vietnam.vn
• Chery Group Achieves Sales Success of 292,000 Units in September – Chery Türkiye (official)
• Its axle broke while driving! Chery takes action again for the same model – GZT
• Also sold in Türkiye. Its rear axle broke while driving – NTV Para
• A recall was carried out for the Chery OMODA 5 in Malaysia – LOG
• Chery raised its market share in Türkiye to 3.70 percent – Lojiyol
• What Is the Status of Chinese Car Brands in Türkiye? First Half of 2026 Analysis – Araclo