This afternoon on Radio 2000 Drive on Drive show we tackled a question from a listener. Said listener did not leave their name unfortunately. Their crux of their question was; how come Chinese car manufacturers are dropping the ball when it comes to aftersales service and parts availability. So I did some research and found a few answers.
Of course not everyone receives the same kind of service after buying their car, whether of Chinese origin or not. It all depends on where the car is bought, and the staff that serves you afterwards. They are often well-trained in service, but slip-ups can and do happen all the time. The general treatment of customers bringing in Chinese cars for service is currently highly polarised, with complaints deeply tied to a massive shortage of spare parts and dealership training gaps, despite many brands offering impressive tech and warranties. While established Chinese marques like GWM and Chery, leverage legacy multi-franchise dealer networks to provide professional environments, customer frustration understandably tends to spike when cars face long workshop delays.
A synthesis of consumer patterns, dealership feedback, and independent automotive insights reveals the following specific trends regarding the servicing and treatment in Chinese-brand dealerships.
THE CORE ISSUE: SEVERE PARTS AND SUPPLY CHAIN DELAYS
The single biggest source of dealership frustration is the time it takes to source replacement components. This despite Chinese manufacturers constantly reminding us the media that they have millions of parts in large warehouses that can reach pretty much across the entire Mzansi within days, if not hours sometimes.
– Backordered spares: Customers regularly report vehicles being grounded for weeks, or even months, waiting for seemingly simple items like sensors, fuel injectors, specific body panels, or electronic modules to arrive from overseas.
– Rapid model influx: Because Chinese manufacturers rapidly update their cars and introduce new sub-brands, parts cataloging becomes a moving target. Dealerships frequently struggle to obtain the exact part variations for older iterations of a model that may only be a couple of years old.
DEALERSHIP SUPPORT AND HUMAN TREATMENT
Customer care experiences are generally divided by the maturity of the brand’s network.
– The “Older” network advantage: Major players (like GWM/Haval and Chery) often integrate their showrooms into long-standing, multi-franchise dealer groups. Because these technicians and service advisors are veteran operators, customers routinely praise the initial professionalism, hospitality, and empathy of the staff. GWM has in fact, told me they are actively working on improving their aftersales service in the country all the time.
– Loan and courtesy car shortages: The backlog of cars waiting for backordered parts places an unsustainable strain on dealership courtesy car fleets. Complaints centre on the refusal or inability of dealers to provide long-term replacement transport while a customer’s vehicle is stuck in limbo. A relative of mine has personal experience in this with their Omoda vehicle.
TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SOFTWARE ROADBLOCKS
Because modern Chinese vehicles prioritise high-tech infotainment, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and complex electrical architecture, dealership workshops are constantly facing a steep learning curve. I once joked with a well-known mechanic that the reason he dislikes electric cars is that he cannot learn how to repair them. In many cases this has turned out to be true.
– Diagnosis frustration: A frequent complaint involves dealerships repeatedly attempting to clear glitching electronics, uncalibrated steering systems, or lagging infotainment screens via software resets without permanently resolving the root mechanical or electrical issue.
– Technician training gaps: Consumers occasionally report feeling that local workshop mechanics lack the advanced specialised diagnostic expertise required to fix complex software anomalies, leading to multiple return service trips for the exact same fault.
WARRANTY DISPUTES AND CLAIM REJECTIONS
While Chinese automakers attract buyers with highly competitive, lengthy warranties, the translation of those policies at the service desk has caused some friction.
– Exclusions and “wear and tear”: Dealerships have faced pushback for attributing early failures (such as quickly deteriorating brake pads or failing batteries) to customer driving habits or standard wear-and-tear, rather than approving them under warranty.
– Fuel and environmental defences: A notable trend in complaints involves service centres rejecting powertrain claims by blaming “poor local fuel quality” or “contaminated diesel,” leaving the vehicle owner facing steep out-of-pocket repair estimates.
CONCLUSION
While Chinese manufacturers and brands are growing in leaps and bounds in the country right in front of our eyes, that growth can come with negative side effects, especially in the aftersales arena where perhaps infrastructure, parts, personnel and other factors are not keeping up with the growth at the dealership sales floor. Over time these should normalise and perhaps standards will revert to normal or even better. Customers must remain vigilant and report bad experiences in order for the dealerships and manufacturers themselves, to improve on those.
