Chery Omoda 5 rear axle detaches in JB. (Photo: 江昭上)
A Chery Omoda 5 has once again found itself at the centre of an uncomfortable question in Malaysia.
Images and videos circulating online show a black Omoda 5 stranded on Jalan Pandan near AEON Mall Tebrau City in Johor Bahru on Oct 6, with its rear axle/suspension assembly and both rear wheels separated from the vehicle.
If you're thinking, wait, haven't we seen something like this before? You're not alone.
Back in 2024, another Omoda 5 suffered a rear axle failure in Malaysia. That incident eventually led Chery Auto Malaysia to identify a manufacturing problem involving the component and recall hundreds of vehicles for inspection.
Two years later, the similarities are difficult to ignore. But they are also not enough to conclude that the same problem has happened again. And that's where this latest case gets interesting.
TL;DR
An Omoda 5 was seen in Johor Bahru on Oct 6 with its rear axle/suspension assembly and both rear wheels detached from the vehicle. The cause has not been established.
In 2024, Chery traced a previous Omoda 5 rear axle failure to miscalibrated welding equipment at a parts supplier. It identified 60 Malaysian vehicles containing the affected parts, while 600 vehicles were called in under a wider precautionary campaign.
There is currently no confirmed technical link between the 2024 defect and this latest incident.
What Happened In Johor Bahru?
The latest incident reportedly occurred on Oct 6 along Jalan Pandan, close to AEON Mall Tebrau City.
Photos from the scene show the Omoda 5 sitting low at the rear, with the detached rear axle/suspension assembly and both rear wheels resting behind the vehicle.
There's another detail worth noticing.
The vehicle's right-rear passenger door appears visibly damaged, and a motorcycle can also be seen near the scene. However, currently available information does not establish whether either was involved in an accident, whether the damage occurred before or after the axle separated, or whether it had anything to do with the failure itself.
That's important because photographs can show us what the car looked like afterwards. They cannot, by themselves, tell us why it happened. As of publication, Chery Auto Malaysia has yet to publicly explain what caused the latest incident.
Why Everyone Is Talking About 2024
This isn't happening without precedent. In April 2024, an Omoda 5 owner in Malaysia reported a rear axle failure while driving. Chery subsequently brought the vehicle in for inspection and launched an investigation.
The company eventually traced the problem back to its parts vendor. According to Chery Auto Malaysia's official investigation, a worn tip on an automated welding machine had been replaced during a facility upgrade. The replacement resulted in the equipment becoming miscalibrated, affecting rear axle components produced during that period.
That gave the 2024 case something we don't yet have for the 2026 incident:
60 Cars Or 600 Cars? There's An Important Difference
You've probably seen the number 600 associated with the 2024 Omoda 5 issue. But there's a distinction worth making.
Following its investigation, Chery said 60 Omoda 5 units in Malaysia contained the affected parts, with those vehicles produced on Aug 15, 2023. The company then deliberately widened its net.
As an additional precaution, Chery recalled 600 Omoda 5 vehicles fitted with rear axles produced between Aug 14 and Aug 17, 2023 for inspection under a special service campaign.
THE 60 VS 600 EXPLAINED
60 vehicles: Chery said these contained the affected parts.
600 vehicles: Recalled under the wider precautionary inspection campaign.
So it would be misleading to simply say 600 Omoda 5s were confirmed to have defective axles. They weren't.
Chery identified 60 vehicles containing the affected parts, while 600 were covered by the wider precautionary campaign.
Right now, we don't know. Visually, it's easy to understand why the comparison is being made. It's the same model, in the same market, with another rear axle/suspension assembly separated from the vehicle.
A Malaysian Chery Omoda 5 involved in the April 2024 incident, where its rear axle beam reportedly fractured while the vehicle was in motion. (Photo: Snowbunnie)
But similarity isn't proof of causation. To establish whether the 2026 incident has anything to do with the defect identified in 2024, several important questions need answering.
Was this particular Omoda 5 built with a rear axle from the production window identified in 2024? Was its VIN among the 600 vehicles included in the precautionary campaign? If it was, did the vehicle undergo the inspection? Was its axle replaced? And most importantly, where and why did the latest component actually fail?
At the time of writing, those answers have not been publicly established. Until they are, saying "the 2024 defect has returned" would be getting ahead of the evidence.
What Should Existing Omoda 5 Owners Do?
For owners understandably looking at these images and wondering about their own cars, there is something practical you can do.
Chery Malaysia has an official product-update system that allows owners to enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to check whether their vehicle is involved in an applicable product update campaign.
OWN AN OMODA 5?
You can check your vehicle's VIN through Chery Malaysia's official product-update page.
If your vehicle is flagged, follow Chery's instructions and contact an authorised service centre rather than attempting to assess the component yourself.
This Time, The Details Really Matter
It's understandable that this latest incident has attracted attention. An entire rear axle/suspension assembly sitting behind an SUV is striking enough on its own. When the vehicle happens to be an Omoda 5, after everything that happened in 2024, the questions become unavoidable.
Chery Omoda 5 rear axle detaches in JB. (Photo: 江昭上)
But there's a difference between asking whether two incidents are connected and declaring that they are.
We already know what went wrong in 2024. Chery identified a supplier manufacturing issue, narrowed down the affected parts and expanded the recall to 600 vehicles as a precaution. What we don't yet know is what happened to this Omoda 5 in Johor Bahru. And that's now the most important part of the story.
If the latest vehicle turns out to have been part of the 2024 campaign, its inspection and repair history will matter enormously. If it wasn't, investigators will need to establish what caused such a visually similar incident two years later.
Until then, the pictures raise a serious question.
They don't answer it.
FAQ
What happened to the Chery Omoda 5 in Johor Bahru?
Images show an Omoda 5 with its rear axle/suspension assembly and both rear wheels separated from the vehicle. The cause has not yet been publicly established.
Is this the same problem as the 2024 Omoda 5 rear axle issue?
There is currently no confirmed technical link. The latest vehicle's production details, VIN campaign status and precise cause of failure have not been publicly established.
How many Omoda 5s were affected in 2024?
Chery said 60 Malaysian vehicles contained the affected parts. It widened the precautionary campaign to 600 vehicles fitted with rear axles produced between Aug 14 and Aug 17, 2023.
What caused the 2024 Omoda 5 axle problem?
According to Chery Auto Malaysia, miscalibration involving automated welding equipment at a parts supplier affected rear axle components produced during the relevant period.
How can Omoda 5 owners check their vehicle?
Owners can enter their VIN through Chery Malaysia's official product-update page and contact an authorised Chery service centre if further assistance is required.
