Rear axle of Chery SUV snaps off with wheels attached in JB

The unusual sight of a Chery sports utility vehicle (SUV) — its rear axle and wheels detached — greeted motorists on a road near AEON Mall Tebrau City in Johor Bahru on Tuesday (Oct 6).

Social media users in Malaysia took to threads throughout Tuesday afternoon, sharing photographs and videos of the SUV sitting on its chassis on Jalan Pandan.

The SUV's rear axle, with both wheels still attached, is seen just behind the car.

Its rear right passenger door also has visible dents and a motorcycle is seen stopped behind the car, though it is unclear if they were involved in an accident.

While Johor police have not released a statement on the incident, videos show a motorcyclist at the roadside with a woman and a man. 

They do not appear to be injured and she is seen speaking on the phone.

@asiaone In the previous incident, the broken axle was caused by the miscalibration of an automated welding machine at the factory, after a worn-out tip was replaced. #malaysianews #malaysia #car #accident ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Some social media users, perhaps jokingly, floated the idea that it could be a "tyre ejector charge system".

Such claims suggest that the system is triggered when a vehicle ahead brakes suddenly and the car is unable to stop in time. 

This, they said, will prevent the car from rolling over or cause serious injuries.

But several other users have also pointed out that such a system does not exist as there would be implications for vehicles behind.

"Such incidents are caused by mechanical failure, such as a broken rear axle, a faulty trailing arm, or even loose lug nuts," one user said.

Others pointed out that this is not the first such instance involving a Chery vehicle.

In 2024, Chery Auto Malaysia issued a statement after a similar incident happened with a Chery Omoda 5.

The dealer went on to recall 600 units of the model that could be similarly affected, and said it would voluntarily brief the Malaysia Ministry of Transport on its inspection status and the root cause of the broken axle.

Findings indicated that in that instance, the broken axle was caused by the miscalibration of an automated welding machine at the factory, after a worn-out tip was replaced.

A total of 60 units of the model, produced in August 2023, were then recalled.

AsiaOne has reached out to Chery Auto Malaysia for comments on the latest incident. 

editor@asiaone.com