The cooling-off period for Chinese cars in Russia has arrived by Asiautos Auto Parts(China Car Aftermarket Parts Expert)

Edited by Asiautos Auto Part

01 Sweet period

After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2022, Western countries imposed severe economic sanctions on Russia. International automakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Toyota have closed their production plants in Russia and stopped delivering vehicles. This move has caused a huge supply gap in the Russian auto market.

At the same time, Chinese auto brands entered the Russian market with their cost-effective advantages, quickly filled the market gap, and occupied a dominant position in the Russian market. 

By the end of 2022, there will be only 14 brands left in the Russian auto market, 11 of which are Chinese brands. Counting only the two years when Europe and the United States withdrew from the Russian market, the number of Chinese cars in Russia has exceeded 1.1 million.

By the end of 2024, the share of Chinese brands in the Russian new car market will stabilize at 50%, and 9 of the top ten brands in sales in 2024 are Chinese brands, especially Haval, Chery and Geely. 

At least in the past two years, Chinese cars have spent a sweet period in the Russian market.

02 Contradiction period

The sweet period ended much faster than expected.

With the widespread use of Chinese cars in Russia, quality problems have gradually been exposed, attracting widespread attention from consumers and experts.

Russian Lamark Automobile Anti-corrosion Center (Note: Because the test structure also sells anti-corrosion products, the fairness of the test is yet to be evaluated) conducted a study on the ability of Chinese cars to withstand local weather conditions in Russia.

The test results show that Chinese cars will rust within two years under Russian weather conditions because some models have not been treated with any anti-corrosion treatment.

The study was conducted in 26 regions of Russia, with 17 Chinese brands participating. 

Under Russian climatic conditions, Chinese cars have a corrosion lifespan of only 2-5 years. These vehicles are particularly unsuitable for Siberia, with cases of new cars rusting in just six months.

Cars from brands such as JAC, Ideal, Lifan, Jetour, and Dongfeng will begin to rust metal parts after about two years of use.

Even for more expensive brands such as Haval, Geely, and Chery, metal parts only last 4-5 years.

At the same time, most Chinese manufacturers’ corrosion warranty periods range from 3 to 6 years, confirming the limited resistance of Chinese cars to the harsh conditions of Russia.

Generally speaking, the service life of new Chinese cars under Russian conditions does not exceed 5-7 years, but there are also examples of cars being sold on the secondary market for more than 10 years and still in use. 

In contrast, European brands that have left the Russian market, such as Skoda, Opel, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, show significantly higher corrosion resistance.

The service life of untreated metal parts of the bodies of these European brands can reach 12 years. Through metal anti-corrosion treatment, the service life can be extended to about 22 years.

In this comparison, the more they are sold, the more complaints Russian car owners have about Chinese cars.

Russian experts give maintenance advice to these Chinese cars that rust the fastest. Car owners who buy Chinese cars should immediately carry out anti-corrosion treatment after purchasing a new car and update it every 2-3 years. This measure can extend the service life by 10 to 12 years. 

03 Cooling-off period

Rust is just one of the complaints Russian car owners have about Chinese cars.

A survey of Russian taxi drivers showed that Russian taxi drivers generally complained about the poor quality of Chinese cars. Chinese cars account for 70% to 80% of the Russian taxi fleet.

Chinese cars often have serious problems, with many cars' transmissions and engines failing. The cost of repairing a Chinese car for five years has already exceeded the cost of a new car. 

However, repairing a broken Chinese car is not an easy task.

In May 2024, the Russian Union of Automobile Insurance Companies warned that the delivery time for imported auto parts has doubled from a year ago and now takes at least 45 days. At the same time, nearly a quarter of auto service centers have encountered counterfeit parts.

A survey by another agency, Otkrytie Avto, also claimed that 61% of Russians believe that Chinese cars are only partially adapted to local conditions, and 19% are convinced that Chinese cars cannot withstand the Russian winter at all.

Russians' complaints about Chinese cars include: too high prices, too thin paint, too soft suspension, poor quality of electronic equipment and spare parts, etc.

The title of the Russian media report "Russians buy rusty cars from China: Putin's scam brings disaster to Russians" seems to be guiding public opinion: Russians are forced to buy Chinese cars.

How to avoid "divorce" after the cooling-off period in the Russian market? Perhaps the next most important issue for Chinese automakers is service and maintenance.

ASIAUTOS.NET

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