The initial group of consumers who purchased half-finished cars, driven by the belief that "cars are built to be driven, not endlessly repaired," are now encountering significant maintenance challenges. Take Mr. Wang, the proud owner of a 2023 Neta X, for instance. His vehicle suffered a power battery malfunction while on the road. Upon taking it to the Neta Auto Experience Center, he was met with a dead end in maintenance negotiations due to a critical shortage of spare parts. Consequently, his car has been immobilized for over a month. Unfortunately, Mr. Wang's predicament is not an isolated incident. A fellow Neta car owner in Jiangsu, after a rear-end collision, was forced to resort to a local auto repair shop owing to the absence of a nearby 4S store. The repair process took an excruciating four days, and the car paint exhibited a noticeable color discrepancy.
This trend of half-finished cars from brands like Neta, Jiyue, and Gahe has particularly resonated with young consumers aged 25-35. Despite the initial allure of low prices, these car owners are now grappling with prolonged waiting times for spare parts, exorbitant prices, and the subpar quality of non-original parts during maintenance. Public data reveals that automakers such as Neta, Jiyue, and Gahe have collectively sold over 500,000 vehicles, implying that a staggering number of car owners—exceeding half a million—are contending with after-sales maintenance hurdles.
Although these automakers have established inspection and maintenance centers or delegated after-sales responsibilities to core shareholders, non-original maintenance services continue to draw criticism from disgruntled car owners. Since 2025, the trio of automakers has faced over 50 complaints related to maintenance and after-sales issues. The primary grievances revolve around the unavailability of spare parts for vehicle repairs, recurring vehicle system failures, and power battery malfunctions. Some car owners have recounted tales of being informed about missing parts upon taking their vehicles to dealerships for repairs, only to be left in limbo for 3-4 months as they awaited the manufacturer's delivery—a delivery that, in many cases, never materialized.