Dongfeng Qi Chen R50 Frequently Asked for Antifreeze Liquid Leakage

“I bought the Dongfeng Qichen R50 in October 2015 and have been maintaining in the 4S shop. When the vehicle mileage was about 28,000 kilometers, I discovered that the engine leaked antifreeze and I applied for a replacement engine after checking at the 4S shop at the end of February 2018.” The owner of the car from Guangdong, Mr. Chen (a pseudonym), reported to the "China Business" reporter.

The reporter's investigation found that several car owners complained about the antifreeze leakage of Dongfeng Qichen Automobile R50 through car homes, car quality nets and other channels, and according to owners, this was not a recent problem. In addition, there are media reports of engine leakage related issues, or part of the Dongfeng Kai Chen D50, R50X and T70 models.

Since there have been complaints about Dongfeng Kaichen R50 leaking antifreeze, manufacturers and related departments have not dealt with it accordingly. The reporters sent a letter to Dongfeng Qichen and the AQSIQ to find out the situation. In response, Dongfeng Qichen stated that “according to the statistics of the after-sales aspect, the phenomenon of leakage of antifreeze liquid is very rare. The relevant feedback for the owner will be treated with caution.” AQSIQ stated that on the Dongfeng Kai Chen R50 The problem of leakage of antifreeze is currently being solved. Details are waiting for notice.

When interviewed by reporters, lawyer Chen Liang, a partner of the legal system Shengbang Law Firm in Guangdong, pointed out that “When consumers encounter problems, they need to maintain their rights and protect their rights in accordance with the law. There are four main methods. They can call consumer associations to make complaints, to the relevant administrative authorities. Competent authorities report complaints, initiate civil lawsuits through judicial channels, seek public opinion or media supervision."

Dongfeng Qi Chen R50 frequent leakage problem

“I bought the Dongfeng Qichen R50 at the end of 2014. The car was produced in July of the same year. As a result, I discovered the leakage of antifreeze at the beginning of this year. My car has just passed the warranty period, but it is usually less open, and the car is also very low. The rule is that the mileage is only 11,000 kilometers, said Mr. Bai (a pseudonym) owner.

The reporter discovered from the car quality network that since 2016, there have been more complaints about the Dongfeng Qichen R50 engine antifreeze. In addition, some automobile forums also have discussions such as "about the various leaks of the Kaichen R50," and they all said that the car (Dongfeng Kaichen R50) leaked antifreeze.

Mr. Chen disclosed to reporters that after applying for replacement of the engine, there were four new engines when going to the 4S store for repair. The staff asked Mr. Chen to pick one. “I guess it is estimated that there are a lot of owners who have changed the engine due to leakage.”

After an interview with the reporter, it was learned that the problem of Dongfeng Kaichen R50 leakage antifreeze was not a recent occurrence. Miss Chen (a pseudonym) owner from Shandong revealed to reporters that the Dongfeng Qichen R50 she purchased had a problem of leakage of antifreeze as early as a year ago.

“I started the Dongfeng Qichen R50 batch production in February 2015 two years ago. At that time, I spent more than half a year and miles took thousands of kilometers to discover the situation where the vehicle leaked antifreeze.” said Miss Chen. . After discovering the problem, Ms. Chen opened the car to the 4S shop for inspection and confirmation. The manufacturer agreed to repair it, but said that it could only change the cylinder pad. Ms. Chen is not satisfied with the manufacturer's treatment plan and requires the replacement of the engine. Later, after several rounds of dealing, the manufacturer eventually agreed to help Miss Chen replace the engine.

Ms. Chen disclosed that “listening to other bikers said that most of the batches produced in 2014~2015 had the problem of leakage of antifreeze, and some D50 and R50X models also had leakage problems in some batches of vehicles.” Mr. Shu of Nanning ( Anonymous) also told reporters that the Dongfeng Qichen R50 vehicle of the 2015 batch had originally had this problem and could make claims within the warranty period.

According to complaints from netizens, most of the feedback results indicated that “4S stores can only change the cylinder pad,” and some netizens stated that “4S stores refused to provide free maintenance on the ground of not maintaining the store, but the vehicle was purchased in April 2015. There is no warranty period."

The reporter called the Dongfeng Kaichen maintenance department. The other party claimed that the warranty period of the car was 3 years. If there were problems with the vehicle during the warranty period, the owner could directly drive to the maintenance point and the maintenance personnel would check and handle it. However, the other party did not mention specific solutions.

In response, Dongfeng Qichen responded to this reporter's report that, according to the statistics of the after-sales sector, the phenomenon of leakage of antifreeze liquid was rare. We will actively organize after-sales service departments to conduct comprehensive professional inspections on vehicles that have problems. Once problems are found, Dongfeng Qichen will strictly comply with the laws and regulations including the “Three Guarantees” policy of automobiles, and effectively protect the owners’ rights and interests.

In addition, Dongfeng Qi Chen R50 has been discontinued production, concerned about the owner of the "discontinued impact on after-sales", Dongfeng Kai Chen is committed to stop production will not affect the owner of the repair and sale of any impact.

Antifreeze leaks or causes engine damage

Recalling the process of applying for free repairs, Mr. Bai still felt helpless. “At first, I had great hopes for the car's engine, but I found that the riders reflected the leakage of the cylinder pad. Finally, my own vehicle had this kind of problem. Because I anticipate the problem of vehicle leakage and antifreeze, Originally wanted to apply for free repairs and the application was rejected on the grounds that the warranty period had expired for 3 years."

Later, Mr. Bai continued to post complaints on the Internet and informed the manufacturer that he intended to find the Consumer Association for the record. The manufacturer then promised Mr. Bai to repair it for free. It is understood that the manufacturer replaced the cylinder pad for Mr. Bai’s vehicle and no problem has been found again after the vehicle was repaired.

Mr. Bai said that he was not very satisfied with the maintenance results. He believes that the maintenance volume of the engine cylinder pad is not small, and the manufacturers should be more active. A responsible manufacturer should not only be passive when it really feels pressure.

Jia Xinguang, executive director of the China Automobile Dealers Association, said that the reason for the leakage of antifreeze may be caused by damage to the pipeline or water tank. "Antifreeze is actually a cooling fluid used to cool the engine. If the antifreeze leaks, the cooling of the engine will not be guaranteed and it will lead to engine damage," Jia Xinguang said.

For the solution to the leakage of antifreeze, Jia Xinguang said that under normal circumstances there is no need to replace the engine, the most important is to check the piping system, such as joints and water tanks. "If you find a tank leak, you need to repair or even replace the tank."

"Antifreeze leakage is not usually running immediately, so there is a process, if found early, will not cause damage to the engine. The engine problem is another matter, the general water cooling system will not cause engine failure." Jia Xinguang said.

Chen Liang believes that in the warranty period of maintenance, change the cylinder head gasket or the engine, you need to look specifically at the maintenance of the original function. "If it is a problem with the design of the engine itself, then the manufacturer is obliged to recall all defective automotive products in accordance with the "Regulations on the Revocation of Defective Automobile Products". The manufacturer shall remedy the design defect free of charge, but will not carry out specific remedial measures. If there is a problem with the production process or the production process of the engine of a specific batch of specific automobiles, replacement of the parts cannot make the batch of engines meet the corresponding national standards, and this situation also requires replacement of the entire engine."

At the same time, Chen Liang also stated that if consumers can identify through a qualified accreditation body and prove to be a defect in the production, craftsmanship, or material of the vehicle, then whether it is a batch or only a single car problem, After the warranty period, the manufacturer still has the obligation to repair or replace it.

Previously, Dongfeng Qichen successively launched the T90, M50V, the new Qichen D60 and the new Qichen T70. The four new products further strengthened the market competitiveness of mainstream segments such as MPV, sedan and SUV, and promoted the formation of a complete product matrix. Drive sales growth with strong products.

According to reports, the R50 model mainly involved in this survey is not the main model of Dongfeng Qichen and has also been discontinued. Dongfeng Kaichen responded that after the R50 model was discontinued, relevant replacement models have not yet been introduced, and there is no plan to list new models related to it in the near future.

In addition, according to the relevant data, the owner complained that the leakage of antifreeze in the R50 model did not affect Dongfeng Qichen sales temporarily. Since its inception in 2017, Dongfeng Qichen has grown at a rapid rate, which is approximately 5 times higher than the industry's. The first-year terminal sales volume exceeded 140,000 units, an increase of 22.7% year-on-year.

Dongfeng Kaichen statistics show that as of March 21, the latest sales figures in March are: 9619 vehicles in a single month and 8,102 vehicles in a single month. It is expected that sales in March will hit a record high for the same period in history.