Zeekr 9X SUV locked after crossing China‑Kazakhstan border
Owner Liu bought a Zeekr 9X SUV for about 500,000 yuan and began a self‑planned drive from China to Europe on 8 July. After crossing the China‑Kazakhstan border on 16 July, the vehicle’s built‑in anti‑smuggling system automatically disabled navigation, infotainment and the electronic fuel‑cap, leaving the car partially unusable for more than 30 hours. Basic driving functions such as steering, brakes and powertrain remained operational.
Zeekr later issued a public apology on Weibo and remotely restored the locked functions with an authorization code. The company introduced a code‑generator in its mobile app, a software update that can disable the automatic border lock, and a 24‑hour phone line for owners travelling abroad. Zeekr said the system is intended to prevent theft, illegal export and to control market distribution of its vehicles.
Entities: China · Kazakhstan · Liu · Zeekr · Zeekr 9X
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The vehicle’s anti‑smuggling system disabled navigation, infotainment and electronic fuel‑cap functions after crossing the China‑Kazakhstan border on 16 July. (Function lock after border crossing)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Owner Liu purchased a Zeekr 9X SUV for about 500,000 yuan (≈280,000–475,000 PLN). (Price of vehicle)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Zeekr introduced a code‑generator in its app, a software update to disable the border lock by default, and a 24‑hour phone line for customers abroad. (Remedial measures)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Zeekr issued a public apology on Weibo after the incident. (Company apology)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The lock persisted for more than 30 hours until Zeekr technicians remotely restored the functions. (Duration of lock)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Basic vehicle functions such as steering, brakes and the powertrain remained operational during the lockdown. (Basic functions still working)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Zeekr said the system is intended to prevent theft, illegal export and control market distribution of its vehicles. (Purpose of system)