More than 200 Thousand GAC Aion S Car Batteries Allegedly Have Problems

GAC Aion S electric car. (Photo: GAC)

JAKARTA - GAC Aion S is in the spotlight after many vehicle owners reported serious problems with the battery system. A number of cases mention that the battery is swollen, leaking, and even bursting, which in some cases causes the vehicle to lose power while driving.

Citing a report by Jiemian News, which was reported by Carnewschina, Wednesday, July 22, the majority of cases were found in vehicles that had traveled between 150,000 km to 300,000 km. Based on data from consumer complaint platforms, such as 12365auto and Black Cat, 182 reports were recorded in just half a month.

The detection rate of the disturbance reached 4.7 percent of the approximately 213,000 affected vehicle units. The investigation led to the use of 177Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells produced by CALB as the main source of the problem.

As public attention increased after an investigation conducted by the Chinese state-run media, Xinhua News Agency, GAC Aion together with CALB on July 18, 2026 apologized and announced a handling step. GAC Aion extended the battery warranty to eight years or up to 300,000 km for affected vehicles.

The company also promises inspections and battery replacements at no cost, and provides subsidies to vehicle owners if the repair process takes more than five days. Meanwhile, CALB stated that it was ready to provide free inspection and maintenance services.

A number of industry experts assess that this case is not just a standalone incident, but indicates a systemic manufacturing problem. Some of the suspected causes highlighted include an unoptimized design of the electrolyte system, an insufficient level of assembly precision, to the verification process through aging tests which are considered less strict.

In terms of finances, this issue is expected to put a big pressure on GAC Aion and CALB. Although both companies chose to extend the warranty and carry out repair programs rather than officially recalling, the scope of the problem involving more than 213,000 vehicles has the potential to incur considerable costs.

As an illustration, the previous battery dispute between VREMT, a Geely subsidiary, and Sunwoda ended with a settlement worth 2.314 billion yuan. With a much larger number of affected vehicles in the case of GAC Aion S, the potential cost burden is expected to exceed this figure and risk pressuring the financial condition of GAC Aion and CALB.

CALB itself is the fourth largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer in the world based on installation volume with a market share of 6.3 percent. Its position is on par with Gotion High-tech and is still below the industry's two largest players, namely CATL and BYD.