Controversy Over BYD Parts Supply Raises the Need to Expand the Repair Ecosystem

There are criticisms that BYD does not sufficiently supply genuine parts to domestic independent repair shops. Accordingly, concerns have been raised that consumers' 'right to repair'—the ability to choose where to have repairs done and how much to pay for them—is being constrained. According to reporting by the Kyunghyang Shinmun on the 13th, the auto repair industry claimed that BYD is restricting parts supply to general repair shops outside its official service centers. BYD Korea countered that it also sells parts to independent repair shops and individuals, but onsite voices continued to say that obtaining parts is not easy. Independent repair shops say it is difficult to take on repairs because of the parts shortage, and that consumer costs could rise because labor charges at official centers are relatively high. As BYD's sales in Korea grow rapidly, there are also concerns that the expanding repair demand may be difficult to handle with the official service network alone. BYD Korea said it plans to further expand its service centers and repair capacity by the end of the year.