2025 Third Quarter Car Complaint Analysis Report

In the third quarter of 2025, Chezhuwang accepted a total of 55,941 valid consumer complaints about automotive products (including 84 complaints related to third-party platforms and aftermarket tires), reflecting a quarter-on-quarter increase of 31.4% and a year-on-year increase of 38.3%. According to data from Chezhuwang, complaints were received for 226 automotive brands and 1,335 vehicle models this quarter, an increase of 23 brands and 99 vehicle models compared to the previous quarter.

Overall, the complaints in the third quarter exhibited the following characteristics:

1. Service issues have resurfaced, with the number of complaints soaring to over ten thousand, reaching a new high for the year. As competition in the domestic automobile market intensifies, "system upgrade issues" have re-emerged, with the number of complaints rising by 119.5% month-on-month. Some car companies, in their blind pursuit of sales figures, have neglected ongoing service for car owners, leading to a concentrated outbreak of complaints in the short term. In addition, complaints related to pre-sales services remain a focal point for consumers, such as "unfulfilled sales promises," "concealing relevant information," and "selling problematic vehicles," all of which have seen varying degrees of increase in complaints this quarter.

German brands have set a record for the number of complaints. Traditionally, German cars have been synonymous with "reliability" and "durability," but in recent years, the number of complaints has been on the rise. In the third quarter, complaints about German brands increased for the second consecutive quarter, coming close to breaking the ten-thousand mark. In terms of complaint types, quality issues remain the core concern, but service-related complaints are growing at an accelerating pace, with their proportion steadily increasing. The focus of car owners' complaints remains on gasoline models, with transmission issues being quite common. These include problems such as "transmission control unit failure," "transmission warning light illumination," and "abnormal transmission noise."

II. Analysis of Complaint Data for the Third Quarter of 2025

1. Distribution of Consumer Complaint Demographics

From the perspective of gender distribution, the proportion of male consumers has slightly increased, rising by 1.1 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. In terms of the age groups of complainants, the complaint ratios for the 18-25 and 26-30 age groups have seen slight increases, rising by 1 and 1.2 percentage points respectively compared to the second quarter, which indirectly reflects an increase in the proactive rights protection of young consumers this quarter. Additionally, the proportion of complaints related to issues occurring over three years has continued to climb, increasing by 4.5 percentage points compared to the previous period.

2. Quarterly Complaint Volume Comparison Analysis

In the third quarter, the number of complaints rebounded significantly quarter-on-quarter, reaching the second-highest quarterly complaints level in nearly five years, and also setting a new record for the highest in the same period historically.

3. Monthly Complaint Volume Comparison Analysis

In the third quarter, the complaint volume showed a significant year-on-year increase in each month, especially in July, where the complaint volume rose by 40.5% compared to the same month last year. Additionally, in August, the complaint volume exceeded 20,000 cases, setting a new monthly high in nearly six months, with a month-on-month increase of 37.2%.

4. Analysis of Complaint Proportion by Brand Type

In the third quarter, the complaint volume for domestic, joint venture, and imported brands all saw an increase, with joint venture brands experiencing the largest rise of 39.2% compared to the second quarter, leading to a 2.7 percentage point increase in their share. The complaints primarily focused on issues such as "transmission control unit failures" and "misaligned steering wheels." Notably, the complaint volume for imported brands surpassed a thousand for the first time in a year, rising by 32.6% quarter-on-quarter, with "audio and video system failures" and "component cracking" remaining major areas of concern.

5. Analysis of the Complaint Proportion by Brand Country

In this quarter, the complaint volume for brands from different countries has increased to varying degrees compared to the previous quarter. American brands lead the increase with a rise of 66.3% from the second quarter, with the total number approaching 10,000 cases. German brands have seen their complaints exceed 9,000 cases, setting a new historical record with a quarter-on-quarter increase of 34.7%. In contrast, French brands have the smallest quarter-on-quarter increase in complaints, with relatively stable performance in terms of reputation in the third quarter.