JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia — Motorists near AEON Mall Tebrau City were confronted with an unusual sight on Tuesday (Oct. 6) when a Chery SUV was left sitting on its chassis after its entire rear axle detached from the vehicle.
Photographs and videos of the incident quickly circulated on Malaysian social media, showing both rear wheels still attached to the detached axle lying behind the SUV on Jalan Pandan.
The incident happened on a road near AEON Tebrau City in Johor Bahru, with reports placing it at around 1.10pm. The cause of the failure has not been established, and Johor police had not issued a statement at the time of reporting.
Rear axle separates from vehicle
Images shared online show the dark-coloured Chery SUV stopped on the road with its rear section apparently resting directly on the chassis.
The entire rear axle assembly had separated from the vehicle, while both rear wheels remained attached to the detached component.
The SUV’s rear right passenger door also appeared to have dents.
A motorcycle was seen stopped behind the vehicle in photographs and videos, although it remains unclear whether the motorcycle was involved in the incident or simply stopped after encountering the disabled SUV.
Videos from the scene also showed a motorcyclist alongside a man and woman at the roadside. None appeared to have suffered obvious injuries, while the woman was seen making a phone call.
There has been no official confirmation of any injuries connected to the incident.
Social media users speculate about what happened
The dramatic images quickly prompted speculation online about how a vehicle could lose its entire rear axle while on the road.
Some users jokingly suggested that the vehicle might have been equipped with a supposed system that ejects the rear wheels when the car brakes suddenly.
That claim has no known basis.
Other commenters suggested that the incident could have resulted from a mechanical failure involving the rear axle, suspension or wheel components. However, these remain theories from social-media users and should not be treated as the confirmed cause.
No official investigation findings have yet been released.
The vehicle’s condition also makes it difficult to determine from photographs alone whether the axle failed spontaneously or whether an earlier collision or other impact contributed to the damage.
A similar Chery axle incident occurred in 2024
The latest incident has drawn particular attention because Chery faced a separate rear-axle issue involving its Omoda 5 in Malaysia in 2024.
In that case, an Omoda 5 owner reported that the rear axle had broken while she was driving. Chery Auto Malaysia subsequently inspected the vehicle and investigated the cause.
Chery later said about 600 Omoda 5 vehicles were potentially affected and began contacting owners for inspections as a precaution.
The company identified a manufacturing issue involving an automated welding machine at a parts facility. According to Chery, the machine had been incorrectly calibrated after a worn welding tip was replaced, resulting in the potential defect.
The affected vehicles were subject to a product-update campaign involving inspection and, where necessary, replacement of the rear axle component.
Chery’s current product-update system allows owners to enter their vehicle identification number to check whether their vehicle is affected by any outstanding campaign.
Previous recall does not establish a link to the latest case
Despite the similarities, there is currently no evidence that the latest Johor incident was caused by the same manufacturing problem identified in 2024.
The vehicle involved in the Oct. 6 incident has not been publicly identified by model or manufacturing date in the available reports.
It is also not yet known whether the SUV was an Omoda 5 or another Chery model.
This distinction is important because the 2024 product update involved specific vehicles and a specific rear-axle manufacturing issue. The mere fact that another Chery vehicle has experienced axle separation does not establish that the two incidents share the same cause.
Chery Auto Malaysia has been contacted for comment on the latest incident.
What happened in 2024?
The earlier Omoda 5 case attracted widespread attention after photographs appeared online showing the vehicle with its rear axle detached.
Chery initially described the reported case as an isolated incident while beginning an investigation. The company subsequently identified potentially affected vehicles and implemented precautionary inspections.
Owners were advised to check their vehicle identification numbers and arrange inspections at authorised Chery service centres if their cars were included in the campaign.
The episode eventually led to the replacement of faulty rear-axle components on affected vehicles.
The company has continued to maintain a product-update portal through which owners can check for outstanding safety-related campaigns.
No official cause has been announced
For the latest Johor incident, the most important question remains unanswered: why did the rear axle detach?
Possible mechanical causes discussed online include failures involving the axle itself, suspension components or wheel fasteners. But without an inspection of the vehicle and its components, none of those explanations can be confirmed.
An investigation would also need to determine whether the SUV had been involved in an earlier collision, whether it had undergone recent repairs or modifications, and whether any component showed signs of manufacturing or maintenance failure.
Police have yet to provide an official account of the incident.
Incident raises renewed questions about vehicle safety
The dramatic failure has nevertheless revived discussion about vehicle quality and safety, particularly because a detached rear axle can seriously affect a vehicle’s stability and control.
A similar mechanical failure at higher speed could potentially create much greater danger for the occupants of the vehicle and surrounding motorists.
At the same time, the latest incident should not be used by itself to conclude that Chery vehicles generally suffer from a systemic safety problem.
Vehicle failures can have many causes, and a proper technical investigation is needed before determining whether the incident was caused by a defective component, damage, maintenance issue or another factor.
For now, the Chery SUV remains an unusual sight on a Johor road: its rear axle and two wheels separated from the vehicle while the rest of the SUV was left stranded on its chassis.
As Chery Auto Malaysia considers the latest case, motorists will be watching for an official explanation of what caused the dramatic failure — and whether any additional vehicles could face a similar problem.
