In news from Epoch Times on December 11, 2025, the maintenance costs of new energy vehicles in China are significantly higher than those of traditional fuel vehicles, with owners complaining of “can afford to buy, but cannot afford to repair,” “the money saved on charging is all used for maintenance,” and “minor issues easily costing thousands, major repairs equivalent to half the car price.”
According to a report from Xinjing Daily on December 11, Mr. Xu, a Tesla Model 3 owner, was rear-ended, resulting in a minor crack of about 10 centimeters on the trunk lid. After returning to the factory for repairs, he was told that the entire trunk lid needed to be replaced, with a cost of nearly 20,000 yuan (RMB). Mr. Dong, another Tesla owner, also mentioned that a slight scrape on the right rear side of his car caused by a tricycle resulted in a repair cost of nearly 10,000 yuan.
Journalists from Xinjing Daily – Beike Finance interviewed dozens of new energy vehicle owners, who generally reported that maintenance for new energy vehicles is much more expensive than traditional fuel vehicles.
Owners expressed, “A car costing less than 150,000 yuan required several thousand yuan just for a repaint of the bumper.” “Even a minor scratch costs over 3,000 yuan to repair.” “A car priced at 130,000 yuan went to a 4S store for inspection after a slight bump, and the repair of a front headlight alone cost over 6,000 yuan.” “The rear bumper scrape led to nearly 4,000 yuan in repair costs as the 4S store only replaced it without repairing.”
If the repairs involve the battery chassis, the costs will be even higher.
Owners mentioned, “For cars under 200,000 yuan, replacing the front bumper, left front door, left A-pillar, and left rearview mirror costs over 30,000 yuan.” “A scrape below the right front headlight led to the determination that the front bumper, front grille, right headlight assembly, and inner lining of the right front wheel needed replacement, totaling over 20,000 yuan.” “Driving the Ora Good Cat Alpha T5 hit an obstacle, causing the chassis to scrape and dent. The 4S store concluded that the chassis cannot be replaced independently, requiring the entire battery assembly to be replaced, costing tens of thousands of yuan.”
Complaints from owners of Ora Good Cat, BMW i3, and other models revolve around the frequent need to replace major components, with the risk of changing the battery assembly when the chassis is scratched.
The report highlighted that the high cost and difficulty of maintenance for new energy vehicles have become a common concern for owners. A survey by a professional company showed that the maintenance cost for slight scratches on new energy vehicles is 2 to 2.5 times higher than that of fuel vehicles; costs increase significantly when involving battery and motor repairs.
Furthermore, the country currently has fewer than 100,000 certified new energy maintenance technicians, with a gap of around 842,000 personnel in the after-sales service of new energy vehicles. High technical thresholds, monopolized maintenance channels, and a significant shortage of maintenance technicians pose a series of practical and sharp problems.
The report noted that the awkward situation of being unable to afford repairs, avoiding repairs, and lacking technicians has become an “invisible threshold” between the rapid growth of the new energy vehicle industry and user experience.
Commenting online, users suggested, “Avoid going to 4S stores for repairs; instead, opt for local car repair shops. Initially, a crack on the right front bumper at a 4S store would cost over 3,000 yuan for a complete replacement. Later, a local car repair shop fixed it through panel repair, repainting, and replacing a small part, costing just over 300 yuan.”
“The insurance tied to 4S stores results in limitations when accidents occur; the insurance company imposes various restrictions and may not settle claims for repairs at non-affiliated shops.” “The main issue lies in post-sales restrictions; repairs outside may forfeit certain clauses, including hidden terms, even for minor adjustments like unscrewing a bolt.”
“This is all about monopoly. If the repair market isn’t monopolized, there could be discrepancies in the repair quality of personnel (including those from 4S stores). If post-sales were liberalized, incidents like breakdowns, power loss, and fires could damage reputations, leading to a loss of routine maintenance income for 4S stores. Ultimately, it seems like a market-driven decision.”