Chinese cars are increasingly equipped with remote-control functions, but such technologies can sometimes work against their owners. After entering Kazakhstan, a Zeekr 9X automatically restricted the operation of some of its systems, CarNewsChina reported.
A Chinese national surnamed Liu, who bought a new Zeekr 9X about six months ago, set off on a road trip from China to Europe via Kazakhstan. However, shortly after crossing Kazakhstan’s border, the SUV automatically restricted the operation of several electronic systems.
Why the Zeekr disabled some of its functions
The following functions stopped working:
- Navigation system;
- Certain electric drive functions;
- Electronic fuel filler door lock.
At the same time, the steering, brakes and other critical systems continued to operate normally.
Zeekr said the issue was caused by a built-in security mechanism that can be activated automatically when a vehicle crosses an international border. The mechanism is designed to prevent vehicle theft, smuggling and violations of international vehicle export regulations.
Remote unlock took more than 24 hours
Following the checks, the company’s specialists remotely restored the vehicle’s full functionality. As a result, the trip was delayed by more than 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Liu said that before the trip, he had the vehicle serviced at an authorized dealership and informed its staff that he planned to travel to Europe via Kazakhstan. However, he said no one warned him that the vehicle’s functions could be automatically locked.
Zeekr also said the issue could recur when the vehicle crosses other international borders if the security mechanisms are activated again.
This marks one of the first publicly known cases in which a vehicle partially restricted its own functions after entering Kazakhstan. It highlights the need for owners of newer Chinese cars to check with the manufacturer in advance about how their electronic systems operate when traveling internationally.
