Maextro offers free upgrades after braking components fail during testing

Maextro has pledged free component upgrades after brake pedal brackets fractured in three V800 vehicles during tests by automotive platform Dongchedi, prompting debate over vehicle safety.

The platform released test footage on Thursday showing three Maextro V800 vehicles undergoing braking performance tests from 100 kilometers per hour to a full stop. All three suffered brake pedal bracket fractures, occurring on the third braking attempt for the first vehicle, the fourth for the second, and the second for the third.

Maextro responded that evening, saying that no fractures of the brake pedal bracket base had occurred in customers' actual use since deliveries began and that its braking system had undergone development and validation exceeding national and industry standards.

"Even under nonstandard, extreme test conditions, we still want to provide users with a greater margin of safety," Maextro said in a statement, adding that it will further refine the component's design and offer a free upgrade to customers who have already received their vehicles.

Maextro is a luxury vehicle brand developed by JAC Motors in partnership with Huawei under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance. The V800 is its luxury multipurpose vehicle launched in August.

However, Dongchedi rejected the suggestion that the tests involved extreme conditions or excessive force. "Braking from 100 km/h is among the most basic vehicle performance tests and reflects situations drivers may encounter on highways," the platform said.

It argued that during a normal test of this kind, the braking system should not fracture, regardless of how hard the pedal is pressed.

"This is the first time a brake pedal bracket has fractured in our tests over the years," a staffer from the platform told China Daily, adding that similar fractures occurring at the same location in three consecutive tests could indicate a potential safety risk.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn