Massive failures of Chinese car brands in Russia due to widespread use of low-quality gasoline amid fuel shortages
According to Russian media outlet Mash, a large number of owners of Chinese vehicles such as Haval, Chery, Geely, Changan, EXEED, Omoda, and JieTu have been bringing their cars in for repairs, with engines and fuel systems repeatedly failing. These vehicles were originally designed to work with high-quality Euro 5 standard gasoline, but due to the current fuel crisis triggered by drone attacks on Russian military factories, authorities have temporarily allowed the production of Euro 2 standard gasoline—low-quality fuel that Chinese-made vehicles cannot properly adapt to.
Previously, Russia strictly prohibited the use of Euro 2 gasoline, which can contain up to 50 times more sulfur than Euro 5 gasoline. After many Russian drivers filled their tanks with Euro 2 fuel, new-generation engine fuel injectors, high-pressure fuel pumps, and spark plugs began failing in bulk. Symptoms include engine fault lights, reduced power, difficulty starting, and sharply increased fuel consumption. Many drivers remain unaware of the dangers of poor fuel quality and continue refueling with substandard gasoline, further accelerating vehicle damage.
According to Mash’s statistics, repair shop work orders related to these issues have surged from 1–2 per week to 7–10 per week recently, with individual repair costs averaging around 15,000 rubles, and some vehicles requiring complete replacement of expensive core components.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873049665866819/
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