Chinese state media has aired a Zeekr 9X owner's complaints, after he was involved in a "self-driving" crash. Image modified by CarNewsChina. Understand China EV’s Market Real-time notifications when critical EV data is released All important data in one place 2,000,000+ data points Become a member Chinese state media aired a segment about a Zeekr 9X owner’s complaint, after his full-size new-energy (NEV) SUV collided with a telephone pole while in assisted driving mode. The SUV is equipped with 5 LiDAR units, which Zeekr states provide advanced 360-degree detection and safety capabilities. This segment was broadcast on “The First Help Team” (Fu Jian Bang Bang Tuan), a consumer helpline/program produced by the Fujian Media Group, a state media organisation affiliated with Fujian Province. The owner stated that shortly after his 539,000 yuan (79,000 USD) purchase, the 9X drifted to the side of the road in assisted-driving mode and collided with a telephone pole. While there were no injuries, the collision caused major damage to the 9X’s front end. The owner showing the moment of impact, and the resulting damage.Credit: The First Help Team (Fu Jian Bang Bang Tuan) He said he chose the 9X for its assisted-driving capabilities, as highlighted by Zeekr at launch, with 360-degree obstacle detection from five LiDAR units. Zeekr states that the 9X’s LiDARs can detect objects larger than 0.75 m in length or height within 300 m, and the SUV stops safely during its launch demonstration. While the owner accepted responsibility for the collision, he restated these claims in his complaint and alleged that Zeekr’s advertising was misleading. Zeekr claims that the 9X has advanced assisted driving and active safety capabilities. Source: Zeekr Zeekr’s response When approached by state media journalists, Zeekr’s after-sales staff stated that the telephone pole’s round cross-section could scatter the LiDAR’s pulsed laser beams, affecting object detection. The program then questioned Zeekr’s claim of the 9X “detecting any 0.75 m object within 300 m.” Zeekr staff did not respond, and the program concluded after the owner filed a joint complaint through Zeekr’s support hotline. Curiously, the program blurred all appearances of Zeekr’s logo, both in marketing materials and on the owner’s SUV. Similar incidents For instance, 12365auto, a Chinese auto consumer complaints platform, lists two complaints regarding the Zeekr 9X’s assisted-driving system. One complaint reports that the SUV did not detect other vehicles when changing lanes in NZP (Navigation Zeekr Pilot) assisted driving mode, resulting in near-collisions on several occasions. Additionally, the same complaint states that on a diagnostic test drive, their 9X came into contact with a plastic container, and that the SUV’s safety system did not issue any warnings. The second complaint indicates that the same safety systems switch off during acceleration, which led to an incident with an e-bike, and that Zeekr responded that this was expected system behaviour. As Zeekr begins pre-sales of the 9X’s five-seater variant, it may also introduce improvements to its safety and assisted driving systems. The SUV retails for 465,900-599,900 yuan (68,700–88,400 USD) in China. The Zeekr 9X’s domestic deliveries, September 2025 to May 2026. Source: China EV DataTracker Looking at recent sales performance, China EV DataTracker reports that Zeekr delivered 9,058 units of the 9X domestically in May 2026. Furthermore, the brand also boasted that the SUV had been China’s best-selling high-end SUV for seven consecutive months. Source: The First Help Team (Fu Jian Bang Bang Tuan), Zeekr, 12365auto