Are Chinese cars reliable? Mostly yes. Parts and resale are the real risk

Last updated: 9 October 2026. We update this page when new resale or reliability data comes out.

Mostly, yes. The engines and gearboxes in today's big-selling Chinese cars are holding up well, and owners of 4 to 6 year old Havals and Cherys report few serious faults.

The risks sit around the engine. Some owners wait months for a part. Screens and sensors play up. And nobody can yet promise what your car will be worth in five years.

Key facts

• Chinese brands took 22.4% of new passenger and light commercial sales in South Africa in the second quarter of 2026, says TransUnion. Sales were up 72% in a year.
• Six in ten cars WesBank finances are Chinese brands, says FirstRand's CEO.
• Only Chery, GWM/Haval and BAIC have more than three years of track record in South Africa.
• WesBank set money aside in 2026 because it fears used Chinese cars will drop in price.

Chinese car reliability tracker: Which brands are the most reliable?

Haval and Chery have the longest track record here and the most good long-term reports. This table sums up every brand, with the date each warranty figure was reported.

How much value do Chinese cars keep after 3 years?

These are the clearest resale numbers in South Africa so far.

Are Chinese cars reliable long term?

The long-term data is still thin. AutoTrader says only Chery, Haval and BAIC have three years or more of real resale and workshop history here. Omoda, Jaecoo and BYD have one to two years. Jetour, Changan, GAC and Leapmotor are newer still.

What exists looks good. AutoTrader says the core turbo petrol engines and gearboxes in leading Chery and GWM cars are "not showing widespread major failures". It also says it has not heard of local engine failures on Chery's 1,000,000 km engine warranty.

Owners online tell a similar story. One driver has run two Haval H6s for 6 years with no issues. A Haval H1 owner hit 117,000 km with only a wiper motor and a water pump replaced. A 2021 GWM P-Series bakkie at 50,000 km needed one tailgate latch.

Most of the people who post problems have owned their car for under two years, or are talking about a friend's car.

What problems do Chinese cars have?

Software, mostly. AutoTrader says "software is where most gripes live". Think over-keen lane assist, laggy touchscreens and the odd squeak or rattle.

China's own data says the same. The J.D. Power 2024 China dependability study asked 33,317 owners about their cars. Infotainment was the top complaint, with unresponsive touchscreens rising fastest. Chery and Geely still ranked among the best Chinese brands.

South African owners add a few more. Some find the cars thirsty next to the brochure figure. One H6 owner went through four batteries in four years from a drain no dealer could fix. Another found the brakes on his hybrid wore fast.

Photo: Cyril Klopper / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Are parts hard to get for Chinese cars?

Parts are the biggest complaint by far. A Jaecoo J7 plug-in hybrid owner says a cracked radiator part was on back order for almost 3 months after a small bump. The car sat in the workshop the whole time.

Others had better luck. A written-off Haval H6 got its door, windscreen, bumper and suspension from China within two weeks. A Chery Tiggo got a new bumper in three weeks.

One person who works in insurance said GWM and Haval parts are no problem, Chery parts are harder, and BAIC was a problem a few years ago. Toyota and Mercedes owners online also report six-week waits, so long waits are not only a Chinese problem.

The real fear is a brand leaving. An FAW owner says the dealer simply stopped stocking parts. Chery's first stint in South Africa ended badly too. This time Chery plans to build cars at a plant in Rosslyn by the end of 2027, says Business Day.

What about resale value?

Better than the horror stories, worse than a Toyota. The tracker above has the clearest numbers so far. Rental group First Car Rental sold 15 to 18 month old cars at "favourable prices", says its owner CMH. Nobody has sold big numbers of 5 to 6 year old Chinese cars yet.

The scariest story going around was a dealer offering R200,000 for a car that cost R835,000 three years earlier. Owners online pointed out it was an electric GWM Ora 03. They say the seller bought it as a used demo for just under R500,000.

Photo: Anhuicarspotter / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Will the bank finance a Chinese car?

Yes. Banks finance them every day. Standard Bank says the share of used Chinese cars it financed grew from 20% in 2022 to 36% by July 2024.

So why are banks worried? In September 2026, FirstRand CEO Mary Vilakazi said six out of every 10 vehicles WesBank finances are Chinese brands. She also said: "We are worried about what is going to happen to the used vehicles market."

Your car is the bank's security. If you stop paying, the bank sells the car. If the car is worth less, the bank loses more. So WesBank put extra money aside for that risk. Its retail car finance profit fell 35% to R1.016 billion in the year to June 2026.

For you, this can mean a bigger deposit on some models, says the lender Spring Loans. Sell early, and you may owe more than the car is worth.

Is a new Chinese car better than a second-hand Toyota or VW?

It depends on how long you keep cars. AutoTrader says if you trade every two to three years, a Toyota or VW still protects your money best. If you keep the car for five to seven years, it says a Tiggo 4 Pro or Jolion "makes financial sense".

The price gap also buys a full warranty and service plan. A used German SUV can cost R15,000 to R20,000 a service, owners say. One owner put the other side simply: "Pay 100k more today, get 200k more in 5 years on resale."

Do Chinese cars cost more to insure?

Not always. One Haval Jolion owner said the premium was in line with any other car. Insurers look at the car's value, the cost of parts and how long repairs take.

Parts prices vary. One H6 owner was quoted about R15,000 to R20,000 for a full LED headlight, against R40,000 for an Audi Q5 one. Get three quotes for the exact model before you sign anything.

Photo: Gsalamander / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

What do owners say after 3 years or more?

Mostly good. In one South African thread about cars over three years old, every first-hand owner reported few or no faults. The complaints came from shorter ownership or from friends' cars.

The bad stories are real, though. In October 2026, photos of a Chery in Malaysia that lost its whole rear axle on the road went viral. The Omoda 5 had a rear axle recall there in 2024.

Checklist before you buy a Chinese car

• Pick a brand with 3+ years in South Africa if resale matters to you.
• Ask the dealer where the parts warehouse is and how long common parts take.
• Check the nearest dealer to your home, not only the showroom.
• Read the warranty terms. Chery's million km engine cover is for the first owner, unless you buy through Chery's approved used programme.
• Get insurance quotes before you sign the finance.
• Plan to keep the car five years or longer.
• Budget for fuel at real-world use, not the brochure. Our monthly petrol price forecast helps.

The bottom line

A few years ago, buying Chinese was a gamble on the engine. Today the engine is the safe part. Jebb McIntosh, who runs the CMH dealer group, says the days of buying an "inferior" Chinese car to save a little money are over.

What you are really choosing now is a brand that will still be here, with parts on the shelf, when your car turns five. Pick that brand, keep the car for the long haul, and the money you saved at the start stays in your pocket.