A customer in Zhejiang, China has expressed frustration after claiming his newly purchased smart electric vehicle repeatedly failed to recognise his voice, sparking a dispute with the dealership over defects and compensation.
The man, surnamed Deng, reportedly bought a Deepal S07 SUV in Hangzhou for around 140,000 yuan. However, shortly after collecting the vehicle in mid-April, he discovered issues with the car’s intelligent voice system during his drive home.
According to his account, when he attempted to activate the system by saying “Hello Deepal” from the driver’s seat, the car repeatedly responded by addressing him as the front passenger instead. He said the system continued to misidentify him despite multiple attempts, leaving him shocked at what he described as a “non-functional” feature in a brand-new vehicle.
Generally, smart vehicle technologies rely on in-cabin sensors and microphones to distinguish user positions, and even minor hardware faults can affect voice recognition performance across different seating zones.
A media test reportedly confirmed that the system worked normally for passengers in other seats, but failed to respond correctly when commands were issued from the driver’s position, suggesting a possible microphone-related fault.
Following inspection, after-sales technicians reportedly concluded that an internal microphone issue required partial disassembly of the vehicle for repair. The customer, however, objected to the proposed fix, arguing that a new car should not require immediate dismantling after delivery.
He also raised concerns about the pre-delivery inspection process and said he was not informed of any potential issues at the time of handover. The dealership responded that the customer had requested early delivery before all documentation had arrived.
Discussions between both parties also extended to registration paperwork, with the customer claiming he did not receive the vehicle’s official certificate at the time of collection, delaying formal registration. The dealership said the document was still in transit but insisted the temporary licence plate issued was valid.
Compensation talks reportedly broke down, with the dealership offering 5,000 yuan as goodwill payment, while the customer demanded significantly higher compensation and ultimately requested a full return of the vehicle.
Authorities and police have since been involved in mediation, though no agreement has been reached. The case remains under further discussion as both sides continue to dispute responsibility and resolution terms.
