BYD is recalling 32,009 of its Shark 6 PHEV ute because a fault means the spare wheel could detach. The issue affects all three variants of the model: the Premium, Performance and Dynamic Cab Chassis.

“For involved vehicles, BYD has identified that in certain circumstances incorrect installation of the spare wheel, incorrect positioning of the spare wheel tray or insufficient fastening torque may cause abnormal wear of the spare wheel support cable,” the brand said in a statement.

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“Continued movement and friction during vehicle operation may cause the cable to fail, resulting in spare wheel detachment. This may create a hazard to other road users and potentially cause serious injury or death.”

The recall applies to vehicles made from August 2024 to June this year, and affects 28,543 examples of the Shark 6 Premium, 2100 of the Performance and 1366 of the Dynamic Cab Chassis. BYD is advising owners to remove their spare wheel until vehicles can be repaired.

Shark 6 owners can visit BYD’s Vehicle Recall Information page here and enter their vehicle identification number to find out whether their ute has been caught up in the recall. If it is, BYD will fix the issue free of charge by replacing the assembly.

The Shark 6 was a smash hit in Australia when it arrived in October 2024. BYD sold almost 5000 of them in the first three months of 2025, but the end of the fringe benefits tax exemption for plug-in hybrids saw numbers drop off.

In June, BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins said the brand is hoping to “get back to at least 1500 units a month” with an uplift coming courtesy of the cab-chassis version and top-spec 3500kg towing option.