The Zeekr 9X’s Owner Began Travelling From China To Europe, But The SUV “Locked” Once They Left

The Zeekr 9X is an extremely luxurious SUV packed with “smart” technology, but one owner in China faced the other side of that powerful intelligence.

Earlier this month, a 9X owner known as Liu embarked on a road trip from China to Europe that was supposed to be the ultimate test of Zeekr’s flagship SUV. However, problems began as soon as he crossed the border into Kazakhstan, forcing the brand to intervene to allow his journey to continue.

Liu claims that after leaving China, his 9X began to severely limit features. The navigation stopped working, the glove box locked itself, and what annoyed him the most was that the electronic fuel cap remained locked for over 30 hours. He points out that his local Zeekr dealer knew about the trip in advance, as the 9X had undergone regular maintenance beforehand, but no one mentioned these restrictions to him.

To preempt negative publicity, Zeekr explained that its SUV automatically triggers anti-theft and anti-smuggling restrictions when leaving China, which lock the fuel and charging ports. While the vehicle remains drivable, owners must use obscure manual overrides—like holding the hazard lights for five seconds—to access these ports. Zeekr has since apologized and is developing an update to allow owners to disable these border-crossing locks.

The restrictions were eventually removed via an authorization code sent to 9X. However, CarNewsChina writes that the owner may have to do this every time he moves to a new country. Zeekr has since apologized, saying that real security “shouldn’t be solely defined by the manufacturer” and pitched its new approach as “user control and manufacturer protection.”

The company has added a passcode generator to its companion app, allowing owners to create their own unlock codes after being locked out when crossing the border. It is not clear whether these codes work without an internet connection, given that the signal is difficult to find near international border crossings. Zeekr has also promised an over-the-air software update that will include an option to turn off the feature, so the border-crossing lock will be turned off by default, saving Liu from having to search for a new authorization code every time he enters a new country.

Zeekr has already expanded to several markets, including Europe. Vehicles sold on the Old Continent probably don’t have these location-based restrictions, given how often drivers cross borders between countries during a single trip.

• Read More: One-off “Zeekr 9X By MANSORY” With Scissors Doors Debut At Beijing Auto Show