A Zeekr 9X owner experienced a major inconvenience when his SUV locked him out for more than 30 hours after leaving China.
The anti-theft system, designed to prevent smuggling, triggered restrictions as soon as the vehicle crossed into Kazakhstan.
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Mr. Liu, the owner, had planned a cross-continent road trip from China to Europe.
He claims that once he left Chinese territory, the navigation system stopped working, the glove box locked itself, and the electronically operated fuel filler cap remained shut for over 30 hours.
Liu had informed his local Zeekr dealer about the trip during routine maintenance, but no one warned him about these limitations.
The incident forced Zeekr to intervene so the journey could continue.
Zeekr's Explanation and Apology
Zeekr explained that the SUV's security mechanisms activate when the vehicle leaves China.
The system restricts certain functions, including the fuel filler cap and charging port, which cannot be opened electronically.
However, the powertrain and brakes continue to operate normally.
To open the fuel filler door, owners must hold the hazard light button inside the cabin for five seconds.
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The charging flap can be opened by applying firm pressure directly. Zeekr acknowledged that few owners are aware of this manual override.
The restrictions were eventually lifted using an authorization code sent to the vehicle.
However, this may need to be repeated each time the owner crosses into a new country.
Zeekr has since apologized, stating that real safety should not be solely defined by the manufacturer.
The company has added a passcode generator to its companion app, allowing owners to create unlock codes after a cross-border lockout.
It is unclear if these codes work offline.
Zeekr also promised an over-the-air update with an opt-out toggle that disables cross-border lockouts by default.
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Vehicles sold outside China, including in Europe, likely do not have these location-based restrictions due to frequent border crossings.
