A BYD Atto 3 owner has shared new findings behind the sudden emergency braking incident that went viral earlier this month. The incident, which occurred along the Cheras-Kajang highway, triggered widespread attention after the EV came to an abrupt stop without warning while it was on the fast lane.
Many speculated online that the 12V battery was the main cause of the sudden braking. However, it turns to be something else according to the latest posting by the owner on Facebook.
After 12 days of investigation at a BYD service centre, representatives from BYD Sime Motors visited the owner in Melaka to provide an explanation on the issue. While initial assessments pointed to the 12V battery as the culprit, the final diagnosis revealed a different root cause: a faulty sensor located at the driver’s door.
According to the explanation given, the damaged sensor mistakenly triggered the vehicle’s safety shutdown sequence.
This caused the Atto 3 to initiate rapid emergency braking, which activated the hazard lights and bringing the car to a complete stop in under seven seconds. This was followed by a full system power-off.
The car reportedly became unresponsive with the gear in neutral, and the wheels locked, preventing it from being pushed to safety. As a result, it had to be towed with the help of wheel dollies.
The owner has also published dashcam footage, confirming that the car began braking at 00:21 while travelling at 106km/h, coming to a full stop by 00:27. He emphasised that no warnings or indicators appeared before the vehicle took “drastic” action.
While the experience was unsettling, the matter was resolved when BYD Sime Motors agreed to repurchase the vehicle via full settlement with the bank. The owner noted some financial loss from several months of instalment payments but said the decision was made in the interest of family safety. As shared in the previous post, his EV was 10 months old and have clocked over 20,000km.
We have reached out to BYD Sime Motors earlier this month but they have yet to issue an official statement on the issue. It still remains an extremely rare issue affecting the BYD Atto 3.
