MIIT Cracks Down on Frequent Car Model Changes, Mandates Reliability Testing

From January to November 2025, consumer complaints triggered by the rapid iteration of new and old vehicle models reached 39,300 cases—an astonishing 82-fold year-on-year increase. With shortened development cycles for new energy vehicles (NEVs), it has become common practice for automakers to release updated models once or even twice a year. As a result, many car owners find themselves facing newly launched models shortly after purchase, encountering issues such as upgraded configurations at unchanged or lower prices, declining resale values, and reduced after-sales support. To curb irrational competition, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued new regulations on January 21, 2026, making vehicle reliability testing a mandatory requirement for market entry—previously only recommended. Under the new rules, internal combustion engine vehicles must complete at least 30,000 kilometers of reliability road testing, while NEVs must undergo no less than 15,000 kilometers. These measures aim to standardize product iterations at the source and enhance both vehicle quality and after-sales service guarantees.