AITO M5 Owners Complain of Interior Odor; Conflicting Test Results Emerge, Official Claims Compliance After Removing Third-Party Parts

In July 2024, Mr. Liu, a car owner from Shenzhen, Guangdong, purchased an Aito M5 Extended-Range MAX model and reported persistent unpleasant odors in the vehicle that remained unresolved for two years. He took the car to an authorized service center for inspection, and two separate tests conducted there indicated formaldehyde levels exceeding safety limits. The service center subsequently reported the issue to the manufacturer, Seres Automobile Co., Ltd., which performed its own sampling and testing and concluded that the vehicle met all relevant standards. Due to the conflicting test results, Mr. Liu filed a complaint with the Chongqing Municipal Market Supervision Administration, requesting the quality inspection report for vehicles from the same production batch. After investigation, the Shapingba District Market Supervision Administration in Chongqing confirmed that the vehicle’s production batch—manufactured in June 2024—had not been included in any official random inspections. Consequently, the mediation process was terminated, and no settlement was reached between the parties. In an official statement, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) said it had conducted a comprehensive review of the involved vehicle. Technicians who visited Mr. Liu’s home found that numerous non-OEM accessories had been installed inside the cabin, including leather and plastic storage organizers and decorative items. After removing all third-party components, HIMA carried out on-site VOC (volatile organic compound) sampling and testing on the entire vehicle in accordance with national standards. The results showed that all air quality indicators of the original vehicle interior complied with applicable standards. HIMA emphasized that all Aito models strictly adhere to national standards for interior materials at the time of manufacture.