BYD Atto 3 common issues

Australian recall

Recall REC-005579, issued on 22 December 2022, covered 703 cars built in 2022 and fixed two faults. The center rear seat's child restraint top tether could not be reached without tools, and the Australian Design Rules require an accessible top tether on every rear seat that has a seatbelt. The front passenger airbag switch could also be knocked to 'off' without the driver noticing, which would stop that airbag deploying in a crash. In October 2022, owners were told not to fit a child seat to the center rear seat until the fix was done.

ANCAP published its five-star rating after the child restraint anchorages were changed. Cars built before 21 November 2022 remain unrated unless the BYD updates have been applied. On a used 2022 car, check that the recall work was completed.

Overseas steering recall

In September 2024, BYD recalled 96,714 Yuan Plus (the Atto 3's name in China) and Dolphin cars in China. The cars were built between November 2022 and December 2023, and a capacitor in the power steering controller could overheat and catch fire. EVDirect, which imported BYD cars into Australia at the time, confirmed that Australian cars were not affected.

Driver assistance behavior

Euro NCAP graded the 2024 Atto 3's driver assistance 'Not Recommended', its lowest grade. The test found that the system treated temporary speed limits as the main limit, did not slow for bends, and kept adaptive cruise on when the driver stopped responding. The safety page lists the full findings.

Owner-reported faults

Zecar's September 2024 roundup of owner reports lists these problems:

• The 12V battery discharging completely, with trickle charging giving only short-term relief
• A 'Check OBC System' charging error (OBC is the onboard charger)
• Window fogging
• The radio turning on after the car is parked
• Apple CarPlay without turn-by-turn voice guidance
• SIM connectivity faults
• A stuck sunshade

These are owner reports rather than recalls, and Zecar notes a software fix, update v1.6 A, only for the window fogging.

No documented issues were found for the 2026 Atto 3 Evo, which had only just reached customers when this page was checked.

What to check before buying

• Search the Australian vehicle recalls register for the car's VIN.
• Ask for the software update and service history.
• Have the 12V battery tested during a pre-purchase inspection.
• Test the charging on both AC and DC if the seller allows it.

Sources

Recalls and reports were checked in September 2026. This site is independent of BYD.

• Vehicle Recalls (Australian Government): REC-005579, BYD ATTO 3 2022
• Revolted: Used BYD Atto 3 Australia buyer's guide (13 April 2026)
• ANCAP: Five-star safety rating for Australian-supplied BYD ATTO 3 (20 November 2022)
• The Driven: BYD Atto 3 owners told not to use central child restraint (19 October 2022)
• CarExpert: BYD Atto 3, Dolphin recalled due to fire risk, Australia not impacted (30 September 2024)
• CarsGuide: Euro NCAP driver assistance grading for the Atto 3 (28 October 2024)
• Zecar: Common BYD Atto 3 problems (25 September 2024)