A Luxury SUV That Locks Its Owner Out: The Zeekr 9X’s Cross-Border Glitch

Imagine driving your brand-new SUV across a border only to have it lock you out of your own gas cap for more than a day. That’s exactly what happened to Mr. Liu, a Chinese owner of Zeekr’s flagship 9X plug-in hybrid. He set off on an ambitious road trip from China to Europe, but as soon as he crossed into Kazakhstan, the SUV’s intelligence turned against him.

The navigation system quit, the glove box locked itself, and the electronically controlled fuel filler cap stayed shut for over 30 hours. Mr. Liu says his local dealer knew about the trip during routine maintenance yet never mentioned these restrictions.

Zeekr explained that the 9X’s security mechanisms automatically activate when the vehicle leaves China, designed to deter theft and smuggling. The powertrain and brakes still work, but features like the fuel filler cap and charging port are disabled electronically. The only way to open the fuel cap is to hold the hazard light button inside for five seconds, a trick few owners know about.

After the incident, Zeekr sent an authorization code to unlock the SUV, but Liu would reportedly need a new code each time he crosses another border.

Zeekr has since apologized and introduced a passcode generator in its companion app, letting owners create unlock codes themselves. But it’s unclear if those codes work without a cell signal, which is often spotty at border crossings. The company also promised an over-the-air update that will add an opt-out toggle, allowing owners to disable cross-border lockouts by default.

Interestingly, Zeekr sells the 9X in Europe without these restrictions, since drivers there routinely hop between countries. For now, any owner planning a cross-country adventure might want to check whether their car’s security settings are more aggressive than expected.