JiYue told owners that cracking a head unit may break China's cybersecurity law

Shanghai Jidu Automobile, the entity behind the JiYue brand, and its interim manager published a notice on August 31 warning owners against unofficial cracking of their vehicles’ head-unit systems, according to reports by the Chinese technology outlets IT之家 and Mydrivers. SDV Sector could not read the notice itself: it was published inside the JiYue mobile app, the jiyue.com domain does not resolve, and the company’s remaining website lists no announcement newer than September 2025.

As reported, the notice said third parties not authorized by the company were using abnormal technical means to crack and reflash vehicle head units and related systems, charging owners for the service. Work of that kind counts as unauthorized modification, and the company said warranty obligations would be handled according to national law, China’s three-guarantee regulations and the vehicle warranty policy.

The notice went further than warranty terms. Unauthorized intrusion into, acquisition of, control of or modification of computer information systems for paid gain was described as a suspected violation of China’s Cybersecurity Law, carrying administrative, civil or criminal liability. The company said it reserved the right to report cases to the police and to preserve evidence.

The context is the reason it happened. JiYue’s sales and service network collapsed over several days from December 11, 2024, when its chief executive told staff the company was restructuring, and its two major shareholders announced two days later that they would take over aftercare for existing owners. Because the notice could not be independently obtained, this account rests on the outlets cited above.