Where can I get service and parts for a Chinese car in Moldova?

What maintenance an EV, a plug-in hybrid and an EREV need

An electric car (BEV) has no combustion engine. You don't change oil, the oil filter, spark plugs, belts or the fuel filter, and there is no exhaust pipe. What remains is common to any car: brakes, brake fluid, the cabin filter, tires, suspension and steering.

Brakes wear differently. On EVs and hybrids, part of the braking is done by the electric motor, which recovers energy. That is why, in BYD's schedule for EVs sold in Europe, the pads and discs appear only as an inspection, every 24 months. Brake fluid, however, is replaced every 24 months, as on any car.

New operations appear as well. The high-voltage (HV) battery and the HV cables are inspected at every 24-month service. The power electronics have their own cooling circuit, whose coolant BYD changes at 72 months or 90,000 km.

A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has all of this, plus the maintenance of the gasoline engine: oil and filters at every service, spark plugs, the fuel filter and the hybrid transmission oil. An EREV, such as the LiXiang or the Voyah Free, uses its gasoline engine only as a generator. In 2026 Li Auto announced an oil change interval for the new L8 and L9 of up to 3 years or 30,000 km, counted on the kilometers driven by the generator, not on the whole odometer.

How often you go in for service: intervals from official schedules

The interval is counted by whichever comes first: kilometers or time. A plug-in hybrid that drives a lot on electricity puts few kilometers on the engine, but it still has to go in for service once a year, because oil and fluids also age with time.

Chinese manufacturers are stretching intervals. For EVs sold in Europe, BYD requires a service every 24 months or 30,000 km, and for the Seal U DM-i plug-in hybrid one every 12 months or 15,000 km. Xiaomi announced for its EREVs a first service at one year or 10,000 km, then an oil change every 3 years or 30,000 km. Other Chinese plug-in hybrids still need oil at 10,000 km: the Jaecoo J7 PHEV and Omoda C9 PHEV at 12 months or 10,000 km, the GWM Wey G9 PHEV at 6 months or 10,000 km, in Malaysia.

Note: the version for the Chinese market may have a different schedule than the European one, and schedules also differ between markets. Follow the manual for your version and the service indicator on the dashboard. If the manual is only in Chinese, ask the seller for a translated schedule.

Which brands have an official dealer and service in Moldova

BYD has an official importer, CG Auto Evolution (BYD Official Moldova), with a service center at șos. Muncești 795 in Chișinău. On its website, the service center says it can diagnose and maintain cars brought in through parallel import, meaning versions for the Chinese market, using specialized equipment.

Geely has a sole distributor, DAAC Hermes. Its service center in Chișinău, at Calea Ieșilor 14, has 19 work bays, and the company also has service centers in Bălți and Cahul. Omoda and Jaecoo, brands of the Chery group, opened an official showroom in June 2026 at str. Meșterul Manole 5/1 in Chișinău.

For other brands in our catalog, such as Li Auto, Zeekr, Voyah, Avatr, Denza or Xiaomi, we did not find an official importer in Moldova at the time of writing. Their cars are maintained at independent service shops that work with EVs and hybrids. Auto Outlet works with such partner service shops in Chișinău and provides parts support.

An official service center does not automatically mean full access to a car built for the Chinese market. The software differs from the export version. In Russia, official Geely, Exeed and Li Auto dealers said in 2024 that their diagnostic equipment did not recognize the electronics of cars brought in unofficially. Ask the service shop beforehand whether it works with your specific version.

What warranty a car brought from China keeps

The factory warranty is usually given by the official distributor in each country, for the cars it sells. A clear example: BYD's warranty in Australia explicitly states that it does not cover cars imported into Australia through any channel other than BYD Australia. BYD Moldova offers 6 years or 150,000 km for the car and 8 years or 250,000 km for the battery, for the cars it sells.

The Chinese warranty is designed for China. At BYD, the car gets 6 years or 150,000 km, the main drivetrain components 8 years or 150,000 km, and the battery cells have a lifetime warranty for the first owner only. The conditions require, among other things, services at BYD dealers, checks in the official app and post-accident repairs also at a dealer. At Li Auto, the official page gives 5 years or 100,000 km for the car and 8 years or 120,000 km for the battery, motor and their electronics, counted from delivery of the new car. The extra benefits are lost when ownership changes.

The practical conclusion: on a car built for the Chinese market, the factory warranty cannot help you in any concrete way in Moldova, because there is nowhere to claim it. What matters is the warranty the seller gives you, in writing: what it covers (the battery, the electric motor, the power electronics), how long it lasts and where repairs are done.

Parts: what you find quickly and what comes from China

Consumables are easy to find: filters, pads, brake fluid, tires, the 12 V battery. Many have equivalents from independent manufacturers. For model-specific parts, such as headlights, bumpers, sensors, screens, high-voltage components or body parts after an accident, the main source remains China.

Lead time depends on the part, the supplier's stock and shipping. A small part can arrive quickly, while a body part or a large component can take several weeks. There is no guaranteed lead time, so ask before buying how parts are sourced for the model you choose.

Search for parts by VIN, not just by model name. Some Chinese models are sold abroad under other names: the Geely Galaxy Starship 7 appears in other markets as the EX5 EM-i, a model DAAC Hermes sells in Moldova. This does not guarantee that all parts are identical between the Chinese and export versions, but it helps with the search.

How to choose a service shop for an EV or hybrid

Hundreds of volts run through the battery and the orange cables. Working on them requires mechanics trained for high voltage, insulated tools, protective equipment and a de-energizing procedure. BYD itself recommends, in its warranty handbook, maintenance at a service shop that has the capacity, experience, tools and materials suited to the car in question.

Diagnostics matter too. A good service shop reads the fault codes of the battery and power electronics, not just of the gasoline engine, and can give you the battery's state of health (SOH). On a car built for the Chinese market, ask whether their diagnostic tool recognizes your version.

• Ask whether the mechanics are trained for high-voltage work and who signs off on work done on the HV battery.
• Ask to see the diagnostic tool they use and whether it has been used on your model, in the version for China.
• Ask how they lift the car: the battery sits under the floor, and wrong lifting points can hit it.
• After an accident or driving through deep water, ask for a check of the battery housing and an insulation test.
• Keep all invoices and service records: they are proof of maintenance when you resell and in any warranty discussion.

Insurance and annual fees

Since January 1, 2026, EVs in Moldova also pay the road use fee, calculated from the maximum authorized mass in the registration certificate. According to calculations by the Omnis insurance app, cited by PiataAuto.md, for an electric SUV the amount is about €152–205 a year or more. Plug-in hybrids pay the fee like gasoline cars.

RCA (mandatory third-party liability) insurance is required as for any car. For CASCO (comprehensive) coverage on an EV or a hybrid, ask specifically: whether the policy covers the high-voltage battery and at what value, whether the repair can be done at a service shop that works with high voltage, and whether towing is included. The battery is the most expensive part of the car, so the wording of the policy matters.

Examples from our catalog

• BYD Sealion 06A BYD plug-in hybrid, a brand with an official importer and service in Moldova that also advertises diagnostics for cars brought from China.
• BYD Sealion 07The electric version has no oil or spark plugs. For BYD EVs, the European schedule requires a service every 24 months or 30,000 km.
• Geely Galaxy Starship 7A Geely plug-in hybrid. In other markets it is sold as the EX5 EM-i, a model also sold officially in Moldova, which helps when searching for parts by VIN.
• LiXiang L9An EREV with no official importer in Moldova. Li Auto announced for the new L9 oil changes at up to 3 years or 30,000 km driven by the generator.
• Voyah FreeAn EREV with no official dealer found in Moldova: service at independent shops that work with high voltage, and parts brought from China.

In stock now

A selection of cars we have in stock right now, across all brands, with the final price in Moldova: shipping, customs and registration included.

BYD Seal 052025 · new · Plug-in hybrid€14,490In stockGeely Galaxy Starship 72024 · 29,000 km · Plug-in hybrid€18,990In stockBYD Sealion 052025 · new · Plug-in hybrid€18,990In stockGeely Galaxy L72026 · 2,700 km · Plug-in hybrid€22,990In stockVoyah Free2023 · 40,000 km · EREV · 4x4€27,190In stockLiXiang L62024 · 32,000 km · EREV · 4x4€32,990In stock

All cars in stock

Stock changes daily. As of October 5, 2026.

FAQ

Sources