Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC, SSE: 600418) shares fell by the daily limit on Thursday after reported brake pedal bracket failures during tests of its Huawei-backed Maextro V800 luxury MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) became a trending topic on Chinese social media.

As of publication, JAC shares were at the daily lower limit, having ended the morning session at 24.72 yuan, down 10.01%. The decline reversed several consecutive days of gains.

Dongchedi, an Chinese automotive information platform, released a test video earlier on Thursday saying that all 3 Maextro V800s suffered brake pedal bracket failures during emergency braking tests from 100 km/h to a standstill.

The first vehicle's bracket broke during its third braking attempt, and the second vehicle's during its fourth. A third new vehicle purchased subsequently suffered the same failure during its second attempt.

According to the video, the failures prevented normal braking using the pedal, forcing testers to stop the vehicles using the emergency braking function activated through the Park control.

The descriptions of the failures come from the testing team, and no official investigation findings have been released. JAC and Huawei's HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance) have yet to comment on the matter.

The video sparked debate over vehicle safety and the testing methods. Some social media users called on JAC to investigate, while others questioned whether repeated high-intensity braking met applicable standards and whether they accurately reflected real-world driving conditions.

Maextro, jointly developed by Huawei and JAC, sits at the top of HIMA's brand portfolio.

The V800 was launched on August 5 as a flagship MPV, with announced launch prices ranging from 766,000 yuan ($113,710) to 1,016,000 yuan.

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