BYD SEAL - 20,000km Wear and Tear Report (with Battery Report)

BYD Seal After Approximately 20,000–23,000 km

The reviewer’s Seal had covered about 23,000 km between April 2024 and March 2025—just over 11 months. Overall, he was impressed with how it had held up and said it exceeded his expectations. He noted that he is not affiliated with BYD.

Exterior and tires

• Paint and front bumper: There were normal stone chips on the front bumper and bonnet, plus one larger scuff that exposed the black plastic beneath the white paint. Paint around some chips had flaked but remained attached. The reviewer was generally pleased with the paint’s durability, though he noted that chips may be more noticeable on a white car. Metallic-pearl touch-up paint requires a base coat, followed by a second coat after 12 hours.
• Wheels and bodywork: The gloss-black wheels had some expected swirl marks. Panel alignment remained good, and the mirrors, door handles, glass, and front windshield showed no significant problems. There had been no headlight condensation.
• Caveat: The rear end had been repaired and was only about two months old, so it was not a meaningful indicator of wear over the full distance.
• Tires: All four tires had about 3.5 mm of tread and were wearing evenly. The reviewer had rotated them once, at around 12,000 km. He estimated they might last 25,000–30,000 km, depending heavily on driving style. He described himself as heavy-footed and expected to replace them before the 40,000 km service.
• A scratch on the gloss-black exterior trim was thought to have come from a hose dragged across the car during servicing or repair, rather than from ordinary use.

Battery and electronics

The reviewer used a Bluetooth OBD2 scanner and the Car Scanner app to check vehicle data. The app reported 98.367% battery state of health, which he interpreted as roughly 1.5–1.7% degradation from new over the distance driven. He cautioned that this figure is calculated and that the battery may not have been at exactly 100% health when delivered.

The scanner recorded 149 charging sessions and 6,128 kWh charged. The reviewer estimated that only three or four sessions involved DC fast charging; most charging was done at home on a 7 kW charger, typically from around 50% to full.

He noted that battery degradation generally slows over time and expected the battery to remain useful until it reached roughly 70–80% health. He suggested an eventual distance of around 500,000 km before reaching that range, but this was an expectation, not a measured result.

The scanner can also show other vehicle data and live driving information. The reviewer said that a reasonably reviewed, inexpensive model should be sufficient.

Interior and everyday use

The cabin remained solid and generally looked new, with no notable rattles or creaks. The console, dashboard, buttons, and other fittings felt well secured.

Some wear was visible in a few areas:

• Scratching around the cup holders.
• Wear and roughness on the driver-side door seal where the reviewer’s foot enters and exits.
• Scuffs on the hard-plastic door-sill panels.

The reviewer considered these marks normal and relatively easy to clean.

The driver’s seat bolster showed some compression from getting in and out. He said this is common, though he had seen reports of more severe early wear on some Seals. He recommended the easy-entry setting, which moves the seat back to make entry and exit easier.

Resting an elbow on the window sill can leave a small dent in its padded seal. The reviewer said it was difficult to see except in certain light and did not affect comfort.

The Nappa-leather steering wheel had not developed the wrinkles or deterioration reported by some owners. The gloss-black interior plastics and frequently touched buttons had also resisted scratches well.

The reviewer found the cabin comfortable on a 22°C day after the car had been outside, even without the air conditioning on. He praised the silver-lined panoramic roof for limiting heat, contrasting it with how hot a Tesla roof can become. He also cited independent tests indicating up to 98–99% UV protection for the side and rear windows, while noting that BYD does not specifically promise this.

The rear seats, door trims, and footwells had held up well despite use by his three children. A child seat had not left dents in the seat foam. There was some scuffing from children’s shoes, but little else to report.

Reported issues versus this car

The reviewer had seen other owners report premature seat-bolster wear, steering-wheel leather wrinkling, and dents in the window-sill seal. Some bolster repairs had reportedly been covered under warranty. These issues had not affected his steering wheel, and his own bolster wear was modest. He presented them as variable, case-by-case concerns rather than problems experienced by every owner.

Verdict

The reviewer’s overall assessment was strongly positive: the Seal had handled nearly a year and about 23,000 km with mostly ordinary, expected wear. The main practical drawbacks were front-end stone chips, tires that may need replacing around 25,000–30,000 km for an enthusiastic driver, and a few interior contact points that can wear or dent. He considered the car excellent value for money and said he remained very happy with it.

Speaker’s perspective: The video features one reviewer, David. His conclusions are based on his own car, and he distinguishes his experience from issues reported by other owners.