The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
Chery sent an SUV up 999 scenic steps — it slid back into the guardrail
A Fengyun X3L commercial shoot at Tianmen Mountain ended with the SUV sliding backward, damaging a guardrail and prompting an apology.
Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. · 2025-11-12
What happened
On 12 November 2025, Chery used Tianmen Mountain's 999-step Stairway to Heaven for a commercial shoot intended to demonstrate the Fengyun X3L's power, handling and four-wheel-drive capability.
The SUV failed to complete the climb. Videos showed it sliding backward and striking a stone-pillar guardrail, damaging part of the scenic-area barrier. Chery said nobody was injured and the natural environment was not harmed.
Chery's preliminary investigation said a shackle detached from a safety-rope anchor point. The rope then wrapped around the right wheel, obstructed power output and caused the vehicle to slide into the guardrail.
The company apologised, promised repairs and compensation, and acknowledged inadequate risk assessment and execution controls. It specifically regretted conducting the test in a public scenic area.
Why it happened
- A product demonstration depended on external safety equipment that could disable the vehicle when it failed
- The team chose a protected public attraction, so a failed shoot could damage property as well as the product claim
- Risk assessment focused on completing the climb without containing the reputational cost of a visible rollback
- The stunt made four-wheel-drive capability the promise, turning the failed ascent into the campaign's main image
The lesson
A live product stunt needs a failure mode that protects both the venue and the claim — the recovery plan is part of the demonstration.
Sources
- Chery apologises after Fengyun X3L Tianmen Mountain test accident — Sina Finance, November 2025
- Chery Fulwin X3L's mountain stair challenge ends in failure — CarNewsChina, November 2025
- Chery apologises after SUV fails Tianmen Mountain climb — Marketing-Interactive, November 2025
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