If there's a red warning, smoke or a burning smell
Pull over somewhere safe and switch off. Get everyone away from the traffic, put the hazard lights on and call roadside assistance if you have it. Leave the orange high-voltage cables alone. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 000.
BYD Shark 6 service schedule
| Due | What's done | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial service | See below | Engine oil and filter, software update |
| Every service | 20,000 km or 12 months | Full check, engine oil and filter, high-voltage battery housing and wiring, brakes, tyres, suspension, steering, software update, road test |
| Second service | 40,000 km or 24 months | Adds brake fluid, the fuel system filter and the HEPA cabin filter |
| Fourth service | 80,000 km or 48 months | Adds coolant, EHS oil and filter (the hybrid drive) and spark plugs |
Reading that schedule properly
The table comes from BYD Australia's DM Super Hybrid schedule. It carries on to 120,000 km or 72 months, and notes that RWD and AWD models need additional oils and filters. Every Shark 6 is AWD, so ask what's added.
The page also lists lower kilometre marks, half these, for cars it labels HEV, without naming the models. CarExpert lists the Shark 6 Premium at 12 months or 20,000 km. BYD New Zealand's plan puts the first visit at 6 months or 3,500 km. Your handbook settles both, so read it before you plan around any figure here.
BYD Shark 6 problems: where to start
Sort it into one of three piles. Everyday wear: brakes, tyres, suspension and engine oil, like any ute that works for a living. Software: BYD lists a software update at every service, so ask whether yours is current before anyone chases a fault. High voltage: the main battery (29.58 kWh on the 1.5-litre Premium) and the two electric motors, which are a job for a mechanic trained on them.
Note what the screen says and photograph it. Write down when it happens and how charged the battery was. That's worth more to a mechanic than a forum thread.
Towing and load
The 1.5-litre Shark 6 tows 2,500 kg braked, and the 2.0-litre Performance added in April 2026 tows 3,500 kg. Stay inside those limits. If it tows or carries heavy loads, say so, because it changes what should be checked.
Warranty, and who works on it
BYD's cover is 6 years or 150,000 km on the vehicle and 8 years or 160,000 km on the traction battery, whichever comes first, with terms and exclusions. A qualified independent mechanic servicing your Shark 6 to BYD's schedule and specifications does not by itself void that warranty. Keep every invoice, and read the terms for your own ute.
Not every workshop is set up for this ute yet. Ask how many plug-in hybrids they see, whether they can run BYD's software updates, and how they'd handle anything on the high-voltage side.
Where we'd start with a Shark 6
Find the handbook, confirm the first service was done, and work out which service is next. If there's a fault, photograph it and ask for a scan before parts are discussed, and have the VIN checked for open recalls. Tell us it's a Shark 6, which variant, and what it's doing. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.