A video of a Xiaomi SU7 sedan seemingly taking itself for a spin went viral over the weekend in China, sparking safety concerns. The internet was quick to imagine hacked cars and rogue AI, but Xiaomi quickly shut down the drama, claiming that the mysterious drive was simply triggered by a remote command from the owner’s Apple iPhone.

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The incident took place on September 30, when the owner, identified as Li Xiaoshuang, parked his light blue SU7 outside a store in the city of Weihai. Minutes later, while he was inside the shop with a woman, the car began to creep forward with no one behind the wheel. Realizing what was happening, Li rushed outside and sprinted after his runaway EV.

A Confusing Start

After sharing the surveillance footage, the owner contacted Xiaomi’s customer service to report the car’s strange behavior. The representative informed him that the EV had received a remote command from a device labeled “iPhone 16.2.” The owner, however, insisted he hadn’t touched his phone nor did he own an iPhone 16 and provided the video as proof.

The mix-up was later clarified when engineers confirmed that “16.2” wasn’t referring to a newer iPhone model at all, but to the internal identifier Apple assigns to the owner’s iPhone 15 Pro Max. Likewise, an iPhone 16 Pro also linked to the vehicle, belonging to the woman seen in the video, appeared under the code “17.1.”

Technical Verification

After reviewing the EV’s data logs and the smartphones’ activity records, Xiaomi engineers confirmed that the car had, in fact, received a valid remote parking command from the owner’s iPhone at that exact moment. The company also verified that every system operated correctly.

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The company issued a formal apology for the misunderstanding and thanked the owner for cooperating in the investigation. They also emphasized that all vehicle systems operated as intended. The owner eventually acknowledged Xiaomi’s findings after witnessing the data verification himself, and urged others to stop spreading false claims about software bugs or hacks.

Accidental Commands, Real Consequences

So what could have triggered the remote parking command without the owner realizing it? The most likely explanation is that the feature was unintentionally activated through the iPhone app or its voice assistant.

Still, the idea that a simple tap or phrase can send a two-ton machine rolling on its own should give manufacturers pause. As cars become more like smartphones on wheels, it might be time for automakers to impose tighter safeguards on how these systems talk to each other, rather than assuming every “smart” feature is foolproof.

Below you’ll find the official statements from both Xiaomi and the owner.

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Xiaomi’s Official Statement

Regarding the recent online video of a Xiaomi car suddenly driving away, we attach great importance to this incident and immediately established a special task force to investigate and collaborate with the user to verify the situation.

Both parties verified the user’s authorized mobile app operation logs and vehicle data, reaching a consensus: “The vehicle’s backend data matches the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s operation logs, response times, and vehicle exit commands, ruling out any vehicle quality issues.”

During the investigation, with the user’s consent, we obtained vehicle backend data and operation logs from two phones with vehicle control permissions: the female owner’s iPhone 16 Pro and the male owner’s iPhone 15 Pro Max, with corresponding device model identifiers of iPhone 17.1 and iPhone 16.2, respectively.

The vehicle’s backend data shows that during the time window described by the user, the vehicle received a parking assist command from the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which activated the parking assist feature (activation requires the vehicle to be within close range of the phone’s Bluetooth connection) and initiated the exit.

When contacting online customer service regarding the user’s feedback, they stated that the parking assist command originated from an iPhone 16. We have verified that our online customer service representative confused the device model identifier (iPhone 16,2) with the corresponding device model (iPhone 15 Pro Max) during communication with the user, leading to misunderstanding and miscommunication. We apologize for this and will continue to improve our service efforts.

Xiaomi Auto always prioritizes user safety and user experience. Thank you for your attention and support.

Owner’s Response:

I am the owner of the vehicle in question. The above information is true. The Xiaomi Auto team has verified the data with me in person and confirmed it is correct. Thank you for your professionalism and service. Please refrain from spreading rumors. Thank you.

Sources: Weibo, Xiaomi