- Italy blocks BYD ad targeting Stellantis timing belt engines.
- Campaign offered up to €10,000 to trade in old vehicles.
- Stellantis says the decision protects rivals and consumers.
Controversial ads sometimes get the most attention, but one of them has now landed BYD in hot water. The Chinese automaker launched a campaign called “Operation Purefication” in Italy, and that ruffled feathers over at Stellantis. After a complaint to the Istituto dell’Autodisciplina Pubblicitaria (IAP), the advertising watchdog just shut it down.
More: BYD’s European Expansion Is About to Explode
BYD used the ad to offer buyers up to €10,000 ($11,800) to those who bought a car and traded in a vehicle with a wet timing belt. That just happens to describe the timing system used in Stellantis’ PureTech engines, which run belts through a constant oil bath. These engines have been at the center of several recalls and warranty extensions linked to long-term reliability issues.
Targeting a Known Weakness
Launched earlier this year, the campaign featured print and digital ads with slogans such as, “Do you have an oil-bath belt? We’re sorry it’s always Blue Monday for you – discover the dedicated BYD bonuses.”
The IAP ruled that these messages violated Italian advertising rules against defamation, misleading commercial communication, and unfair comparative advertising. While BYD framed the offer as a way to upgrade to an EV, regulators viewed the campaign as a direct, unfair attack on a competitor.
Stellantis told Reuters that the decision was “an important recognition of the need to protect consumers and competitors from unfair advertising.” BYD, which has been aggressively expanding in Europe under former Fiat and FCA executive Alfredo Altavilla, had no immediate comment. The brand’s Italian sales skyrocketed from just over 2,000 units in 2024 to 23,621 in 2025.
Will BYD Respond?
At this point, it’ll be interesting to see what BYD does next. Clearly, it’s making moves that Stellantis pays attention to. It’s easy to frame their complaint about this ad as a move made out of fear, but it’s also a clever way to leverage the law to an advantage. Of course, BYD could already be cooking up some form of response. Only time will tell.
