Update: Added the latest response from Li Auto.

The failure in the Li L9 test car is a one-off issue for non-production models, and Li Auto will address the issue in the final production vehicle, the company said.

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI, HKG: 2015) began allowing users to test drive its new SUV, the Li L9, just this past weekend, but a hardware issue with a test vehicle has put the company in an awkward position.

A photo circulating on Chinese social media shows the left front wheel of a Li L9 vehicle sinking into the bodywork and preventing it from driving properly, with a suspected air suspension failure, state-owned China National Radio reported on Sunday.

Previously, Li Auto offered a 5-year or 100,000 km warranty on the vehicle and an 8-year or 160,000 km warranty on the three core electrical systems.

Li Auto officially launched the Li L9, the company's second model after the Li ONE SUV, on June 21, following its predecessor's extended-range technology.

(Image credit: Li Auto)

The Li L9 is priced at the same flat rate as the Li ONE at RMB 459,800 ($68,650), up RMB 110,000 from the Li ONE's RMB 349,800.

The company previously said it would allow customers to test drive the Li L9 and lock in orders on July 16, with deliveries starting by the end of August.

On June 4, Li Auto founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang said on Weibo that the model would be officially delivered to customers in August and deliveries could exceed 10,000 in September.

On June 24, Li Auto said the Li L9 had already received more than 30,000 orders within 72 hours of the vehicle being available for reservation.

Li Auto CEO sees German luxury automakers' SUV prices in China dropping sharply within two years