Self-entitled "leading new electric car company" VinFast finds itself in hot waters over alleged issues with the lane keep assist system of the 2023 and 2024 model year VF8. As it happens, the Office of Defects Investigation has received no fewer than 14 vehicle owner questionnaire reports, of which VOQ number 11585817 alleges a crash related to the LKA system's performance.
Filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on April 24, 2024, said complaint reads that "the steering wheel automatically maneuvered to the right direction." The owner regained control, turning the vehicle back into the correct lane. Because the lane keep assist is turned on by default on start up, the owner experienced similar issues on a number of occasions.
The fatal one involved a coworker who crashed the vehicle into a pole that fell down on the subject 2023 VinFast VF8, which then hit a tree and caught fire. Four occupants lost their lives as a result. VOQ number 11585817 also reads that "the contact was concerned that the failure recurred while the coworker was driving." Also worth mentioning, the VF8 had only 1,400 miles on the clock.
It goes without saying that the US auto safety regulator and the police department will determine whether the LKA system led to the coworker losing control of the vehicle. At the moment of reporting, the Office of Defects Investigation highlights that "ODI does not have evidence to support this crash was related to a lane keep assist concern."
Be that as it may, the owner of the vehicle – and 13 other VF8 owners – wrote to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to look into LKA-related concerns. The VOQs allege that the VF8's lane keep assist system provides improper steering corrections, has difficulty in detecting lanes, and is difficult to override by the driver. Speaking of which, Nolan and James of Donut Media famously tested the VF8 last year, and both of them agree that the lane keep assist system of the VF8 leaves much to be desired.
Photo: VinFast
Preliminary evaluation PE24025 was opened by the Office of Defects Investigation to understand the whys and hows behind these allegations in order to determine if a defect exists and needs correcting. In case this investigation turns into a recall, the automaker that fed inflates sales numbers to the automotive media in April 2024 will be required to fix 3,000-odd vehicles.
Hailing from Vietnam, the company broke ground on a $4 billion factory in North Carolina back in July 2023. However, the Chatham County production facility won't be operational until 2028 at the earliest due to a plethora of reasons, including extremely poor sales in the US market. Looking at the glass half full, the state's agreement offers a degree of protection against VinFast if the Vietnamese automaker fails to build the factory or misses hiring deadlines.
Advertised with a starting price of $46,000 or $199 per month for 36 months and zero buckaroos down, the VF8 boasts Pininfarina styling and two electric motors with either 349 or 402 combined horsepower. Backed up by a 10-year/125,000-mile warranty, the zero-emission crossover is good for no more than 264 miles (425 kilometers) on a full charge of the 87.7-kW battery.
Excluding taxes, fees, the federal tax credit, and Tesla's estimated five-year gas savings, the Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive currently retails at $47,990 before optional extras. Not only does it offer better everything than the VinFast, but the Model Y Long Range can go even further if you specify the rear-drive spec. That one's $44,990 and tops 320 miles (515 kilometers) versus 308 (496) with AWD.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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