Everyone with the slightest interest in all things automobiles knows what VinFast stands for. The first thing that comes to mind is the VF8, an electric sport utility vehicle from Vietnam that also happens to be one of the most negatively reviewed cars on the market today. Previously recalled for a software error that causes the multifunction head unit display to go blank, the VF8 has been hit with yet another recall, this time for a much bigger problem.
According to documents filed by VinFast Auto LLC with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 300 examples of the 2022 to 2024 model year VinFast VF8 may have been produced with inert airbag ignitors. Said vehicles were assembled at the company's Hai Phong assembly plant in Vietnam, whereas the supplier of the shoddy airbags is called Ashimori Korea.
How did the automaker identify this issue? On April 19, a VF8 was brought to a VinFast dealer in Vietnam due to an airbag warning light. Said retailer traced the concern to the front passenger side airbag, which – rather worryingly – proved to be equipped with an inert ignitor. VinFast explains that inert ignitors are usually fitted to pre-production vehicles for development testing.
The problem is, the recalled vehicles were shipped to the United States to be sold to regular people like you and me. This discovery prompted VinFast to issue stop-ship and stop-sale orders. The subsequent investigation revealed that 52 of the 284 vehicles included in this recall are in customer hands.
For some reason or another, the recall report published on the federal watchdog's website reads "N(ot) R(reported)" where VinFast should have explained how the recall condition was corrected in production. This, in turn, creates more questions than it answers.
Photo: VinFast
In any case, Los Angeles-based VinFast Auto LLC isn't aware of any reports of failed airbag deployments. The attached document lists no fewer than eight part numbers for the passenger, left-hand side, center, left-hand rear side, right-hand rear side, and right-hand knee airbags. Dealers have already been instructed to inspect and – if necessary – replace suspect airbags. Owner notifications, meanwhile, will be mailed no later than June 7.
VinFast reported a 444 percent jump in deliveries during the first quarter of 2024 versus the first three month of 2023. Back in April 2024, an investigation revealed that VinFast had likely faked the delivery numbers by selling electric vehicles to affiliated companies rather than actual customers. The Hunterbrook Media investigation was prompted by a video showing hundreds of EVs rotting in a field, vehicles that were previously sold to a company owned by VinFast's chief executive officer.
If that's not enough to make those in the market for an EV consider an electric vehicle from a different automaker, maybe the starting price and poor driving range of the VF8 will make you reconsider. The entry-level variant is $46,000 from the outset, whereas the Tesla Model S Long Range RWD will set you back $44,990.
Other EVs to take into consideration at prices under $46,000 include the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (starting at $41,800) and the Chevrolet Equinox EV (starting at $41,900 as of June 2024). Not surprising in the least, all of the aforementioned alternatives offer better driving range than the VF8's 264 miles (425 kilometers).
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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