VinFast has recalled nearly 2,800 VF8 electric SUVs in their home country of Vietnam. The automaker has yet to begin deliveries in the US, so no recall is needed in North America, but all units waiting to be delivered will be fixed prior to handing them over to their new owners.
According to a statement by VinFast over the weekend, 2,781 VF8 electric SUVs were recalled in Vietnam to check and if necessary replace the bolt connecting the front brake caliper to the knuckle. The bolt may have loosened over time which could impact the stopping performance of the front brakes.
“Due to a specific component assembly item, the bolt connecting the front caliper to the knuckle may loosen when the vehicle is in operation, potentially reducing the effectiveness of the front brake,” VinFast said (via Reuters)
VinFast has 999 VF8 SUVs in California waiting to be delivered to new owners. The automaker says all of these cars will be inspected prior to delivery, and that this action will not affect their plans to begin deliveries later this month.
“This is relatively a simple procedure that can be done quickly and will not affect the delivery timeline, which is expected to start by the end of Feb. 2023,” it said.
There have been no complaints or reports of breakdowns from customers regarding this issue, VinFast explained.
VinFast was hoping to begin deliveries before the end of 2022, but missed that deadlin despite the cars arriving in California in early December. The EPA estimated range of the VF8 was much lower than what VinFast was hoping for, and had advertised, but it did get a small bump through software improvements. They also cut the price of the electric SUV in response to Tesla’s price cuts.
Prior to the start of deliveries, VinFast has consolidated its US and Canadian operations into VinFast North America. The change did result in some layoffs.
