VinFast Electric Car Safety Concerns Raised After Fatal Crash in California

After a fatal car crash involving a Vietnamese electric car brand, VinFast, in Pleasanton, California, left a family of four dead, questions have arisen regarding the company’s safety record. Two weeks after the incident, a complaint was submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alleging that the car’s steering system malfunctioned numerous times prior to the crash, despite being equipped with lane assist technology. The complaint was made by the car’s owner, who was not the family involved in the accident. NHTSA has previously received eight similar complaints about the same model of VinFast, with three citing issues with steering and lane assist. Phil Recht, former chief counsel for NHTSA, stated that repeated complaints of a similar nature could lead to further investigations by the agency. The Pleasanton Police Department confirmed that the driver, Tarun George, was operating a VinFast vehicle when it collided with a pole and then a tree, igniting a large fire that proved difficult for emergency services to extinguish. While this is not unusual in electric vehicle fires, the fire reportedly rekindled after it had been put out. Larry Lai, a local resident, claimed to have heard several loud booms near the time of the incident. In response to the tragedy, VinFast issued a statement expressing sympathy towards the deceased family and stating that the authorities are continuing their investigation into the matter. At present, the NHTSA has yet to initiate a federal inquiry into the car make and model. The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau is still completing its autopsy report. The police department has also noted that their investigation into the matter is ongoing.