2008 Zap Xebra

THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT IN THIS VEHICLE; HOWEVER, I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RECALL PROVISION AS THE PAYMENT FOR THE CAR IS ONLY HALF WHAT I PAID FOR THE CAR ONE YEAR AGO. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED OR TRADE UP FOR A SIMILAR TRUCK WITH ACCEPTABLE BRAKES. THIS RECALL HAS BEEN TOO LONG IN COMING AND IS NOT FAIR AS THE PRICE OFFERED IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO REPLACE WITH A COMPARABLE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ZAP XEBRA MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V363000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) OVER NINE MONTHS AGO AND A REMEDY HAD NOT YET BEEN FINALIZED TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO VEHICLE OWNERS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXPECTANCY FOR THE RECALL REMEDY HAD SURPASSED A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY COMPLAINT IS WITH THE UTTER DISREGARD THAT THE ZAP CORPORATION HAS TREATED ISSUES AFFECTING THIS LITTLE VEHICLE; COMMUNICATION FROM THEM ABOUT THE BRAKING PROBLEMS AND NHTSA DEMAND FOR RESOLUTION HAS BEEN MINIMAL WITH THE LAST COMMUNICATION I RECEIVED BEING OCTOBER 8, 2012 TELLING ME TO NOT DRIVE IT AND THAT A SOLUTION WAS COMING BY DECEMBER 31, 2012 (OR ABOUT). I HEARD NOTHING ELSE UNTIL I HAPPENED UPON A YAHOOGROUP DISCUSSION SAYING THESE WERE BEING RECALLED AND THAT THE OWNERS SHOULD INCUR NO EXPENSE. AND THAT ZAP WILL NEED TO TAKE THEM FROM US AND PAY $3100...A SMALL PORTION OF THE COST OF THEM. I WANT TO BE SURE THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOTED BY THE AUTHORITIES AS BEING ONE OF THESE INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION. I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT IT SEEMED THAT ONCE SOLD THROUGH A DISTRIBUTOR, THAT ZAP PROVIDED NO SUPPORT FOR THE DISTRIBUTORS TO HELP RESOLVE CUSTOMER CONCERNS...A TERRIBLE WAY TO RUN A BUSINESS. I WANT TO SEE THIS RESOLVED VERY SOON AS MINE HAS NOT RUN WELL FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND I HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING EITHER PUTTING MONEY INTO GETTING IT GOING IN HOPES THAT THE BRAKES ISSUE WOULD BE FIXED...OR SELLING IT IF THAT IS ALLOWABLE, BEFORE THE END OF JULY DUE TO THE REGISTRATION EXPIRING. PLEASE ADVISE ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON WHAT I SHOULD DO WITH THIS VEHICLE. IT IS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT AS IT WAS A FUN, PRACTICAL LITTLE COMMUTER WHEN IT RAN WELL AND I HAD HIGH HOPES FOR CONSERVING ENERGY AND REDUCING EMISSIONS. IF ZAP WOULD PAY TO HAVE IT TOTALLY FIXED, THAT WOULD MAKE ME MOST HAPPY. BUT IF THEY HAVE TO COME BUY IT FROM ME, LET IT BE SOON, PLEASE. *TR

A BRASS FITTING IN THE BRAKE LINE SHEARED APART WHILE I WAS DRIVING, CAUSING ALL THE BRAKE FLUID TO DRAIN OUT. THIS LEFT ME WITHOUT ANY BRAKES DUE TO THE SINGLE RESERVOIR ISSUE. FORTUNATELY, TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SEVERAL OTHER TIMES I'VE BARELY AVOIDED ACCIDENTS WHEN EMERGENCY BRAKING WAS REQUIRED DUE TO THE POOR BRAKING RESPONSE. ZAP HAS BEEN FLOUTING THE RECALL NOTICE FOR YEARS AND IT'S NOT RIGHT. I'VE NOW HEARD THAT ZAP IS TRYING TO GET OUT OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING THE XEBRA UP TO LEGAL REQUIREMENTS DUE TO A LACK OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS. BUT PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO GET AWAY WITH THAT. IT'S JUST A MIXTURE OF GOOD FORTUNE AND DRIVER SKILL THAT HAS PREVENTED ACCIDENTS DESPITE THE POOR DESIGN/COMPONENTS. THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED. AND ZAP SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE US WITH LOANER CARS UNTIL THE ISSUES ARE REMEDIED. (I BET THAT WOULD MOTIVATE THEM TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY.) *TR

DRIVING ACROSS THE CENTER LANE OF A FIVE LANE HIGHWAY, I WAS HIT BY A CAR TRAVELING IN THE CENTER LANE. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP QUICK ENOUGH TO AVOID BEING HIT AND I BELIEVE THE BIGGEST REASON FOR THE COLLISION WAS BECAUSE THE BRAKES ARE INSUFFICIENT FOR THE VEHICLE. I FILED A SMALL CLAIMS LAWSUIT AND WAS AWARDED A PARTIAL SETTLEMENT; THE JUDGE FOUND ME 40% AT FAULT AND THE OTHER DRIVER 60%. *TR

RECEIVED NOTICE ~ OCT 8, '12 FROM ZAP RE: VEHICLE'S FAILURE TO MEET BRAKE SYSTEM & STOPPING DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS. IT SAID A REMEDY WOULD BE IN PLACE ~ DEC 31, '12, BUT I RECEIVED NO FURTHER NOTIFICATION. I LEFT 6 VOICE MESSAGES FOR ZAP JAN 31 TO FEB 14, '13: NO ONE CALLED BACK. FEB 20, '13, I GOT AN EMAIL FROM [XXX] STATING IT WOULD TAKE 30+ DAYS TO COMPLETE TESTING & SUBMIT A REMEDY TO DOT, AFTER WHICH THEY WOULD PERFORM A REMEDY TO MY VEHICLE. MARCH 26, '13, I SENT ANOTHER EMAIL TO [XXX] REQUESTING STATUS & TIMEFRAME OF REMEDY: NO RESPONSE. MARCH 29, '13 I SENT ANOTHER EMAIL BECAUSE I GOT MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION RENEWAL NOTICE & DIDN'T WANT TO PAY IF I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR, OR IF IT IS GOING TO BE TAKEN AWAY & DESTROYED.* HIS RESPONSE: YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO REGISTER AND DRIVE YOUR CAR. OUR VEHICLE IS IN TESTING NOW. IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH YOUR CAR, CALL OUR TECHNICIANS AT 707-577-7362' MY REPLY: YOU ARE SAYING I CAN DRIVE THE CAR? THE LETTER WE RECEIVED RECOMMENDED NOT DRIVING IT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MEET STOPPING DISTANCE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND BECAUSE OF BRAKE SYSTEM ISSUES' NO RESPONSE SINCE THEN. I DON'T WANT TO LET THE REGISTRATION OR INSURANCE LAPSE IF THERE'S A CHANCE OF A REMEDY & THE VEHICLE CAN BE CLEARED TO BE DRIVEN SAFELY. I LIKE MY ZAP & WANT TO DRIVE IT. I'M UPSET THAT [XXX] TOLD ME I CAN DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE & HOPE YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE ZAP RESOLVE ASAP. WHEN IT'S RESOLVED, I'D LIKE TO RECEIVE OFFICIAL NOTICE FROM NHTSA AND FROM ZAP. *I READ AN ONLINE ARTICLE (LINK **) REGARDING NHTSA'S ORDER REQUIRING ZAP JONWAY TO BUY BACK THE 2008 ZAP XEBRA VEHICLES, DESTROY THEM & PAY OWNERS $3,100 (INSUFFICIENT). I CAN'T FIND ANY REFERENCE TO THIS ON THE NHTSA SITE. IS THERE AN UPDATE FOR THIS? ** HTTP://WWW.PRESSDEMOCRAT.COM/ARTICLE/20130222/BUSINESS/130229813?TEMPLATE=PRINTART. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

IN OCTOBER OF 2012 I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM ZAP ABOUT THE RECALLS DUE TO THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE. THAT WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY NOTICE THAT I HAVE EVER RECEIVED EVEN THOUGH I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE 2008. THE NOTICE SAID THAT ZAP WOULD COMMUNICATE AGAIN BY DECEMBER 31, 2012. I HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM ZAP. SINCE JANUARY 1, 2013 I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT ZAP AND HAD NO RESPONSE. I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE NOT MANY OF THESE VEHICLES OUT THERE TO GENERATE MANY COMPLAINTS BUT SURELY THE COMPLETE LACK OF ACTION FROM ZAP SHOULD GENERATE SOME SORT OF INTEREST. THIS SHOULD BE A CONCERN ESPECIALLY AS ZAP AND PARTNER COMPANIES DEVELOP ADDITIONAL VEHICLES FOR THE MARKET. *TR

I HAVE BEEN SENT A RECALL NOTICE AND HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT EVERYONE WHO HAS AN EXTENSION. I HAVE SPOKEN TO A MIKE RINGSTAND ONLY TO BE DISCONNECTED. THEN WHEN I CALLED BACK HE DID NOT ANSWER. I HAVE ALSO TRIED TO EMAIL HIM BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CAR HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM THE TIME OF PURCHASE. I WOULD LIKE RESTITUTION. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ZAP XEBRA MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V385000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: FOUNDATION: MASTER CYLINDER) IN OCTOBER 2009 AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AS OF 2011. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR EXPECTATION DATE HAD GREATLY EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 09/08/11*LJ UPDATED 2/21/12 *CN