NHTSA Complaint #10692227 — 2010 WHEEGO WHIP LSV

CINCINNATI OH, ON JANUARY 21, 2015, THE SAME DAY AS AN OVERPASS COLLAPSE THAT PARALYZED THE CITY AND NECESSITATED THE FULL DEPLOYMENT OF ALL AVAILABLE POLICE PERSONNEL TO DIRECT TRAFFIC, MY 2010 WHEEGO WHIP LSV VEHICLE REGISTERED A CODE 73 AND SUFFERED AN IMMEDIATE AND TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE FUNCTION WHILE TRAVELING AT THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC. A CINCINNATI POLICE DETECTIVE WHO HAPPENED TO BE PRESENT AT THE SCENE PUSHED THE CAR INTO A LOT. THE DETECTIVE NEEDED HELP FROM TWO PASSERBYS TO MOVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO EXCESSIVE RESISTANCE. THE COMPUTER MALFUNCTION HARD- ENGAGED THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES. WHEEGO TECH SUPPORT REPORTED THAT A CODE 73 ERROR IS CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE COMPUTER TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE FOUR TACHOMETRIC SENSORS THAT REPORT TORQUE. THE WHEEGO WHIP LSV, UNLIKE MOST CARS, IS PROGRAMMED TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE MOTOR FUNCTION IF COMMUNICATION WITH THE TACHOMETER IS LOST. THE WHEEGO WHIP LSV UTILIZES OPTICAL TACHOMETRIC SENSORS, WHICH ARE KNOWN TO BE LESS RELIABLE THAN MECHANICAL TACHOMETRIC SENSORS. WHEEGO REPORTS THE TACHOMETRIC SENSORS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE A LIMITED SERVICE LIFE (THEY ESTIMATE ABOUT 1-3 YEARS, INCLUDING SHELF LIFE - THIS VEHICLE HAD 1000 MILES OF LIGHT DRIVING ON IT WHEN THE SENSOR FAILED) AND ARE PRONE TO SUDDEN AND RANDOM FAILURE, AN EVENT WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO INSTANTLY SHUT DOWN. THIS IS INHERENTLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT THE FAILURE OF A PART KNOWN TO BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO RANDOM FAILURE WILL CAUSE A RANDOM LOSS OF MOTOR FUNCTION WHILE THE CAR IS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC. THE WHIP LSV SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE ROAD UNTIL THE FAULT IS CORRECTED. POSSIBLE FIXES INCLUDE REPLACING THE OPTICAL SENSOR WITH A MORE RELIABLE MECHANICAL SENSOR OR REPROGRAMMING THE VEHICLE COMPUTER SO IT DOES NOT SHUT DOWN THE CAR WHEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SENSOR IS LOST. *TR