Firefighters put out flames coming from a Vinfast VF3 in HCMC. Photo courtesy of Hoai An
A VinFast VF 3 in Ho Chi Minh City went up in flames after being fitted with non-standard headlights that reportedly had double the capacity of the original ones.
Hoai An, the car’s owner, said she received her vehicle in late November last year. While waiting for its license plate, she decided to upgrade the car with several accessories, including new headlights.
The incident occurred one night in January as An was driving in District 1. She noticed a burning plastic smell but hesitated to stop due to heavy traffic. After about 15 minutes, smoke began billowing from the car’s hood, followed by flames.
An quickly exited the vehicle, and bystanders attempted to extinguish the fire. However, the blaze consumed the entire car, leaving only the metal frame.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire. Based on consultations with technicians, An suspects the issue stemmed from the aftermarket headlights she installed.
The fire originated from the car’s hood, ruling out the possibility of a battery malfunction, according to An. She noted that the original headlights had a power capacity of 55 watts, while the replacements were 90 watts.
“The increased capacity, nearly double the original, may have overloaded the wiring,” An said. She explained that she typically drives during the day, so the new headlights were rarely used until the night of the incident.
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