{"@context":{"@vocab":"https://schema.org/"},"@type":"ItemList","@id":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/api/v1/nhtsa/complaints/check?make=ZAP","name":"ZAP","_source":{"data_provider":"AI Analytics","data_provider_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org","license":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/","primary_source":"https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/","generated_at":"2026-08-24T10:49:00.674Z"},"summary":{"total_complaints":7,"deaths":0,"injured":2,"fires":2},"top_components":[{"component_desc":"SERVICE BRAKES","n":2},{"component_desc":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM","n":2},{"component_desc":"STRUCTURE:BODY","n":1},{"component_desc":"POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE","n":1},{"component_desc":"FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE","n":1}],"recent_complaints":[{"cmplid":"1032824","date_received":"2014-01-17","make":"ZAP","model":"XEBRA","model_year":2008,"deaths":0,"injured":0,"fire":0,"crash":1,"component_desc":"SERVICE BRAKES","description":"DRIVING SLOWLY DOWN HILL, I SWERVED, BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE TIPPED OVER. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A RECALL AND THAT ZAP IS SUPPOSED TO RECLAIM THIS RECALLED VEHICLE. AFTER RETURNING THE PAPERWORK AND RECEIVING NOTICE BACK THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE CONTACTING ME TO COLLECT THE VEHICLE, I'VE HEARD NOTHING MORE. ZAP HAS NOT RETURNED EMAILS AND THE COMPANY PHONE LINE LEADS ONLY TO A VOICE MAIL BOX THAT IS FULL.   *TR","canonical_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/vehicle-complaint/1032824"},{"cmplid":"1018941","date_received":"2013-10-31","make":"ZAP","model":"XEBRA","model_year":2008,"deaths":0,"injured":0,"fire":1,"crash":0,"component_desc":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM","description":"MY XEBRA WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE CENTER AREA OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO BE EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.      ALTHOUGH THIS MODEL IS CURRENTLY IN A RECALL BUY BACK PROGRAM, IT WOULD STILL BE WORTH INVESTIGATING THE SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THE FIRE IN CASE IT'S A PROBLEM THAT MIGHT AFFECT PREVIOUS XEBRA MODELS.    ALSO, GIVEN ZAP'S HISTORY, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THE BUY BACK PROCESS IS INDEFINITELY \"DELAYED\" AND THEREFORE THE CURRENT MODEL WILL STILL BE ON THE ROAD FOR SOME TIME (NOT DUE TO XEBRA QUALITY, WHICH IS LACKING, BUT BECAUSE XEBRA OWNERS TEND TO BE RELENTLESS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO CONTINUALLY RESUSCITATE THEIR VEHICLE EVERY TIME IT DIES.)  *TR","canonical_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/vehicle-complaint/1018941"},{"cmplid":"985012","date_received":"2013-06-10","make":"ZAP","model":"XEBRA","model_year":2008,"deaths":0,"injured":0,"fire":0,"crash":1,"component_desc":"STRUCTURE:BODY","description":"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","canonical_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/vehicle-complaint/985012"},{"cmplid":"985013","date_received":"2013-06-10","make":"ZAP","model":"XEBRA","model_year":2008,"deaths":0,"injured":0,"fire":0,"crash":1,"component_desc":"SERVICE BRAKES","description":"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","canonical_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/vehicle-complaint/985013"},{"cmplid":"731241","date_received":"2009-08-13","make":"ZAP","model":"XEBRA","model_year":2008,"deaths":0,"injured":1,"fire":0,"crash":1,"component_desc":"FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE","description":"THERE IS WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE NEWER SUNL VIP MOTOR SCOOTERS.  THE ORIENTATION OF THE  THROTTLE CAM RETRACTION SPRING END, THE LENGTH OF THE THROTTLE CAM RETRACTION SPRING END AND THE LONG DISTANCE FROM THE THROTTLE CABLE MOUNT TO THE THROTTLE CAM (ALLOWING SLACK IN THE METAL BRAIDED THROTTLE CABLE) ALL CONTRIBUTE TO ALLOW THE END OF THE CAM RETRACTION SPRING TO SNARE THE THROTTLE CABLE, HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPEN DURING OPERATION.     THESE SCOOTERS DO NOT HAVE A WAY OF DISENGAGING THE DRIVE DUE TO THE USE OF A CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH IN THE DRIVE SYSTEM.  THEREFORE WHEN THIS THROTTLE IS HELD OPEN, THE SCOOTER CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE.  IN THIS CRASH, THE THROTTLE STUCK WHILE THE SCOOTER WAS HALFWAY THROUGH A TURN AND THEN \"RAN AWAY\".  THERE WAS TOO LITTLE TIME TO REACT.  I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM IN THE CRASHED UNIT AND CHECKED SEVERAL EXEMPLARS TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED IN THIS CRASH WAS REPEATABLE, AND IT IS.         I NOTICED THAT SOME OTHER SCOOTER TYPES HAD SIMILAR SUB-ASSEMBLY CONFIGURATIONS, HOWEVER, THE COMBINATION OF DESIGN ISSUES IN THIS UNIT HAVE MADE IT UNIQUELY DANGEROUS.   OTHER UNITS CURVE THE RETRACTION SPRING END, HAVE SHORT RETRACTION SPRING ENDS AND/OR SHORTER THROTTLE CABLE MOUNT LOCATIONS FROM THE THROTTLE CAM ALLOWING LESS SLACK IN THE LINE.  *TR","canonical_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/vehicle-complaint/731241"},{"cmplid":"731242","date_received":"2009-08-13","make":"ZAP","model":"XEBRA","model_year":2008,"deaths":0,"injured":1,"fire":0,"crash":1,"component_desc":"POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE","description":"THERE IS WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE NEWER SUNL VIP MOTOR SCOOTERS.  THE ORIENTATION OF THE  THROTTLE CAM RETRACTION SPRING END, THE LENGTH OF THE THROTTLE CAM RETRACTION SPRING END AND THE LONG DISTANCE FROM THE THROTTLE CABLE MOUNT TO THE THROTTLE CAM (ALLOWING SLACK IN THE METAL BRAIDED THROTTLE CABLE) ALL CONTRIBUTE TO ALLOW THE END OF THE CAM RETRACTION SPRING TO SNARE THE THROTTLE CABLE, HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPEN DURING OPERATION.     THESE SCOOTERS DO NOT HAVE A WAY OF DISENGAGING THE DRIVE DUE TO THE USE OF A CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH IN THE DRIVE SYSTEM.  THEREFORE WHEN THIS THROTTLE IS HELD OPEN, THE SCOOTER CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE.  IN THIS CRASH, THE THROTTLE STUCK WHILE THE SCOOTER WAS HALFWAY THROUGH A TURN AND THEN \"RAN AWAY\".  THERE WAS TOO LITTLE TIME TO REACT.  I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM IN THE CRASHED UNIT AND CHECKED SEVERAL EXEMPLARS TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED IN THIS CRASH WAS REPEATABLE, AND IT IS.         I NOTICED THAT SOME OTHER SCOOTER TYPES HAD SIMILAR SUB-ASSEMBLY CONFIGURATIONS, HOWEVER, THE COMBINATION OF DESIGN ISSUES IN THIS UNIT HAVE MADE IT UNIQUELY DANGEROUS.   OTHER UNITS CURVE THE RETRACTION SPRING END, HAVE SHORT RETRACTION SPRING ENDS AND/OR SHORTER THROTTLE CABLE MOUNT LOCATIONS FROM THE THROTTLE CAM ALLOWING LESS SLACK IN THE LINE.  *TR","canonical_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/vehicle-complaint/731242"},{"cmplid":"680346","date_received":"2008-07-28","make":"ZAP","model":"XEBRA","model_year":null,"deaths":0,"injured":0,"fire":1,"crash":0,"component_desc":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM","description":"CAR FIRE IN MY GARAGE.  PER ZAP, IT WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE WITH THE DISCOVER BATTERY(S) IN THE CAR.  CAR IS A ZAP XEBRA SEDAN  PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT AN ACURA!!!!!  THERE WAS NOT A CATEGORY FOR ZAP, SO I HAD TO USE AN EXISTING CATEGORY TO GET THE FORM TO WORK.  *TR","canonical_url":"https://api.ai-analytics.org/vehicle-complaint/680346"}]}