2012 Coda Coda 4 DR FWD Subject to NHTSA Recall# 12V409000

I HAVE A FAILED MICRO SWITCH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEN SEAT BELT IS LATCHED TO THE BUCKLE. WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT DEPLOY AIR BAGS IN AN ACCIDENT. MY AUTO MECHANIC HAS A OMITEC SCANNER BUT NO SOFTWARE TO DIAGNOSE TROUBLE CODES WHEN CONNECTED TO THE OBD-II PORT. WE NEED AVAILABLE SOFTWARE TO UPDATE, TROUBLESHOOT, DIAGNOSE, 'CLEAR DTC'S', VERIFICATION CHECKS, INCLUDING RESETTING, CLEARING SRS AIRBAGS, SEAT BELTS, TPMS, UPDATE ECU, COMPONENTS AND OTHER SAFETY ISSUES. RIGHT NOW OMITEC OMISCAN IS THE ONLY SCANNER THAT SUPPORTS CODA. THE SOFTWARE IS OWNED BY CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE (FORMERLY OWNED BY OMITEC). IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY TO RELEASE THIS SOFTWARE ON A 2012 OBD-II COMPLIANT VEHICLE AVAILABLE TO OWNERS, AUTO MECHANICS, TO UPDATE THEIR VEHICLES, BE SAFER, OR IF IN AN ACCIDENT.

AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IN LOW 90S. WE USUALLY DO NOT USE THE HVAC, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHUTDOWNS IN THE PAST. THE ENTIRE HVAC SYSTEM WAS REPLACED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS ALSO REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY (THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE SIMILAR TO THE GM PROBLEMS), BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEN MY WARRANTY WAS DROPPED AS CODA WENT CHAPTER 11 AND GAVE UP ALL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THOSE WHO HAD PURCHASED THEIR VEHICLES. LATEST SHUTDOWN INFORMATION: ***DROVE ON I-80, BUSINESS 80, AND I-50 FROM AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE TO U-STOR N LOCK IN RANCHO CORDOVA. THEN TOOK SUNRISE TO GRANT LINE ROAD. ***HVAC WAS RUNNING FROM THE ARDEN CURVE ON BUSINESS 80 UNTIL JUST AFTER CROSSING HWY 16 ON SUNRISE BLVD. ON THE WAY TO GRANTLINE, WHEN MY CODA SHUT DOWN. THIS IS THE 6TH TIME OUR CODA HAS SHUTDOWN WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN IN THE 90S, DRIVING AT 55-65MPH, AND THE HVAC IS RUNNING. ***I TURNED MY CODA TO ACCESSORY OFF, THEN BACK ON. I THEN DROVE HOME WITHOUT THE HVAC RUNNING AND WITHOUT ANY SHUTDOWN ISSUES. THIS CAN BE VERY FRIGHTENING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SHUTDOWN OCCURS ON THE FREEWAY WITH MANY OTHER VEHICLES ALL AROUND. WHO IS THERE TO SUPPORT CODA EV OWNERS WHO MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN A CRASH DUE TO A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW IN THIS VEHICLE?

THIS SHUTDOWN HAS OCCURRED BEFORE: MAY 2013 (2X), JUN 2013 (2X), AUG 2013, SEP 2013, & JULY 2014 (2X). ALL INSTANCES APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE USE OF THE A/C ON THE CODA. IF THE A/C HAS NOT BEEN USED AT ALL, THE SHUTDOWNS DO NOT OCCUR. THE TEMPERATURE IN THE AREA TODAY WAS IN THE MID 90S. I DECIDED TO RETURN USING BACK ROADS TO SEE IF SHUTDOWNS STILL OCCUR WHILE USING A/C. I DROVE FOR 12 MILES, RUNNING A/C THE ENTIRE TIME. NO PROBLEMS. I TURNED A/C OFF WITHIN A MILE OF HWY 99. ACCELERATED QUICKLY ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. WITHIN 1/2 MILE, MY CODA SHUT DOWN. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN TURNED IT BACK ON. IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY. I THEN DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT DID NOT TURN THE A/C BACK ON. MY CODA WAS TURNED OFF FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHILE IN SACRAMENTO. I THEN DROVE HOME. I HAD NOT RUN THE A/C AT ALL SINCE I TESTED IT 40 MILES EARLIER. EVERYTHING WAS FINE ON THE WAY HOME, UNTIL I WAS ON THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 8 MILES. MY CODA SHUT DOWN ONCE AGAIN. THIS WAS WITHOUT THE A/C HAVING RUN FOR OVER 40 MILES. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED IT OFF COMPLETELY, AND THEN RESTARTED WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I THEN DROVE HOME WITHOUT ANY FURTHER SHUTDOWNS. THIS IS VERY DISCONCERTING, AND COULD PROVE TO BE DANGEROUS IF THE SHUTDOWN HAPPENS TO OCCUR WHEN WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC HAD SIMILAR SHUTDOWN ISSUES AND A RECALL WAS ISSUED. WHY NOT FOR CODA? WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THE CODA HVAC, BUT WE CANNOT DO THAT AND FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL REMAIN SAFELY RUNNING WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. AT LEAST OUR STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T LOCK LIKE GM VEHICLES HAVE DONE WITH THEIR IGNITION ISSUES! PREVIOUS STEPS WHICH FAILED TO SOLVE SHUT DOWNS: REPLACED HVAC SYSTEM& IGNITION SWITCH. *TR

I HAD THE HVAC RUNNING FOR MOST OF THE 25 MILE DRIVE HOME TO ELK GROVE,CA, FROM AN EV DISPLAY AT AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE. JUST BEFORE THE OFF RAMP FOR ELK GROVE BLVD. FROM HIGHWAY 99, I SUDDENLY NOTICED THAT MY DASHBOARD DIMMED AND THE READY LIGHT DISAPPEARED. THERE WAS NO POWER TO MY CODA, SO I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I MOVED THE DRIVE SELECTOR BACK TO PARK, THEN TURNED THE KEY BACK ON, READY APPEARED, BUT THERE WAS NO POWER TO OUR CODA. I THEN TURNED THE CAR FULLY OFF AND BEGAN THE STANDARD START SEQUENCE. IT CAME BACK ON AND DROVE NORMALLY THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. THIS WAS VERY DISCONCERTING, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE WORST OF SUMMER IS YET TO COME IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY. THAT EVENING, I PICKED UP MY DAUGHTER FROM DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO AND SHE GOT TO DRIVE OUR CODA FOR THE FIRST TIME TO A THEATRE PRODUCTION AT AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE. THE HVAC WAS RUNNING AGAIN, WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEMS, UNTIL WE HAD DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES WHEN THE CAR DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING FOR MY DAUGHTER. WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO COAST TO AN OFF RAMP AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD HER TURN THE CODA FULLY OFF, THEN RESTART IT AND THE CAR DROVE FINE AFTER THAT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE DID NOT TURN THE HVAC BACK ON AGAIN. SINCE THIS FIRST SHUTDOWN PROBLEM, WE HAVE HAD THREE OTHER DAYS WHERE THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED. IN EVERY CASE, WE WERE TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, MOST OF THE TIME WITH THE A/C RUNNING, BUT NOT EVERY TIME. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS UNDER STRESS WITH THE A/C RUNNING, AND HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, AND FREEWAY SPEEDS, WITH ACCELERATION OR HILL CLIMBING. NO ONE HAS YET BEEN INJURED, BUT THIS IS A REAL POSSIBILITY WHEN DRIVING CA FREEWAYS WITH AN ELECTRIC CAR THAT SUDDENLY SHUTS DOWN AND COASTS TO A STOP. WE HAVE DISCOVERED TWO OTHER CODA OWNERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME SUDDEN SHUTDOWNS. *TR THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH TAKATA AIR BAGS. UPDATED 07/20/15. *JB